Allusions and influences of the French Revolution on 1920s ideas of Europe

The French Revolution and its consequences have resonated in political debate, intellectual thought and historical memory throughout the 19th and 20th centuries round the world, but no more so than in France itself. Intriguing but perhaps not surprising, in the numerous writings of French writers and intellectuals articulating the idea of Europe in the 1920s references to the ideals and effects of the French Revolution are often made. While there has been considerable academic research on the concept of Europe in the interwar period over the last decade, this aspect has yet to be considered. This paper will explore the role and perception of the French Revolution in the writings of such prominent thinkers, among others, as Julien Benda, Gaston Riou and Édouard Herriot.