This book addresses a central but often ignored question in the history of modern France and modern colonialism: How did the Third Republic, highly regarded for

France, which has the largest Muslim minority community in Europe, has been in the news in recent years because of perceptions that Muslims have not integrated

The contributions in Civilizing Missions in the Twentieth Century discuss how top-down interventions to “improve” societies were justified in terms such as

A uniquely interesting look at both the country France and the way its peoplesee the world.

Inherent in colonialism was the idea of self-legitimation, the most powerful tool of which was the colonizer's claim to bring the fruits of progress and moderni