L’dor V’dor : La Montée de l’antisémitisme en France pendant la première moitié du vingtième siècle

Abstract

The country with the third largest Jewish population, France has a rich history and highly developed relationship with its Jewish population. Despite this, it also is known for its anti-Semitism, which overtook society in the twentieth century. Where did this intolerance come from, especially when France was once such a safe haven for Jews? The twentieth century, a tumultuous period for all French citizens, brought many moments of anti-Semitism in France and many important changes to the public perception of French Jews, starting with the Dreyfus affair at the turn of the century, and increasing through the creation of a national identity that was used to legalize the exclusion of Jews from French society under the Vichy regime.