Outline of the economic, social and political crisis that occured to create the crisis of democracy in France, 1939. Looks at: economic impact of the war, economic depression of 1930s, mass unemployment, class tensions, ethnic tensions, political institutions and the anti-democratic right. Briefly touches on anti-fascism.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century some of the fundamental assumptions that had underpinned the post 1870 social order were increasingly being called into question. Since the advent of mass democracy, fear of 'the masses' had begun to displace faith in 'the people'. The advance in science, which earlier in the century had seemed entirely compatible with religious belief, increasingly seemed to undermine Christian faith. All of this responded to and exacerbated the sense of fin de siè...