Jules Romains' Vision of a United Europe in Interwar France: Legacy and Ambiguities

The interwar period in Europe was characterised by a multi-faceted movement in favour of European integration. After the slaughter of the First World War, many intellectuals, writers, industrialists and politicians brought the idea of European unity to the fore and engaged in various actions, from setting up organisations to lobbying governments, to promote the unification of Europe. Much research has been carried out on the leading figures of these pro-European activities but amongst the wealth of this period other actors have tended to be forgotten. Such is the case with the French writer Jules Romains, who not only coined “Europeanism”, the word that would define the whole movement in favour of Europe, but who also actively participated in promoting a united Europe. This article seeks to introduce and discuss Romains’ ideas on Europe. It will demonstrate that his vision was very coherent within the framework of his Unanimist philosophy but was undermined by serious ambiguities. It will also demonstrate that his ideas are of great interest for what they reveal about the interwar period in France and Europe, what they bring to the genealogy of the European project, as set up after the Second World War, and for the ambiguities at the core of his concept of Europe, which are still very much at the heart of many of today’s debates about the European Union

Chapsal Jacques, La vie politique sous la Ve République, Portelli Hugues , La vie politique en France sous la V e République

Berstein Serge. Chapsal Jacques, La vie politique sous la Ve République, Portelli Hugues , La vie politique en France sous la V e République. In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°18, avril-juin 1988. Dossier : Sur la France des années trente. pp. 154-155

Pirjevec Jozé, Tito, Stalin e l'Occidente

Berstein Serge. Pirjevec Jozé, Tito, Stalin e l'Occidente . In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°14, avril-juin 1987. Dossier : Masses et individus. pp. 134-135

L'argent et le pouvoir : à propos de François de Wendel

Berstein Serge. L'argent et le pouvoir : à propos de François de Wendel. In: Revue d’histoire moderne et contemporaine, tome 25 N°3, Juillet-septembre 1978. pp. 487-499

Droz Jacques, Histoire de l'antifascisme en Europe 1923-1939

Berstein Serge. Droz Jacques, Histoire de l'antifascisme en Europe 1923-1939. In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°9, janvier-mars 1986. p. 146

Colarizi Simona, La seconda guerra mondiale e la Repubblica

Berstein Serge. Colarizi Simona, La seconda guerra mondiale e la Repubblica. In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°12, octobre-décembre 1986. Dossier : Retour au tiers monde. p. 109

Monteleone Franco, La radio italiana nel periodo fascista

Berstein Serge. Monteleone Franco, La radio italiana nel periodo fascista . In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°9, janvier-mars 1986. p. 145