The Identity of France

work by Braudel

Also known as: “L’Identité de la France”

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June 29, 2026

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L'Identité de la France (The Identity of France) is a work by French historian Fernand Braudel that applies his geohistorical method to his homeland. Instead of focusing on the actions of individuals or political events, Braudel examines the physical geography and regional diversity of France to understand its history.1

Braudel, a key figure in the Annales school, advocated for a "total history" that considered long-term environmental factors, economic structures, and social mentalities alongside traditional political and military history. His work on France explores how the country's varied regions and their development over time shaped its identity. This approach contrasts with a focus on the "unruly lives and thoughts of its inhabitants".12

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Fernand Braudel
…L’Identité de la France (1986; The Identity of France), he applied the geohistorical method to his homeland, presenting a history that favoured the physical mutations of its diverse regions over the unruly lives and thoughts of their inhabitants.
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…L’Identité de la France (1986; The Identity of France), he applied the geohistorical method to his homeland, presenting a history that favoured the physical mutations of its diverse regions over the unruly lives and thoughts of their inhabitants.
Read More