The collapse of the third republic : an inquiry into the fall of France in 1940 / by William L. Shirer.

To the memory of my brother John...

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword -- Prologue -- Debacle! summer 1940 -- Book One: The rise fo the Third Republic, 1871-1919 -- A freakish birth and early growing pains 1871-1891 -- The Dreyfus affair 1894-1906 -- The consolidation of the Republic 1880-1914 -- Classes and conflict 1875-1914 -- The permanent political crisis 1875-1914 -- The achievements of the Third Republic 1875-1914 -- The coming of the first world war 1905-1914 -- The Third Republic's finest hour 1914-1918 -- Book Two: Illusions and realities of victory, 1919-1934 -- Victorious France: "the greatest power in Europe" 1919-1931 -- Decline I: political and financial chaos, and the Poincaré recovery 1924-1930 -- Decline II: the erosion of military power 1925-1934 -- Decline III: the world depression shakes the Third Republic 1931-1934 -- Book Three: The last years of the Republic, 1934-1939 -- A fateful turning point February 6, 1934 -- Aftermath: widening of the gulf 1934-1936 -- Coup in the Rhineland: the last chance to stop Hitler and avert a major war March 1936 -- France further divided, the front populaire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-1937 -- Dissension and disarray: France and the anschluss March 1938 -- The road to Munich I: April 27-September 13, 1938 -- The road to Munich II: September 15-28, 1938 -- The conference at Munich September 29-30, 1938 -- The turn of Poland 1939 -- A summer's interlude in Paris May-July 1939 -- The talks with Russia Summer 1939 -- The launching of World War II September 1-3, 1939 -- Book Four: The war and the defeat, 1939-1940 -- La Dróle de Guerre September 3, 1939-April 9, 1940 --