My friend Peter Sahlins has an excellent article in the French newspaper Libération this week, in response to a nutty proposal by far-right essayist Pierre Hilliard to strip Jews of French citizenship on the grounds that, historically, France only gave citizenship to Catholics. As Peter points out, drawing on
Good commentary. (I do think that if something like the Vendee Massacres occurred today, they would certainly be labeled genocide. Also was not the words exterminate and populicide coined at that time? But this is a subsidiary point. The main lines of your narrative are solid.)
Thanks, Dan. Populicide was a deliberate political coinage: anti-Jacobin (by Babeuf, in fact). Yes, today the massacres would probably be called genocide. Tim Snyder calls the invasion of Ukraine genocide. Others want to limit the word to attempts to wipe out an entire, clearly defined people—and attempts that had a chance of succeeding. I prefer the latter, but it’s probably a losing battle.
Excellent overview. I wonder what the far right thinks the religion was of the Gauls, the original French? It wasn't Catholicism at first that's for sure....
What a disturbing blog. Thanks David. Zemmour's antisemitism in spite of his Jewishness is in line with the Netanyahu coalition which echoes the conspiracy of a cosmopolitan minded elite undermining the authentic people and is aligning Israel with the various antisemitic radical movements in Europe.
Finally, a confession, from someone teaching at a Catholic institution. I too referred to the events at the Vendée as genocide. I know I should have read your piece about it, but the dog ate my homework. Now I understand the sinister context of this charge. Thanks.
Thanks, Doron. The Vendée story is especially weird in the US. In France, Secher presented what happened as a genocide of the people of the Vendée, targeted for their regional identity. But in US versions, it has become a genocide of Catholics.
Good commentary. (I do think that if something like the Vendee Massacres occurred today, they would certainly be labeled genocide. Also was not the words exterminate and populicide coined at that time? But this is a subsidiary point. The main lines of your narrative are solid.)
Thanks, Dan. Populicide was a deliberate political coinage: anti-Jacobin (by Babeuf, in fact). Yes, today the massacres would probably be called genocide. Tim Snyder calls the invasion of Ukraine genocide. Others want to limit the word to attempts to wipe out an entire, clearly defined people—and attempts that had a chance of succeeding. I prefer the latter, but it’s probably a losing battle.
Excellent overview. I wonder what the far right thinks the religion was of the Gauls, the original French? It wasn't Catholicism at first that's for sure....
Thanks, Lynn! Yes, I suspect Belenos and Toutatis might have something to say here…
What a disturbing blog. Thanks David. Zemmour's antisemitism in spite of his Jewishness is in line with the Netanyahu coalition which echoes the conspiracy of a cosmopolitan minded elite undermining the authentic people and is aligning Israel with the various antisemitic radical movements in Europe.
Finally, a confession, from someone teaching at a Catholic institution. I too referred to the events at the Vendée as genocide. I know I should have read your piece about it, but the dog ate my homework. Now I understand the sinister context of this charge. Thanks.
Thanks, Doron. The Vendée story is especially weird in the US. In France, Secher presented what happened as a genocide of the people of the Vendée, targeted for their regional identity. But in US versions, it has become a genocide of Catholics.