In addition to harsh wars and political events, including a period of foreign occupation, France was witness to significant social and cultural developments in this period. This lecture series will cover the major historical stations—world wars, the Algerian War, May 1968—and will also analyze the influence of prominent personalities and watershed works. The course will raise issues such as the place of religion in France, changes in national education, and innovations in cinema, theater and literature. Each lecture will be immediately followed by a relevant film, either a film from the period discussed, or a new film that reconstructs the period.