This 1995 book is a pioneering study of the defence of French bourgeois interests and the nature of French conservatism. Vinen presents French conservatism as a more subtle and dynamic force than has been previously appreciated, and outlines the new kinds of political synthesis inspired by Vichy, occupation and the purges.

This book is the first general study of politics and society in the Fourth Republic to be founded on extensive primary research. It approaches the period in terms of successful conservatism rather than thwarted reform, maintaining that conservatism in France was a more subtle and dynamic force than has preciously been appreciated. Not the preserve of any single party, conservative ideas were often defended by institutions outside the realm of explicit politics altogether, such as business associations, civil service departments and the law courts. It is proposed that conservatives did not simply return to French politics in 1945 untouched by the events of the previous five years. The experiences of Vichy, the occupation and the purges produced new kinds of political synthesis, making conservatives more receptive to change than their 'progressive' opponents.