Access
Use
Acquisition Information
Preferred Citation
Biographical Note
Scope and Content of Collection
Title: Claude Paillat papers
Date (inclusive): 1863-2000
Collection Number: 2008C38
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
435 manuscript boxes, 14 card file boxes, 4 oversize boxes, digital media
(183.7 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Writings, correspondence, interview sound recordings and transcripts, notes, photocopies of government and other documents,
and printed matter relating to political, social and economic conditions in France in the inter-war period, during World War
II, and in the post-war period, and to the French colonies in North Africa and Indochina during these periods. Used as research
material for the published monographs by Claude Paillat.
Creator:
Paillat, Claude
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
Boxes 168, 230, 404 and FH11 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open
for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media
material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2008.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Claude Paillat papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
1924 |
Born, Paris, France |
1949-1956 |
Journalist,
Paris Match. Reported on wars in Indochina and Algeria
|
1958-1961 |
Journalist,
Paris-Presse
|
1961 |
Author,
Dossier secret de l'Algérie
|
1961-1985 |
Journalist,
Le Canard enchaîné
|
1966 |
Author,
l'échiquier de l'Algérie
|
1969 |
Author,
20 ans qui déchirent la France, tome 1. Le Guêpier
|
|
Author,
Archives secrètes 1968-1969: les coulisses d'une année terrible
|
1972 |
Author,
20 ans qui déchirent la France, tome 2. La Liquidation
|
1979 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 1. 1919 ou les illusions de la gloire
|
1980 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 2. La Victoire perdue
|
1981 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 3. La Guerre à l'horizon
|
1983-1984 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 4. Le Désastre de 1940 (in two volumes)
|
1985 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 5. La Guerre-éclair
|
1987 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 6. L'Occupation, le pillage de la France
|
1989 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 7. La France dans la guerre américaine
|
1992 |
Author,
Dossiers secrets de la France, tome 8. Le monde sans la France
|
2001 |
Died |
Scope and Content of Collection
The Claude Paillat papers in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives represent a substantial documentary resource on modern
French history. At present, they are the single largest collection relating to France in the holdings of the archives. The
large bulk of the papers is comprised of the research materials used by Paillat in the preparation of his books on France
during the period between the end of World War I and the aftermath of World War II. There are additional materials relating
to the wars that ended French colonial rule in Indochina and Algeria; to the local and regional history of 20th century France;
to the presidencies of Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, and François Mitterrand; and to French
economic history.
Paillat was a journalist who became a best-selling historian. His most significant work is his eight-volume
Dossiers secrets de la France contemporaine, a series that covers the span of French history from the conclusion of the First World War to the end of the Second. He
also published a two-volume study of the Algerian War; a monograph on the French defeat in Indochina, as well as one on the
last turbulent year of Charles de Gaulle's presidency; and a two part history of the Catholic church in France.
Paillat's books enjoyed popular success while at the same time being based on exhaustive research. He not only made use of
various French archives, he also relied on the extensive contacts he had made across French society, including members of
the military, leading industrialists, and politicians. These contacts allowed Paillat to consult, and in some cases acquire,
personal collections of correspondence and other documents, many of which formed the basis of the detailed descriptions of
events and personalities in his books. His exclusive access to such documents also give Paillat's books - most of which contain
the word "secret" in the title - the aspect of revealing confidential or privileged information. Paillat referred to his research
methods as yielding a "tapestry" woven from various sources.
The
Research Materials are arranged according to Paillat's original French subject headings, with additional identification provided at the folder
level. The materials include copies of many official documents, private correspondence, as well as clippings and academic
studies. There are numerous military records - intelligence reports, campaign journals and correspondence - relating to the
French experience in World War II. There are also many documents generated by the French national police (Gendarmerie Nationale)
during the Vichy period. Additionally, there are copies of reports on France in the 1930s originating from the United States
embassy in Paris, as well as other American documents concerning France and North Africa in World War II.
The Paillat papers contain substantial materials emanating from the French colonial administrations in Indochina and North
Africa. The Indochina materials span the period from the 1920s to the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and include some documents
describing the increasing American involvement in Vietnam in the 1950s. There are extensive materials in the collection pertaining
to the Algerian War, including many documents relating both to the Algerian nationalist movement and the military rebellion
by rightwing French officers against de Gaulle. There are also many police and intelligence reports from Algeria in the 1920s
and 1930s.
The research materials are particularly rich in the local and regional history of France. Paillat was interested in documenting
the family histories of the French economic elite (
patronat) and conducted many interviews with members of this social class. The collection has numerous tape recordings and transcripts
of these interviews. There is extensive documentation of the interwar years in France, on domestic politics and little studied
movements such as Bourgeoisie Chrétienne, Redressement Français, and X-Crise. There are also materials relating to various
social reform initiatives in France, including documents acquired by Paillat from the personal collections of Aymé Bernard
and Achille Liénart.
The Paillat papers contain press accounts and leaflets pertaining to the protest movement of French students and workers in
May-June 1968. There are also significant materials on the years following de Gaulle's resignation as president, including
the Mitterrand era. These largely relate to French political parties, election campaigns, and a number of public scandals
involving allegations of corruption and bribery.
The
Correspondence series contains a large general file that is arranged chronologically. This consists largely of letters received by Paillat
from the readers of his books, as well as a considerable number of letters from the contacts who provided him information
and documents in aid of his research.
The
Writings series of the papers contain the drafts of many of Paillat's books, as well as his correspondence with his publishers, readers,
and those sources who had provided him with information and documents for the writing of his books. In this series, there
are also numerous articles written by Paillat during his career as a journalist for the newspaper,
Le Canard enchaîné. The articles focus on French politics as well reporting on business trends among French media companies.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1939-1945 -- France
France -- Colonies
France -- History -- 1958-
France -- History -- German occupation, 1940-1945
France -- Politics and government -- 20th century
France -- History -- 1914-1940
France -- History -- 1945-1958
France -- Economic conditions -- 20th century