Eugenics and Natalism in France, 1912-1942
The Case of the Croix-de-Feu and Parti Social Français
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5348346 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Redvaldsen (0000-0001-8531-0726, University of Agder, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 1-21 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The European Legacy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1084-8770 • E-ISSN: 1470-1316 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10848770.2025.2558361 |
| OpenAlex | W4414918094 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This article investigates to what extent the ideology of the Croix-de-Feu and its successor the Parti Social Français was influenced by biological theories, and especially by eugenics. Like most interwar political movements and parties, they supported natalism. This could have led to additional backing for eugenics, especially as the French version was guided by puericulture or infant care. Puericulture and Lamarckism, according to which acquired traits are thought to be potentially inheritable by offspring, made eugenics in France inclusive, which meant that as primarily a medical ideology it sought to improve the health of the entire population. Only a few French eugenists focused on class or race. Equally, although the Croix-de-Feu and its successor were right-wing associations, they claimed to represent everyone in French society. Despite some overlapping tendencies, eugenics did not much affect the Croix-de-Feu or the Parti Social Français, the only exception being that the physical exercise scheme for youth was based on “positive” eugenics. There are even fewer traces of social Darwinism in their ideology. In regard to ethnic minorities, they supported assimilation rather than biological racism. Racism, however, was more prevalent in the North African branches, where the movement displayed typical fascist traits
Eugenics · Social issues · Social life · French Historical and Cultural Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Medical History and Research
The Third Republic of France
The French Right Between the Wars
Teleology and Modernity
Hereditary genius
In the Name of Eugenics
French Fascism
Dictating Demography
A History of Fascism in France
Social Darwinism in European and American Thought, 1860–1945
Political Religion’ and the Totalitarian Departures of Inter-war Europe
Near as Far in the Colonies
Darwin and the French
The Decline of the Third Republic
Regulating Abortion and Birth Control
Boy Scouting for Grown-Ups? Paramilitarism in the Croix de Feu and the Parti Social Francais
Fascists and Conservatives
Natalisme et hygiénisme en France de 1900 à 1940
Social Darwinism in France
Demography and Degeneration. Eugenics and the Declining Birth Rate in Twentieth-Century Britain
Toward the Improvement of the Human Race
Fascism in France and the Strange Case of the Croix de Feu
Latin Eugenics in Comparative Perspective
From Max Weber
Fascism-a Reader's Guide
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |