Twentieth-century French historiography on the Counter-Revolution

Especially following the publication in 1961 of Jacques Godechot's La Contr e-revolution, doctrine et action (1789-1804), French historians appear incr easingly persuaded that the Counter-revolution must be interpreted not as a homogeneous event, but rather as a series of single resistance movements a gainst the Revolution, originated by different causes and resting on variou s motivations. Recent historical literature has also stressed the fact that broad concepts such as Counter-Revolution, religious movements and ecclesi astical policy must be defined more accurately and specifically. Using the concept of regionalization, recent studies recall the fact that each of the se terms acquires a different meaning according to the specific features of the changing historical and geographical context in which it is set. Howev er, the Counter-Revolution as opposed to the revolutionary movement, surely played a fundamental role in shpaing the French Nation.