Annette Becker : "S'approcher au plus près de la société humaine pour mieux la comprendre"
Summary
Annette Becker discusses her intellectual journey from studying 18th-century religious revivals to becoming a leading historian of WWI, genocide, and memory. She recounts how reading Marc Bloch and working on war monuments shifted her focus to contemporary history, influenced by the Bosnian and Rwandan conflicts. Becker reflects on Raphael Lemkin’s concept of genocide, the importance of individual testimonies, and distinguishes between war crimes and genocide in current geopolitical debates.
Topics discussed
Introduction and first encounter with Marc Bloch's work
Academic journey from medieval history to modern times
Family history, resistance narratives, and political background
Transition to WWI studies and monuments to the dead
Impact of Yugoslav wars on understanding WWI violence
Research on genocide, archives, and human traces
Marc Bloch's 'Strange Defeat' and historical truth
Forgotten histories: civilians, refugees, and POWs in WWI
Raphael Lemkin and the origins of the genocide concept
Debate on genocide definitions: Gaza, Rwanda, and Srebrenica
Historian's role, Marc Bloch's legacy, and conclusion
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