In the years since the end of World War II, France has dealt with the legacy of the German occupation, the effects of the Algerian war and the rise of Islam, and more recently the loss of French domination in Europe following the reunification of Germany. Robert Gildea sets these and other issues within their economic, social and political contexts, and focuses upon France's various attempts to recover and establish national greatness, a national identity, and stability in both economic and political systems.