Marc Bloch et les Annales d’histoire économique et sociale

The talk provides a nuanced and well-informed perspective on the founding of the Annales, drawing on archival research and the correspondence between Bloch and Febvre. Anheim successfully avoids the hagiographic narrative often associated with the ‘Annales school’, instead situating the journal within a broader intellectual and social context. He emphasizes the importance of viewing the Annales as a point of arrival, shaped by existing trends in historiography, economics, and sociology, rather than as a miraculous departure. The argument is supported by specific examples, such as the influence of German journals like the Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte and the role of Henri Pirenne. The discussion of the practical aspects of running the journal, including financial struggles and editorial work, adds a valuable dimension that is often overlooked. However, the talk is primarily an expert opinion and does not provide detailed citations or references to specific sources, which limits its verifiability. The speaker’s authority and the use of primary sources (correspondence) lend credibility, but the lack of explicit references may be a drawback for those seeking to verify the claims. The title accurately reflects the content, and the talk is well-structured and engaging. Overall, it offers a valuable contribution to the historiography of the Annales, but its reliance on the speaker’s expertise rather than explicit citations means it should be complemented with further reading.

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on Marc Bloch and the founding of the Annales journal.

8/10

The speaker is a recognized historian (director of studies at EHESS) and the content is based on archival research and correspondence, but the video is a conference talk without peer review or citations of specific sources.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction and thanks
• 01:00Overview of the Annales' prestige and the challenge of avoiding hindsight bias
• 03:00Context of scientific journals in early 20th century Europe
• 05:00Influence of German scholarship and the role of Henri Pirenne
• 07:00The University of Strasbourg as an experimental interdisciplinary hub
• 09:00The correspondence between Bloch and Febvre and the practical challenges of running the journal
• 11:00Financial difficulties and the decision to increase frequency
• 13:00The international dimension of the Annales and the role of foreign contributors
• 15:00The gendered nature of the journal and the work of spouses
• 17:00Conclusion: the Annales as a point of arrival and the importance of a critical history

• Correspondance de Marc Bloch et Lucien Febvre (3 volumes) — Mentioned as the basis for reconstructing the founding and early years of the Annales, edited by Bertrand Müller.
• Au bureau de la revue — Book by Valérie Tenier, mentioned as a reference on the history of scientific journals in the 19th-20th centuries.
• Volume edited by Florian Mazel and Yann Potin (Seuil) — Recent publication containing an article by Anheim and André Loëz on the history of the Annales.

• Marc Bloch: A Life in History — Biography of Marc Bloch that likely provides similar context on his intellectual development and the founding of the Annales.

• The Annales School: A Reassessment