Education of bodies in times of “crisis”: Disruption or continuity? (1936–1948)

While the “Vichy period” (1940–1944) represented a major institutional crisis in France, recent historiographical work has highlighted the value of critically examining what might appear to be merely a parenthesis—positioned between the Third Republic and the Provisional Government of the French Republic—on the political, ideological, and cultural levels. Drawing on an analysis of the notions of “crisis” and “education of bodies,” this introductory article underscores the contributions of major research conducted in the field of the history of physical activities. It shows that, beyond the profound ideological ruptures that characterize the years 1936 to 1948, continuities emerge in educational models.