THE ANNALES SCHOOL of HISTORY

THE ANNALES SCHOOL of HISTORY

The paradoxical developments in France in the decade of the 1920s posed an encompassing and new question that demanded new perspectives and new methodologies. Moreover, the intellectual development of the period challenged the scope of history that focused itself largely on events, and it also criticized the historical sources as it gave undue importance on archive. Therefore, French scholars Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre attempted to address these challenges and introduced a broader history.

In January, 1929, Bloch and Febvre launched a new journal called “Annales d’histoire economique et sociale” (Annales of Economic and Social History), which is probably the most prestigious of all historical journals.  With an aim to initiate ‘all history’ and ‘true history’ in place of partial history, the Annales tradition gave rise to a school of better historical writing.

CONTRIBUTION OF THE ANNALES SCHOOL

Bloch and Febvre aimed to achieve a more ‘total’ and a more ‘humane’ integrated history that represents all aspects of man’s life in a society. They also advocated the use of diverse sources and methodologies. Since such a wide ranging, total history is beyond the grasp of any one individual, many were to be engaged in analyzing particular aspects of society. Therefore, the Annales school encouraged interdisciplinary approaches in history writing. The first editorial committee of the Annales also consisted of scholars of different disciplines. Annales historiography dreamt of some day capturing ‘total history’, which will be ‘true history’.

In a way, the Annales tradition was different from Positivism and Marxism. Positivism believes that all historical explanation could be achieved through scientific rationality while Marxism believes that history could be explained through class struggle. However, in Annales historiography, there was no such permanent structuring of historical explanation. It rather preferred to study each phenomenon, episode or movement with its own causal hierarchy.

It is noted that the Annales historiography has remained somewhat unsure with regard to a problem it had itself raised, that is, history’s ties with chronology. They were not in favour of teleology, yet they have shown a long term hierarchisation of historical explanation. Most historians of the Annals tradition have employed the chronological boundaries set by their evidence.

Nevertheless, the Annales School established one of the most important historiographic traditions in the 20^th century. It has concerned itself with human beings with all their life’s tensions, struggles, indecisions, conflicting and competing emotions, thoughts, experiences and mentalities. History was transformed into a study of human beings where they are the subject of study and not merely programmed actors, rather than as self-contained, impersonal phenomena.

The Annales historiography had been undergoing changes over the years as it expands its coverage on economy, society, civilizations and on the social sciences as a whole. Historians such as Marc Bloch, Lucien Febvre, Fernand Braudel, Georges Duby, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie etc. redefined the historical practice time and again by constantly innovating in themes and methods. History of economic structures, of long-term developments, of mentalities, micro-history and cultural history have all benefitted significantly from the historians of this School.