Some reflections on history

My work over the past 35 years has led me to reflect more and more on our history, and on the role it must (or ought to) play in our societies. And I am always deeply saddened to observe that people never (or too rarely) heed the lessons of their history. For it is very often in history that we find the explanations for our contemporary world. A definition of the 'Resistance' is required at the start of this book, as is an analysis of that incredible destruction of man by man which was the Deportation. We must also analyse the sources of this history rigorously and constantly bear in mind the words of Plato, who said: 'one must seek the truth with one's whole soul'. After that, we can ask ourselves several key questions and gain varied perspectives on the narrative of our recent history of the Second World War. Another question may arise: have the French come to terms with their history? In any case, it seems increasingly vital for French society to understand what the Resistance was, for it embodied the profound values of our democracy (...).