The systematic scientific and ordered historical writings has begun only in 19th century. By the first half of the 20th century the historians started new researches and they tried to assert the autonomous status of history as a different discipline and they made new areas for history by the mutual relations with history and other discipline. In the beginning of 20th century the discussion started on the question of changing the existing method of historical writings in france . As a part of this discussion the French government has established an institute. It is known as ' Ecole Normale Superiure' :it was the centre of the sociological studies and the number of sociologists and historians is became the member of this institute. As a part of the activities of this institute the 'Annales school of historical writings started with the publication of the journal " Annales de historie, economique et socile" generally known as 'Annales'. Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre had taken the initiative for the development of the school. The purpose of this journal : annales departure the political history and to the economic and social history. In course of time the school annales is known as 'New History ',' History of totality ', 'Globla history ' etc.
Features of the Annales school of historical writing:
(1)Instead of the political history they gave more importance to the aspects related with human life.
(2)National history was replaced by continental and Global history.
(3)Instead of the narrating events they gave more importance to the analysis of structures.
(4)The history of common people is came into the fore-front of the historical writings.
(5)The document evidences are supplemented by oral traditions, visual, place names, folk literature, etc.
MARC BLOCH
He was the first editor of the journal : Annales from 1929 to 1944.He is one of the most important French historians in 20th century.
He was shot dead by the firing squad of Hitler's "Gestapo " in 1944, for his involvement in French resistance during the 2nd World War. His major works are ' The Feudal society', ' The Royal touch', 'French Rural History', and 'Historian's craft'.
The book 'Feudal society' is considered as the path breaking study of European Feudalism. The sources he used and the method he adopted for writing this book were entirely new to the existing historical writings. He considered the European Feudalism from the point of view of 'peasants and serfs' instead of the basis of ' kings and lords'. In his view the 'subject peasantry ', 'service tenement ', 'a class of specialized warriors', 'fragmentation of political authorities ', etc. are the fundamental features of European Feudalism.
His another book ' The royal touch' is an enquiry into the medieval European belief that the kings could cure the diseases of his subjects, by just one royal touch. He stated that the belief of supernatural power of kings in a way strengthened monarchy in the medieval period.
In his 'French rural history ' it's about the everyday life of rural people of France up to the period of revolution. [French revolution is starts in 1789 and ends in1799.]
His another book ' Historian's craft ' it's all about his ideas of history. He regarded that the history as"Science of men in time'. It understand the present by the past and past by the present. He criticized the periodization in history and argued to the historians that they should give importance to the problems rather than events. He wanted the comparative method and an inter-disciplinary approach is should be given in the study of a history.
LUCIEN FEBVRE
He is the 2nd editor of the historical journal 'Annales' from 1944 to 1956. He initiated the 'geography of history and human geography', 'Rule of contingency in history', ' Intellectual history ', 'History often mentalities',etc. He studied on Martin Luther and Rabelais.
FERNAND BRAUDEL
He is the editor of the French historical journal 'Annales' from 1956 to 1968.His important works are ' Capitalism and Material life', ' 'Mediterranean and Mediterranean world in the period of Philip 2', and 'On history'.
His Mediterranean is considered as the classic work of historical writings in 20th century. This book is stands as the best example of 'Total history ' propounded by his Annales predecessors. His ideas like 'Geo-History' and ' Long duree' are very much influenced in the present day historical writings. Instead of the history of victors he write the history of common people. He explained the importance of the time concept in historical writings. He differentiated it as ' geographical time', 'Economic and social time', and ' Individual time'. The geographical time is slowly changing and the economical and social time is change with respect to the change in economics and society, but the individual time is fastly moving.
