Terror and Terroir : The Winegrowers of the Languedoc and Modern France

This book traces the history of post-war France by tracking the Comité Régional d'Action Viticole (CRAV), a militant collective of winegrowers who have used protest and violence to push back against attempts to modernise the French economy and state and the wider impacts of globalisation. -- . Terror and terroir investigates the Comité Régional d'Action Viticole (CRAV), a loose affiliation of militant winegrowers in the sun-drenched, southern vineyards of the Languedoc. Since 1961, they have fought to protect their livelihood. They were responsible for sabotage, bombings, hijackings and even the shooting of a policeman. Against the backdrop of European integration and decolonisation they have rallied around banners of Resistance and their strong Republican heritage, whilst their peasant protests fed into Occitan and anti-globalisation movements.At heart, however, the CRAV remain farmers championing the right of people to live and work the land. Between the romantic mythology of terroir, and the misguided, passionate violence of terror, this book unpicks the contentious issues of regionalism, protest and violence. It offers an insight into a neglected area of France's past that continues to impinge on its future, infused with one of the most potent symbols of French culture: wine. Cover -- Terror and terroir -- Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: from tradition to terrorism -- 1 Memories of protests past: the grande révolte of 1907 -- 2 Peasants and paroxysms: building a movement (1944-60) -- 3 Molotovs in the Minervois: revolution in the vines (1961-76) -- 4 Crossing the streams: the confluence of Oc and vine -- 5 Montredon to Mitterrand: socialism, syndicalism and the south (1976-84) -- 6 Burial or resurrection? Modernisation and marginalisation (1984-92) -- 7 A world of wine: European integration and globalisation -- Conclusion: CRAV BOUM! Change and continuity in the role of the CRAV -- Index Front matter Dedication Contents List of figures List of tables Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: from tradition to terrorism Memories of protests past: the grande révolte of 1907 Peasants and paroxysms: building a movement (1944–60) Molotovs in the Minervois: revolution in the vines (1961–76) Crossing the streams: the confluence of Oc and vine Montredon to Mitterrand: socialism, syndicalism and the south (1976–84) Burial or resurrection? Modernisation and marginalisation (1984–92) A world of wine: European integration and globalisation Conclusion: CRAV BOUM! Change and continuity in the role ofthe CRAV Index This work traces the history of post-war France by tracking the Comite Regional d'Action Viticole (CRAV), a militant collective of winegrowers who have used protest and violence to push back against attempts to modernise the French economy and state and the wider impacts of globalisation