Emotional and geopolitical life: lessons from Marc Bloch to his son – 1939

If Marc Bloch the historian is known and recognized, the father is less so. The publication of the correspondence maintained by Marc Bloch, during the war, with his eldest son Étiennereveals to us another, more intimate but equally exemplary facet of the father.

The extracts from the letter below reveal the personal exchanges between a father and his son, and the education in emotional and relational life provided by the first to the second, visibly seeking advice. It will give current readers food for thought, at a time when masculinist theories are becoming more widespread, while violence committed against women and minors questions relationships and education. There are certainly elements of reflection in this personal letter that one would not expect from a historian but from a man respectful of the Other…

Of course, the historian who is an observer of his time and of international relations takes over, as well as his daily life in the context of the “phoney war”.

 

November 3, 1939

My old Tiennot,

I am writing to you this evening in my room, on a school desk. I will try to answer the various questions you ask me later. But first I want to speak to you very confidentially and very frankly about a delicate subject. This will be a part of a letter all for you and which you will not show to anyone (nor, by chance, will you leave it lying around).

[…]

And, since the opportunity presents itself, I will say a few more words to you on this subject: a few words that, as you well know, I would not say to you, if I thought they might risk, ironically, not being addressed to a man. Mom and I have never spoken ex cathedra about the problems of sexual life. We don’t like speeches and many things are learned or felt without it being necessary or good to explain them. Perhaps, all the same, a few indications will not be superfluous. I don’t think you’re really ignorant about these things. I know what the environments of young boys are like; I know that your eyes are open and that you are reading; and you are eighteen years old. There is nothing more difficult for a young man than this part of driving: much more than for a girl. But there are a few principles that everyone can and must apply. First a healthy body. You know that sexual relations with contaminated women can cause certain illnesses: gonorrhea and syphilis, above all. You should know that both, if, unfortunately, you contract them, are today completely and radically curable, provided you go see a doctor straight away. It was not like this in the past. This is one of the immense advances in medicine. But a healthy body doesn’t just mean that. This also means avoiding any low satisfaction and any abuse. And this is linked, therefore, to a healthy and clean mind: something on which there is no point insisting. Finally, a few lines that we give to our sentimental life, it is a sacred rule to never risk causing misfortune to someone other than yourself. That said, it is up to young people to resolve, as best they can, both physical and emotional problems; the radical solutions of certain morals have only ever caused harm; and the act that nature wanted and which is the law of love has nothing to be ashamed of.

And I will always be ready to chat with you: sure that you are too delicate to ever embarrass me.

Now let’s move on to another topic. Regarding your actions and actions, I will simply tell you that mom wrote to me the other day “I really only have to praise you for Tienne”. Put this in your pocket, with your handkerchief on it. She also told me that you often talk to her. You will discover little by little what treasures not only of goodness but also of intelligence there are in her.

Wait for your teacher’s advice to buy history and geography textbooks. I don’t know them well. Buy without going through me.

A major air attack on Great Britain seems possible to me, at the cost of a lot of damage. The damage would be less serious if Germany held the Dutch or Belgian coast: because, in this case, the bombers could undoubtedly be accompanied by fighter aircraft, whose radius is too small to allow this support between the bases on the German coast and England.

Nothing good to my knowledge about the internal regime of fascism or nothing that is too long.

I repeat that the communists are, in my opinion, indefensible; but also that it is too convenient for judges to practice patriotism cheaply on the backs of poor fellows. Russian imperialism is condemned by the fact that Stalin did not even obtain the release of the unfortunate people locked up in German concentration camps. As for Daladier’s domestic policy, it is essentially rancorous; and the censorship, extremely biased, is a shame. There will be work to do after the war. But you have to do it first.

Difficult to advise you for concerts. But I’m very happy that you have a taste for music. I came there, like you, quite late and I found great joys there, – from which I am well weaned here (one of my lieutenant colonels is, however, quite a good pianist.). Start with the music where there is a cigarette hole (now that I have my new one); perhaps I will take a bath! In the afternoon, we will do, under the direction of the conductor deputy, a new “movement” exercise on fictitious divisions and I will give, in front of my comrades and some trainee officers from the Army Corps or “Services”, a short speech on the British army. In short, I am doing a War School course at the same time and – for. the army echelon – Center for Advanced Military Studies (commonly Chem). I had, about my division movements, ideas which were not considered entirely stupid. But I don’t have the feeling of having calculated the stages very well (we don’t correct homework, fortunately !)

I kiss you, my darling, with all my heart.

Source : Marc Bloch, French Bedarida, Denis Peschanski.ÂMarc Bloch to Etienne Bloch. Letters from the “phoney war”. In : The Notebooks of the Institute of History of Present Timesn°19, December 1991. Marc Bloch à Etienne Bloch. Lettres de la « drôle de guerre », pp. 1-107.