Courrier de Paris et de la Province: Revue de combat d’Armand Petitjean

In the history of reviews, sometimes the intense intellectual activity invested in such adventures is overtaken by events. Such is the case with Courrier de Paris et de la Province, a review founded by Armand Petitjean, co-directed by André Ulmann, and supported by Jean Paulhan, during the months before and after the outbreak of World War Two. It is interesting to study this review not only because of the historical context, but also because the founders wished to place their efforts under the sign of Charles Péguy. The Courrier was intended as a rallying point for a revival of French revolutionary zeal, and which aimed to transcend the political crisis in which France found itself in the lead up to war. Even more importantly, as a mobilised soldier at the front line Petitjean continued his efforts to compose the review in response to the conflict, until he was severely wounded in the German attack of May 1940. This article outlines this intellectual adventure, using much unpublished material from the Archives Petitjean.