Interwar Struggles and Adaptations

The interwar period saw rural France caught between tradition and modernity. Economically, the 1920s brought brief prosperity as wartime destruction was repaired and urban demand grew. But the 1930s Depression hit rural areas hard. Agricultural prices collapsed while industrial products remained expensive, creating the infamous "price scissors" that squeezed farm incomes.

Politically, rural areas became battlegrounds between conservative and progressive visions. The Popular Front government of 1936 introduced paid vacations and the 40-hour work week, benefits that largely bypassed agricultural workers. Rural resentment grew, exploited by both extremes of the political spectrum. The Vichy regime would later appeal to rural nostalgia with its "Return to the Land" ideology.

Technologically, change came slowly but steadily. Tractors began appearing on larger farms, though horses remained dominant. Cooperatives, some dating to the 19th century, expanded their roles in processing and marketing. Agricultural education, through winter schools and traveling instructors, spread new techniques. Yet many farmers, especially older ones on smaller holdings, resisted changes that required capital they lacked and challenged knowledge accumulated over generations.