Race et rhétorique performative dans Pleins Pouvoirs

On the eve of the Second World War, Giraudoux places his pen in the service of national mobilization, making use of the notion of the “French race”, a phrase that is rather problematic for us today. Closely examining Pleins Pouvoirs rather than putting it on trial, this article tries to understand why. It thus shows that Giraudoux, in order to lend legitimacy to his arguments, felt the need to found them on this pseudo-scientific notion, and also gives a general survey of the ideological environment in which he became a spokesman.