Labrousse, Ernest Camille

Born Mar. 16, 1895, in Barbezieux. French historian. From 1945 to 1965 professor and later, honorary professor at the Sorbonne.

Labrousse wrote important works on the economic history of France in the 18th century and part of the 19th century. He included a great deal of information on the history of the movement of prices and income and on conjunctural history (that is, the history of periodic upsurges and declines in the economy), as well as some material on the history of technology and population. Although he was somewhat influenced by Marxism, features of economic materialism were characteristic of his views. Emphasizing problems of circulation, distribution, and the development of technology, Labrousse undervalued the history of production relations. He had a considerable influence on the development of French historiography, in many respects determining the direction and themes of the work of a large group of historians and contributing to a significant broadening of the study of the history of the working-class movement.

Labrousse was head of the Institute of Economic and Social History at the Sorbonne (until 1965), served as chairman of the Society for the History of the Revolution of 1848, and from 1959 was one of the chairmen of the Society for Robespierre Studies. He has also served as chairman of the International Commission on the History of Social Movements and Social Structures.