Alfred Cobban

Notable Works

• The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution (1964) Cambridge
• History of Modern France (1957–65) 3 Volumes, Harmondsworth
• "The Myth of the French Revolution" (1955)

About

Alfred Bert Carter Cobban was an English historian and Professor of French History at University College, London, who advocated a classical liberal view of the French Revolution. Born in London, Cobban was educated at Latymer Upper School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Before his UCL professorship, he was a lecturer in history at King’s College in Newcastle (now Newcastle University) and visiting professor at the University of Chicago and Harvard.  An editor of History magazine, he published articles in various historical and political journals.

In 1954 Cobban used his inaugural lecture as professor of French history at University College London to attack the “social interpretation” of the French Revolution. The lecture was later published as “The Myth of the French Revolution” (1955).  His initially controversial critique of the Marxist analysis of events paved the way for a variety of revisionist and post-revisionist approaches. He believed traditional landowners and the middle class wanted access to political power and that the Revolution did little to change French society. Cobban claimed that the quality of daily life after the Revolution remained basically unchanged.

Legacy

His gift of Royalties to the RLF from his literary estate helps support future generations of writers.