La multinationalisation de l'industrie électrique française, 1880-1931. Causes et pratiques d'une dépendance

Résumé En

The Multi-nationalization of the French Electrical Industry, 1880-1931 : Causes and Practices of Dependence. At the beginning of the 1880's, France appeared both economically and scientifically equipped to seize the opportunities offered by the newborn electrical industry. Half a century later, she was to lag far behind the U.S., Germany, the U.K and even in some sectors Switzerland, and was responsable for only 6% of world production. This article analyses the reasons for this development and surveys the decline of the French economy until the turn of the century, the lack of risk capital and the deterioration of urbanization. These combined factors created a small undynamic market which encouraged the American manufacturers to turn from France to Germany for their continental contact. The rapid technical and industrial expansion of the latter as well as their intersecting interests (GEC/AEG and Westinghouse/Siemens and the national links) reinforced their French subsidiaries and made the reconquest of the national market, not to mention the export trade by the new French industry an impossible task. After the First World War the French lost all hope of renewing their ties with American manufacturers. Reinforced international cartellization, short-sighted government policies (phone radio...) and the excellent reputation of German products, prevented the French industry in the 1920's from establishing a firm international position in the world market.