Alphonse Aulard (1849–1928) was the first French historian to use nineteenth-century historicist methods in the study of the French Revolution. Pioneered by German historians such as Leopold van Ranke, this approach emphasised empiricism, objectivity and the scientific pursuit of facts. Aulard's commitment to archival investigation is evidenced by the many edited collections of primary sources that appear in his extensive publication record. In these eight volumes of papers analysing the French Revolution (published 1893–1921), Aulard sought to apply the principles of historicism to reveal the truth. The work draws on earlier journal articles and lectures which Aulard delivered as Professor of the History of the French Revolution at the Sorbonne, a post he had held since 1885. Volume 5 (1907) covers the separation of church and state and the Concordat of 1801 which redefined the status of the Roman Catholic Church in France, giving more power to the state.
This pioneering eight-volume study of the French Revolution (published 1893–1921) was the first to apply nineteenth-century historicist methods to this subject. Aulard's work included thorough evaluation of his sources and critical commentary on earlier accounts. Volume 5 examines the separation of church and state leading to the 1801 Concordat.
