Bloch, Marc (blôk), 1886–1944, French historian and an authority on medieval feudalism. He taught at the Univ. of Strasbourg from 1919, became professor at the Sorbonne in 1936, and was cofounder of the journal Annales. Bloch did much to promote the study of economic history. As a Jew, he was subject to German restrictions during World War II. He joined the French Resistance in Lyon in 1942, helping to publish the newspaper Franc-Tireur, a name adopted by the Resistance forces in the region. His activities led to his execution by the Germans. His Strange Defeat (tr. 1949) describes wartime France. Among Bloch's major works are The Historian's Craft (tr. 1953) and French Rural History (tr. 1966). His Feudal Society (tr. 1961) is a brilliant synthesis of the subject.

Bloch, Marc (Léopold Benjamin)

(born July 6, 1886, Lyon, France—died June 16, 1944, near Lyon) French historian. He served in the French infantry in World War I. From 1919 he taught medieval history at the University of Strasbourg, where he cofounded the important periodical Annales d'histoire économique et sociale. He taught economic history at the Sorbonne from 1936. During World War II he joined the French Resistance and was captured and killed by the Germans. Among his major works are The Royal Touch (1924), French Rural History (1931), and Feudal Society (1939). As the founder of the Annales school of historiography, with its wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach, Bloch exerted a huge influence on the study of history.