Third Republic

Towards the formation of IIIe Republic

The Government of National defense

During the war of 1870 leading to the defeat and the capture of the Emperor Napoleon III with Sedan, the September 2nd, the Socialists of Auguste Blanqui tried to organize a Insurrection. But the parliamentary opposition, especially republican, carried out by Leon Gambetta managed to set up a provisional government, said of National defense . They proclaimed the Republic the September 4th, with the balcony of the town hall of Paris. A Gouvernement of National defense is made up with at its head the Général Trochu. Are also members of this government, Emmanuel Arago, Adolphe Crémieux, Jules Favre, Jules Ferry, Leon Gambetta, Garnier-Pages, Glais-Bizoin, Eugene Pelletan, Ernest Picard, Henri Rochefort, Jules Simon, all elected of Paris.

The war was however not completed with Sedan. The October 7th Gambetta left Paris in balloon to try to reorganize defense starting from the province. Indeed, with Paris besieged starting from the September 19th, it is all France which was blocked because of its organization out of star . The October 30th, precipitated capitulation of Bazaine and the army of Metz (150 000 men) carried a serious blow to France. It intervened at the time when the government, party to be established with Tours, had managed to organize a Armée with the Loire. The Prussian , released from the pressure of Bazaine, could then concentrate their forces on the army of the Loire, which obliged the government to be folded up on Bordeaux. The January 18th, the German Unit being realized, the German sovereigns brought together with the castle of Versailles proclaimed the king Guillaume of Prussia Empereur. The January 28th, Paris capitulated after 132 days of seat. The government negotiated a truce to organize elections. Jules Favre carried out the negotiations concerning the armistice. Opposed to the truce, Gambetta resigned.
The peace negotiations will be carried out later on by Jules Favre and Adolphe Thiers with Bismarck. The May 10th 1871 the Traité of Frankfurt is signed, Bismarck required and obtained:

an important war indemnity (6 billion francs - reduced after negotiation to 5 billion)
the Alsace and part of the Lorraine (Belfort, which had been defended with eagerness, under the command of the colonel Pierre Denfert-Rochereau, remains French)
a procession of the German troops on the Fields-Élysées.

This part does not relate to the government of the National defense which was replaced after the elections of the February 8th by a Thiers government.

Elections of the February 8th 1871

The elections which took place the February 17th brought a monarchist majority to the assembly. The principal debate related to the resumption of the hostilities or the capitulation. The short time prevented practically any countryside, except in Paris. The poll by departmental lists supported the lists of union. The French, wearied war or anxious to see it approaching their area, always being wary with respect to the Parisian disorders, preferred to vote for holding of peace without condition, i.e. the preserving lists in which the notable ones appeared in good place.

However the Is occupied, the threatened Region of Lion, the Midi, the the Alps and of course Paris renewed their attachment with the République.

The triumphing monarchists were however unable to restore the royalty immediately. The Republic did not worry them any more: persuaded that a republic never lasted well a long time, they were charmed to see it assuming the defeat and restoring the authority in Paris. They charged Adolphe Thiers with these ungrateful tasks.

the Commune (March 18th - May 28th 1871)

The first times of the 3rd Republic

Installation of the Republic

The business of the white Flag

In waiting of a constitution, an National Assembly was elected on February 8th 1871, succeeding the government of National defense. She included/understood 30 Bonapartists, 200 republicans and 400 monarchists - themselves divided between 180 legitimist S and 220 orleanist S. Thiers was elected “chief of the Executive power of the French Republic ”. Each mention of the term “Republic” however caused the cry of “Provisional! ”. And the official stations were still held by the Bonapartists.

The monarchists preserved Adolphe Thiers at the capacity time to balance the consequences of the war while preparing the return of their applicants. They voted the abrogation of the laws of exile.

The July 5th, a message of Henri d' Artois - applicant of the legitimists - let suppose that it renonçait with the white flag (of the royalty) with the profit of the Tricolor. However the July 3rd, of Artois refused the visit of Philippe of Orleans - claiming orleanist - ruining the merger plans of the two parties. As of the July 7th, of Artois a proclamation expressing published its attachment with the white flag.

Text of proclamation:

“France will call me and I will come to it entire with my devotion, my principle and my flag. At the time of this flag, one spoke about conditions which I should not undergo. I am ready with very to help my country to be raised of his ruins and to take again his row in the world; the only sacrifice that I cannot make him, it is that of my honor.

Not, I will not let tear off my hands the standard of Henri IV, François Ier and Jeanne d' Arc. It is with him that was made the national unit; it is with him that your fathers, led by mine, conquered this Alsace and this Lorraine whose fidelity will be the consolation of our misfortunes. It overcame the cruelty of this ground of Africa, witness of the first feats of arms of the princes of my family; it is him which will overcome the new cruelty of which the world is threatened. I will entrust it without fear to the valiancy of our army; it followed forever, it knows it, only the way of the honor.

I received it like a crowned deposit of the old king, my grandfather, dying in exile; it always was for me the inseparable memory of the fatherland absent; it floated on my cradle, I want that it shade my tomb. In the glorious folds of this standard without spot, I will bring the order and freedom to you. French, Henri V cannot give up the white flag of Henri IV. ”

This intransigence which breaks any possibility of a royalist restoration, despairs the orleanists and part of the legitimists.

Towards the Republic

The euphoria of the monarchists falls down quickly: the July 2nd 1871, at the time of the complementary elections the republicans carried 99 of the 114 seats put to vote.

Thiers, in fine policy, understands that, if he wants to secure the broadest support, he must dissimulate his intentions. The August 31st 1871, on proposal of Rivet, the title of Thiers was specified: President of the Republic , i.e. it cumulates the functions of Head of the State and chief of the executive, even if the Assemblée keeps the constitutive functions and makes the president responsible in front of the Parliament.

The Parliament on this date started to constitute itself in groups, from left to right:

With the Extreme left: Radical like Emile Littré or Georges Clémenceau.

With left:

the republican Union of Leon Gambetta
the Republican left: Jules Favre, Jules Ferry, Jules Grévy and Jules Simon.

With the center:

It center-left: republican preserving republican-conservatives and, friends of Thiers (Auguste Casimir-Perier, Rémusat, Dufaure, Rivet, etc)
the meeting Changarnier
center-right: the Orléaniste S which do not accept the white Drapeau Duc of Broglie, Député at the same time as Ambassadeur with London, the Duc Decazes (Louis, wire of Elie).

With right:

the “Chevau-légers” - they met in the Passage of the light horsemen in Paris - they are Légitimistes favorable to the white flag of which the Duc of Audiffret-Pasquier.
the left ultramontane (catholic-liberal) monseigneur Dupanloup, archbishop of Orleans.

Progress of the left parties worried the conservatives who delegated representatives to Thiers to expose their emotion to him in front of the rise of the radicalism. What made it possible Thiers to answer them: “Since you are the majority, that don't you establish monarchy? ”; and to be annoyed with the line.

However the October 30th 1873, the count de Chambord published a new proclamation for the white Drapeau.

The return of Gambetta in the political life supports the progression of the radicals and obliges Thiers to spare the center, it makes a clear decision for a preserving Republic against a return to the monarchical mode. After the death of Napoleon III the January 7th 1873, the Bonapartists, to preserve the chances of the imperial Prince, are combined with the Royalistes. Thiers resigns the May 23rd 1873 always persuaded that after him chaos , but the line had already envisaged a substitute in the person of Mac-Mahon which is elected by 390 votes the May 24th.

Presidency Mac Mahon

Under the presidency of Mac-Mahon, of tendency Legitimist, the tendency was with the moral Ordre, founded on the respect of the religious values with for example the publication of the Pèlerin , appearance of the pilgrimage of Lourdes, the obliteration of the history of the Commune by the construction of the basilica of the Sacred Heart on the hillock Montmartre.

Mac-Mahon, whose political ambition seems to be limited to the return of the king takes up only the duty of Head of the State and leaves the task control with Albert de Broglie, Duc of Broglie (to pronounce “Breuil”), descendant of one of most powerful the aristocratic Familles of France and Vice-président of the Council.

The return of the king seems imminent after a meeting between Henri d' Artois and Philippe of Orleans but of Artois always refuses to give up the white flag and the business again fails. D' Artois being already old, the orleanists await his disappearance impatiently. However, one prepared institutions which would be likely to function and to be modified in monarchy. The duke of Broglie made vote the November 20th the law carrying the mandate of the president at seven years to prolong the presidency of Mac Mahon but its majority is exhausted and the May 16th 1874 it is replaced by Ernest Courtot de Cissey combined to the Bonapartists, victorious at the time of the bys-election.

The Third Republic was definitively founded the January 30th 1875 by the adoption, with a voice of majority, in first reading 353 against 352, then with a vaster majority in second reading 413 against 248, of the Walloon Amendement which laid out:

“the president of the Republic is elected in the majority absolute of the votes by the Sénat and the joined together House of Commons in National Assembly. It is named for seven years; it is re-eligible. ”

Is then voted the three constitutional laws which fix the mode.

Having fulfilled her role, the Parliament separated the December 31st 1875.

Consolidation

The legislative elections of 1876 were a victory of the republicans who obtained 363 seats with the news House of Commons, in spite of a violent censure of the government against the press républicaine.
June 25th, 1877 following the adoption of a motion of censure against the government of the duke of Broglie, Mac-Mahon, in accordance with the capacity which the constitution conferred to him, dissolves the House of Commons. But that involved a new victory of the republicans, though slightly less less important. Mac-Mahon then had to resign and leave the government to the républicains.
After his resignation in 1879, its successor Jules Grévy and different the presidents from the council founded in the facts a République Laïque, Démocratique and Parlementaire.

In addition, in order to train citizens attached to the Republic and the Fatherland, Jules Ferry, Minister for the State education of 1879 with 1883, will attempt to make to school a republican institution, through a series of reforms whose principal ones are the following ones:

Decrees of the March 29th 1880 excluding the religious congregations (mainly the Jesuits) from teaching.
Law of the June 16th 1881 founding the exemption from payment of primary school education.
Law of the March 28th 1882 making compulsory “the primary education… for the children of two the six years old sexes completed at thirteen years completed”.

The crisis boulangist (1886 - 1889)

The Général Baker is Minister for the war in 1886. Very popular in the fringe of the population disappointed by the Opportunist ones and very snuffed among the Revanchists (it is called the “Revanche general”), it is regarded by the Opportunist ones as a danger to the Republic and peace. Raised of its ministerial functions in 1887 then put at the retirement in 1888, it becomes the point of rallying of all the dissatisfied ones:

them radical and Socialist (also called at the time “republicans revisionists”), adversaries of the Republic of the Opportunist ones, them Nationalist of Paul Déroulède and the League of the patriots,

them representatives of the right Monarchist and Bonarpartiste.

Baker becomes the point of meeting of the most contradictory hopes and gives the hope to all. He is elected several times Député in province in 1888 then with Paris in 1889 but he refuses to seize the capacity by the force like ask him some of his partisans. Threatened to pass in High Court of justice for “attack to the state security”, he flees abroad in April 1889 in Belgium. The World Fair of 1889 contributes to make it forget and the candidates “boulangists” are beaten in September with the elections of the same year.

See also the detailed article: Boulangisme

The scandal of decorations

In October 1887, the press updated a traffic of decoration S by the proper son-in-law of the president of the republic Jules Grévy. This scandal, relayed on the right by the boulangists and on the left by the ambitious Jules Ferry and Georges Clémenceau, definitively threw the opprobrium on the governorship of then. It was however Sadi Carnot which inherited the presidency.

See also the detailed article: Scandal of decorations

The Anarchistic attacks

The Anarchistic crisis , like the crisis boulangist and the Business Dreyfus, is related to this climate of economic instability (due to the crash of Vienna), social and then political. This unfavourable economic situation contributes, just like the Scandale of Panama, with the rise of the Antiparlementarisme. This “anarchistic crisis” is characterized by many attacks, it was caused by Ravachol.

July 11th 1892: Ravachol is a anarchistic Activiste. He was guillotine with Montbrison to have exploded the residences of two Parisian lawyers, as well as a barracks (March 1892). These attacks will cost him the Perpétuité first of all, but after being judged for crimes committed in its native area (the Loire), he will be condemned to death.

the June 21st, the sentence is pronounced and he shouts: “anarchy lives”.

December 9th 1893: Auguste Vaillant, lance a bomb charged with nails on the deputies, any death, only one wounded; at the time of its lawsuit it will justify this act by the will to avenge Ravachol. It is carried out the February 4th 1894.

the April 27th 1894: Lawsuit of Emile Henry for the attack of the February 12th 1894 with the coffee Terminus, and the explosion of the November 8th 1892 of a police station.

Emile Henry asserted highly and proudly his actions, reading a declaration in which it analyzes the corrupted company and pleads the revolt.

June 24th 1894: Sadi Carnot, the president of the republic, is assassinated by an Italian anarchist: Health Geronimo Caserio, the June 24th 1894 with Lyon.

Laws scélérates:

This wave of attacks will give rise to new laws, called “laws scélérates” by the anarchists. The first (voted the December 12th 1893) condemns the apology for unspecified crime like an offense; in order to weigh down the sorrows charged to the anarchists who assert clearly and proudly their attacks, to condemn the anarchistic press and to be able to make “preventive” seizures more easily.

The second (of the December 18th 1893) makes it possible the legal authorities to condemn any person having taken part (of near or by far), even if there were not of setting in execution.

The last: Judgment of any person, any newspaper, having used of anarchistic propaganda (by Libertarian extension )

" 1. Either by provocation, or by apology incited one or more people to make or a flight, or crimes of murder, plundering, fire; 2. Or addressed a provocation to soldiers of the sea and Armies, aim of diverting them their military duties and obedience which they owe with their chiefs would be submitted with the correctional police courts and is punished of imprisonment a three months to two ans."

Henceforth, any guilty libertarian of the offense of word, or apology for the acts of propaganda could be condemned to the bagne. Thus certain people were condemned to be themselves delighted by dead by Sadi Carnot.

The scandal of Panama

The construction of the Panama Canal began in 1881 but proved more expensive than envisaged, until becoming a financial drain. Finally, and in spite of the opening of a public subscription, the contractor had to file for bankruptcy in 1889, thus involving the ruin of several tens of thousands of subscribers.

In 1892, Edouard Drumont, a journalist openly Antisémite denounces the business and blames financial several Juif S which supported the project as well as many politicians related to the financial circle. This renewal of Antisémitisme in France will be one of the releases of the Affaire Dreyfus, three years later.

See also the detailed article: Scandal of Panama

The Business Dreyfus (1894 - 1906)

In 1894, the Dreyfus captain, shown espionage with the profit of the Germany, is condemned to the deportation with life on the Devil's Island in Guyana. Several personalities try, in vain, to show the innocence of Dreyfus. In January 1898, in the newspaper the Dawn of Georges Clémenceau, Emile Zola publishes the article " I show " in which he shows the army to have condemned innocent and not to want to recognize it. France is divided then into two. For the Revisionists or Supporters of Dreyfus, it is necessary, in the name of justice, to make burst the truth whatever are the consequences for the army. Much gathers in the Ligue of the human rights, created to this occasion. For the Antidreyfusards, the reason of State, the prestige of the Armed , the national interest require not to return on the judged thing; one should not attack the prestige of the army, instrument of revenge. Some find in the Ligue of the French fatherland or the Ligue of the patriots. In 1899, some even try to organize a Coup d'etat to set up an authoritarian regime. Following a lawsuit in revision in 1899, Dreyfus is condemned to 10 years of detention before being pardoned by the President of the Republic then reinstated in the army in 1906. See also the detailed article: Business Dreyfus

The Anticlericalism and the Separation of the capacities

The key objective of Emiles Combes, former seminarist become doctor, is the fight against the influence of the Church.

The law of the associations

July 1st, Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau then President of the Council made vote a law framing the statute of associations with nonlucrative But.

See also the detailed article: Association law 1901 Under IIIe republic, much of political associations were created.

The government Combes

The elections of 1902 were a triumph for the Radical party, and carried to the capacity Emile Combes. This one was combined with the Socialistes of Jaurès through the Bloc of the lefts.

The government of Combes carried out a savage combat Anticlérical, interpreting amongst other things the law of 1901 on associations with an aim of dissolving all the congregations not - authorized, and by refusing with the congregations religious S any authorization. Then, in 1904, it prohibits with the congregations even authorized to teach, including in the schools public S. Ainsi, close to 2 000 schools were closed. Combes formulated in 1905 a bill proposing the Separation of the Church and the State, but fell before to have been able to make it adopt, for lack of a sufficient parliamentary majority. (Law of December 9th, 1905) -

Colonial wars and foreign policy

Foreign policy which foreign policy? France, of IIIe reference mark? the foreign policy in general? Pochats-->

France had lost the essence of its colony S at the time of the Seven Year old Guerre (in particular the India and the Quebec). In 1802, Napoleon i had sold the Louisiana, France consequently did not have more colony. The conquest of Algiers in 1830 represented a first step towards a revival of the colonial Empire French, but the colonial conquest was especially the fact of the Third Republic. This will, putting France in competition with the the United Kingdom, helped with the bringing together with the Russia. But for this period, the enemy was always the Germany, the more so as this empire became also a competitor in the colonial expansion when it started to claim his “place with the sun” after the come to power of Guillaume II and the ousting of the Chancelier Bismarck.

Jules Ferry and the Tonkin

Starting from 1878, an important movement of expansion Impérialiste developed, started with the British Benjamin Disraeli. In France, this policy was defended by Jules Ferry, which benefitted from the interested benevolence of Bismarck. The German chancellor saw in this colonial ambition a palliative for the French national honor and a source of expenditure not easily which may undergo beneficiation, suitable to weaken France vis-a-vis strong Germany. Thus the Tunisia involved in debt became a Protectorat French by the Traité of Bardo in 1881. The expansion was also carried out in Black Africa starting from the Senegal and of the Congo. On the other hand, the Egypt passed to the British in spite of the French influence due to the boring of the Suez Canal.
Supported by the Military and the missionaries but disputed by the radical of Georges Clémenceau, Jules Ferry had less facilities to obtain the Crédits necessary for the Colonisation of the Indo-China. A minor defeat with the Tonkin made it resign in 1885.

The Russian Alliance

Promoter of the Triple alliance and exploiting the Franco-British competition skilfully, the Bismarck chancellor had worked Europe with his idea. He entered however in dissension with Guillaume II which obtained its resignation in 1890. The Russia isolated then considered alliance with France. Passing in addition to the German offers, it ratified a secret military agreement the January 4th 1894. Russia insured itself thus against the Austria-Hungary and France against Germany and the Italy. This news gives installed already the bases of the First World War.

The forwarding of Madagascar

Making following the Franco-British agreement of the August 5th 1890, the French sent in December 1894 21 000 men (of which 7 000 Indigenous conveyers ) in a conquest campaign of the island of Madagascar. The troops expeditionary, directed by the general Duchesne, unloaded with Majunga in March 1895. The Royaume Hova of Madagascar was potentially defended by an army of 35 000 men, but they opposed only one sporadic resistance, hardly causing 20 died on the French side. However, of important logistic difficulties slowed down the forwarding which did not reach Tananarive, the Capitale, which on October 1st. Badly acclimatized, 5 736 expeditionary men of the troops were decimated by the Paludisme and the Typhoid fever.

See also the detailed article: Forwarding of Madagascar

The backing of Fachoda

The colonial aimings of France and the United Kingdom on the African continent were to inevitably lead to a conflict. The situation arose the September 18th 1898 in the city Sudan ease of Fachoda. The French forwarding of the Commercial captain , installed since three months, saw arriving the army of Lord Kitchener.
Paris accepted at once a Ultimatum of London intimating to him to make withdraw the Marchand column. The French public opinion, with the Nationalism exacerbated by the Dreyfus business, called with in découdre with the hereditary enemy, but the power struggle was too unequal and France, revanchist towards Germany, could not allow itself to defy the United Kingdom. The November 10th, the order was given to Marchand to withdraw and give up the valley of the the Nile to the British.

The historians generally consider that this business allowed the political bringing together of France and the United Kingdom, which leads to the Harmony the April 8th 1904.

See also the detailed article: Fachoda

The incident of Agadir

July 1st 1911, the German empire dispatched a Canonnière with Agadir to mean with the French his dissension concerning the Traité Algeciras of 1906. Germany disputed the advantages of the France on the Morocco and wished a compensation.
Joseph Caillaux negotiated a Franco-German agreement, preserving the advantages at the Morocco but conceding part of the Congo with the Cameroun allemand.
This agreement dissatisfied the opinions and Caillaux was dismissed and replaced by Raymond Poincaré. This one was shown firmer with respect to Germany and reinforced the links with Russia and the United Kingdom.

The First World War

In a context of extreme political tension in Europe, amplified in France by a feeling Revanchist exacerbated against the German enemy, the Guerre burst in the summer 1914. France was then in particular allied with the the United Kingdom and the Russia. On the western face, the forces of the Triple Alliance are initially hustled by the strategy of the Germans, based on the speed and the extent of the movement. But thanks to a rectification of Joffre on the Marne, they hold good and stop the unfavourable progression. Of mobile warfare, the conflict is transformed then into war of position, on a line crossing north and is Hexagon. France enlise with Europe in an all-out war where industries, the economies and mentalities are directed towards the objective of the victory, or all at least the résistance.
Released by the stop of the engagements on the Eastern face after the signature of the Treated of Brest-Litovsk, the Germans in vain launched five major offensives (from March to July 1918) on the French face to force the victory before the massive engagement of the the United States lately entered in war. But the Allies took again the initiative the July 18th and made move back the face of almost 150 kilometers, pushing the Germans, exhausted, to accept the signature of the armistice the November 11th 1918. France left however it also exhausted by this conflict 4 years, which was prolonged for it until in 1919 in the war in Russia against the Bolchevique S. the areas of north and the east, most industrial, were devastated and their destroyed industrial instrument. More than one million and half of men died in the face (10,5% of the male active population), and three million and half were wounded and mutilated.
But, contradicting the remarks of Guillaume II, the republic held the shock of the war, contrary to the empires.

See also the detailed article: First World War

The interval wars

At the end of the conflict, France is bloodless but the exact figures are impossible to have so much the war and the Spanish Grippe made devastations whose width is not obvious to quantify (some think that the Spanish influenza killed 20 million people on Ground, others 50 million): 2 900 000 inhabitants of less, 2 800 000 wounded men, 630 000 widows and 750 000 orphans. 20 000 Usines and of many mines were destroyed, half of the Highway network is unusable, the Railway network is disorganized and of many Ponts were destroyed. A War loan of 32 billion Francs-or must be refunded.

The national Block

The legislative elections of 1919 made it possible to renew the House of Commons elected of 1914, which would have normally to arrive at expriration of its mandate in 1918. Following complexes negotiations, 324 lists are constituted. The Socialists choose homogeneous lists, while the radicals divide between allied with the center-right and isolated lists. The lists of the National Block gather, in the majority of the cases, the members of democratic Alliance, the progressists, the nationalists and the catholics. The involved forces are heteroclite and the confused countryside; the candidates of the National Block agree all the same generally to center their claims on the most strict application of the treated war, the end of the Dirigisme and the fight without conditions against the Bolchevism.

The results are without ambiguity: it is a blue vagueness which breaks on the Lower House, since then called “ blue Chambre horizon ”, because of the very great number of war veterans who will sit there (44% of the total of the deputies). This victory will remain largest of the right-hand side and the center-right until the legislative of 1968. One counts more than 60% of new elected officials in this news Législature.

The broad possibilities that the absence of clear political majority offers will constantly make sometimes oscillate the National Block towards the line, sometimes towards the center-left radical. The renewal of the Sénat takes place the same year, but the results of the senatorial elections of January, marked by an opening of the radicals, differ clearly from those of the legislative ones. The Upper House is thus found on the left than the Lower House. Same ego of the same year takes place the presidential election: Clemenceau, repudiated at the time of a preliminary vote, withdraws race and allows the election of moderate the Paul Deschanel.

The majority from the right exerted the power until in 1924. It followed a policy Nationaliste, anti Bolchevique, pro Cléricale and anti Syndicale. Discounting the war reparations of the Germany, it increased the Public expenditure in an important way. Germany refusing to discharge its Debt, Poincaré was constrained to increase the Impôt of 20% and occupied the Field of the the Ruhr in 1923. This occupation was a failure, the minor German organizing a general Grève. Four governments followed one another during this legislature: Alexandre Millerand, Georges Leygues, Aristide Briand and Raymond Poincaré.

The Trust of the lefts

In 1924, a coalition gathering the socialist Republican party, radical and radicals, the socialist party SFIO and, following the departments, of the republican of left, gains the legislative elections. The president of the Republic, Alexandre Millerand, refuses to recognize this victory and calls moderate, François Marsal, to form the government. This one does not obtain obviously the majority with the House of Commons. Edouard Herriot becomes President of the council and Millerand will have to resign. Herriot will however not manage to solve the financial crisis. Its second government, very transitory, will not have more success. In 1926, the president Doumergue will then call upon Raymond Poincaré, which forms a government of National union and will manage to restore the balance of the budget.

In 1928, the business Marthe Hanau (kind of financial Pyramid) splashes the political circles and media.

The Business Stavisky

In December 1933, the director of the Municipal credit of Bayonne, Gustave Tissier, was stopped for swindle and putting into circulation of forgery Bons of case, for 235 franc million. One quickly discovered that Tissier was only the executant of the founder of the Municipal credit, Serge Alexandre Stavisky, which had organized this swindle with the complicity of the Député - Maire of Bayonne, Dominique-Joseph Garat.

The business made burst a political scandal since it appeared that Stavisky was already continued by justice, continuations choked on intervention of Ministre S or Parlementaire S corrupted (Fall of the government of Camille Chautemps). The scandal was exploited by the Extrême right-hand side and leads to a riot the February 6th, 1934 which caused the fall of the government of Edouard Daladier.

See also the detailed article: Business Stavisky

6 and February 9th 1934

Starting from 1931 the world Economic crisis starts to reach France. In parallel the governmental instability and of many politico-financial scandals involve the development of the Antiparlementarisme and assembled in power of the extreme-right-hand side. The February 6th, 1934, an unparliamentary demonstration of extreme right-hand side, in particular of the members of the French Action and Cross-of-fire turns to the riot places harmony, making finally waver then to fall the Gouvernement Edouard Daladier. One counted twelve dead and of the hundreds of casualties. A new government of National union was formed by Gaston Doumergue, calling upon parliamentary line personalities like to the Maréchal Pétain, of which it is the first ministerial experiment.

The February 9th, of the manifestations of the PCF, prohibited by the new government, also made several deaths. The February 12th took place the first united demonstration of all the left forces.

See also the detailed article: February 6th, 1934

The Popular front

End of the Third Republic

A paralyzed democracy

Since its come to power in 1933, Hitler does not cease defying the international community: rearmament, annexation of Austria, in violation of the treaty of Versailles. France takes with serious these threats only as from 1935, without the diplomacy not having firmness necessary to make move back Hitler. In September 1938, he asserts the Czech territory of Sudètes. At the time of the conference of Munich (September 29th, 1938), the chief of the French government, Edouard Daladier, and its English counterpart Neuville Chamberlain yield to the claims of Hitler to avoid a European war, following in that a pacifist public opinion. But when in August 1939 Führer asserts the corridor of Dantzig, Polish territory which divides Germany in two then, France and England understand that no compromise will avoid the conflict. After the entry of the German troops in Poland on September 1st, they declare the war in Germany the 3.

The defeat and the mode of Vichy

Since the crisis of Sudètes, the propaganda of the government seeks to reassure the public opinion while insisting on the power of the French Army. The strategy of the Staff is based on defense: to protect the territory by dissuading any attack. The Maginot line, continuation of modern fortifications built between 1930 and 1935, can be the symbol about it. The declaration of war does not modify the strategy. The Gamelin general, commander-in-chief, prepares with a war of attrition, and the French Army remains confined in its fortifications. Only operations of blockade are tried, as in Scandinavia, to obstruct the German provisioning. The government is praised thus near the public opinion, mainly pacifist, of this new way of doing the war without combat. However, the German offensive is launched on May 10th, 1940, in the neighborhoods of Sedan where the fortifications are weakest. May 15th, the face is bored, and the line of defense is easily circumvented by a well motorized German army which advances towards the south. The Staff, obviously exceeded by the speed of German progression, orders the retirement which is transformed into rout. Taken of panic, the civilians ruent themselves on the roads following the army in a true exodus. The government, directed by Paul Reynaud, leaves Paris threatened, on June 10th. The 14, German make their entry there. In front of the extent of the failure, Reynaud resigns, replaced by the Pétain marshal who requests the armistice from German.

Random links: