France Prior to WWI ew Flashcards
What did Bismarck give France permission to do after the Franco-Prussian War?
to hold free elections!
what were The two competing forces opposing each other?
- Monarchists (those who supported the C.C., the army, the “ancien regime”)
Republicans (democrats).
who won the election of 1871
Adolph Thiers -> Monarchist!
how did the Parisians react to Monarchists winning in 1871
- The “Parisians”, who had fought against and defended the city against Bismarck, refused to accept the results.
They established a radically republican, independent govt. of their own called the “Paris Commune”.
what was Adolphe Thier’s first priority?
restore french reputation — pay the five billion franc indemnity asap so the occupying german army could retire
what happened after the 1871 election
A “civil war” of sorts broke out between the National Assembly/govt. and the Communards (people who did not like monarchy)
The Communards and the National Guard barricaded the streets!!!
But then… the National Army (Le Grand Armee) popped in and just wrecked them
Difference between the National Guard and the National Army
National Guard -> part of the National Army, but tasked with helping out the people of Paris
National Army -> tasked with protecting the GOVERNMENT!!
why did the 3rd Republic continue using the sketchy framework of a Republican/royalist system of government?
The conservative govt. couldn’t find a king willing to accept the flag and colors of the new Republic.
What happened to Thiers in the 1875 election?
Thiers was driven from office by conservatives who thought the Republic looked too republican
who won the 1875 election?
overtly Republican candidates won the day in both houses.
But not the president!! The president is very conservative/monarchist–>
Marshall McMahon
McMahon’s constitution!!
Legislative assembly was bi-cameral (a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies)
President can dissolve the assembly
Universal adult male suffrage elected the Chamber of Deputies
one Third of the Senate was elected for life, the
remainder to nine-year terms
senate elections were to be from Single-member constituencies rather than from a system of proportional representation
Republic would be left by an elected president with a term of 7 years (and re-election)
Council of ministers was to be led by a premier
LPSRC
Let’s PUT SRC down
What did McMahon do in the 1877 election and what were the results?
He didn’t like that the two houses beneath him were republican, so he made a new election.
Which he proceeded to lose.
And then the French Parliament was finally democratic/republican!
what did the government establish in 1881?
freedom of the press!!! and general expression!!!
- Bureucratic appointments became subject to an examination and not patronage
- democracy was intended to local elections and life-memberships for senate were abolished
why did they establish compulsory state-funded primary education and what were the results?
established in 1882
they believed that voters had to be educated
This education must be managed by the state and separate from the church
this brought liberals and the radical left together in France
How did the republicans effect the Catholics and how did they respond?
- The anti-clericalism of the republicans endangered some Catholics
- Pope Leo XIII officially recognized the French Republic in 1891
instructed French Catholics to do the same which furthered relative peace
George Boulanger
The Minister of War who courted the army with reforms designed to please all levels of the military while he took a hard line against germany
General in French military who turned his military fame toward a political career.
His supporters encouraged him to use his influence of the military to organize a coup d’etat (he was a reactionary and monarchist).
Supporter of the 3 rs!
what are the “3 Rs”
- Revenge (against Prussia for the Franco-Prussian war and loss of land!)
- Revision (the constitution)
- Restoration (of the monarchy)…became known as “Boulangeism”
Why did Boulanger’s coup fail?
his plan was disorganized and ill-timed
He took too long and the government found out
What happened after the French government issued treason charges against Boulanger?
he fled to Belgium
The Republic had survived, continues it’s conservative government
- Boulangism lost support in the following elections.
- Two yrs later, 1891, he returned to the grave of his mistress (Bonnemains), a disgraced public figure, and committed suicide.
conclusions of the Boulanger Affair
Does the new republican govt. had the firm support of the French military?
military is soft in democracy and liberalism
- there are still people in the military who DIDN’T support democracy!!
Why did a joint-stock company begin to build across the Isthmus of Panama?
they wanted to repeat the success of the Suez Canal in 1881
it was a french company, organized by Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal.
Good for French imperialism into South America
how did they fund the construction of the Canal?
the French public were urged to help finance the project by purchasing shares.
problem with the construction of the Panama Canal?
The construction of the canal was hampered by poor planning (no docks), diseases of wet tropics, financial incompetence, etc.
what happened to the Panama Canal Co. in the end?
In 1888 the Panama Canal Co. financial problems were too hard to overcome ☹️
Company dissolved in 1891
It was only 40% complete and behind schedule.
solution for the bankrupt Panama Canal Co.?
bribes officials/M.P. to falsify claims regarding completion dates and success/potential of Co.
Financial repercussions of the Panama Canal Affair?
- government had granted public money to the company
- a million French investors lost money
- A scandal arose when people discovered that a lot of money have gone into the pockets of politicians and officials in the form of bribes!! oh my!
what happened in 1893 in regards to the Panama Canal Affair?
1893 de Lesseps and a number of others faced trial and were found guilty.
How did the Panama Canal Affair affect the politics at the time?
- sullied the reputation of the politicians at the time and paves the way for a new group of men to take the helm of the republic
Makes democracy look bad!!!
The Dreyfus Affair?
French military secrets were found in Germany Embassy in Paris.
WHO IS?? THE RAT!!!
French Intelligence suspected it was Captain Alfred Dreyfus
He was a recent addition to the General Staff (also he was Jewish)
Dreyfus first trial?
He was arrested in October 1891 and the court martial was in November
- He was found guilty using forged documents from Colonel Henry and the testimony of three (FAKE!) handwriting experts
Charged in 1894 with treason.
- Stripped of Officer rank in the French army.
- Sent to French penal colony of Guiana on Devil’s Island (opened in 1852)
- life sentence
what also contributed to Dreyfus’s charge of being guilty?
anti-Semitic strain in the French army (especially in the upper command) and Dreyfus’ family background was related to Alsace-Lorraine.
He was a republican!
Catholic Church also wanted him to be guilty
New evidence for Dreyfus? How did the government react?
- Two years later, evidence came that supported Dreyfus’s innocence, but this was SUPPRESSED AND REJECTED by the french military
The Colonel Picquart, the man who uncovered the new evidence (secrets still being sent to Germans), shedding light on Dreyfus’ innocence, was reassigned to Africa.
They refused to open the case!
Why did they rush to convict and refuse to re-examine the case?
Government was tied to the case!!
- if Dreyfus was found to be innocent, the government would FALL
ANTI-SEMITISM in the army and country
- Dreyfus was Jewish
Senior officers were really like THIS DUDE IS REALLY GUILTY, so it was harder to back down
- they produced even more outlandish “evidence”
Reputation was tarnished from the Franco-Prussian War so they didn’t want to show that the army was incompetent
GASR
GASp Romy
who was the actual rat in the Dreyfus affair?
It turned out that the documents were being sent by a debt-ridden officer named Major Ferdinand Esterhazy
Esterhazy’s trial and sentence?
- Esterhazy was tried (IN SECRET) and acquitted of the crime of treason
Even despite the handwriting evidence and letters from his lover indicating his hatred of France!!!
Fled to England, provided with a military pension, died there in 1923
Emile Zola!
French novelist, Emile Zola, wrote an open letter, called J’accuse (“I accuse”)
in it, he attacked the enemies of the Republic and condemned the military.
He was tried and convicted of “libel” but escaped to England
was sent to exile and given a 2 year sentence
What happened to Dreyfus in the 2nd trial and afterwards?
- Emile Zola has to admit that Dreyfus is guilty to get a pardon
- The sentence was upheld! This time the penalty was reduced to 10 years.
- He was subsequently pardoned by French President Émile Loubet in 1899 and freed.
His name was finally cleared in 1906.
He was awarded with the “Legion of Honor” and promoted to Major
Consequences of the Dreyfus affair?
strengthened the Republicans as they represented Dreyfus and “innocence”.
Ended the significance of the “ancien regime” in French government bc they said that such a thing wouldn’t happen in a monarchy
The Dreyfus case left lasting wounds in French society related to Jews that would persist until after WWII.
economic consequences of the Dreyfus affair
- Dreyful sapped the attention and energy of the republic and diverted the country from the economic progress that its neighbours had
- Railways were built, general improvement in infrastructure, advanced banking system, it was actually pretty good! but compared to France’s neighbours… not as good
(inefficient farms, low exports, inefficient manufacturing)
conclusions for France by 1914?
- republicanism had taken a firmer foothold in French govt.
- However, France as a nation was not in a position of strength due to:
- the three crisis, which had sapped the strength of the new republic
- Population was lagging behind both England and Germany
- Industrial production
- Revanche→ people wanted revenge against Germany for the 1871 defeat against Germany!
- They wanted repatriation for Alsace and Lorraine
French relations with the UK at the end of this whole thingy thing?
- relations with UK were also sensitive
- France wanted British aid against Germany, but public opinon also wanted to satisfy France’s claims to Fashoda
- a village in central Africa over which the British and French both had claims
How did the 3rd republic attempt to address some of the their issues?
- 3rd republic attempted to address these issues with a conscription programme that drafted 80% of eligible males into the military
this created an army disproportionate in size to the country’s industrial and demographic position in Europe
France compared to Germany at the end of this?
STILL BEHIND GERMANY!!
germany had more men of military age
Germany spent far more on it’s military and yet this sum amounted to a smaller percentage of the national income than in France
why was revanche unlikely?
due to the weakness of French industry and military compared to Germany