France: Third Republic (1870-1940)

Last modified: 2003-10-04 by ivan sache
Keywords: third republic | count of chambord | tricolore | henri v |
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by Zeljko Heimer

• The birth of the Third Republic (1871)
• The flag affair and Count of Chambord's renunciation (1873)
• The 'Constitution of 1875'
• The end of the Third Republic (1940)
  • The last Tricolor flag in Paris in 1940

See also:

• France
• France: Historical flags
• France: Historical chronology since 1792
• France: Third Republic (1871-1940) - Presidential standards
• France: La Commune de Paris (1870-1871)

The birth of the Third Republic (1871)

After the disaster of Sedan (2 September 1870) and the capitulation of the Emperor and the whole French army, the Republic was proclaimed in Paris without violence on 4 September 1870. Gambetta proclaimed the deposition of the Empire in the Assembly and Favre proclaimed the Republic in the city hall. A government of National Defence (11 members) was immediatly constituted. The Legislative Corps and the Senate were abolished.
The new government decided to carry one the war against Prussia. On 8 February 1871, a new National Assembly (c. 400 Monarchists, 200 Republicans and 30 Bonapartists) was elected and the government was dissolved. On 12 February 1871, the Deputies met in Bordeaux and gave to Thiers the title of chef du pouvoir exécutif de la République en attendant qu'il soit statué sur les ins