Fance after 1871

In the following paragraphs I will be discussing France after it's defeat in the Franco-Prussian war; the constitution, divisions in government, threats to the people's faith in their rulers, and the economy. France began this era at considerable disadvantage because of the war and Bismarck's policy of isolation, which greatly hindered it's attempts to regain it's prosperity and it's influence in European affairs.

France after the Franco-Prussian war was in both economic and political crises. In the treaty of Frankfurt she had agreed to pay 5 billion francs in reparations to Germany to allow a German army of occupation to remain there until the debts were paid. She had surrendered the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, and had agreed to allow a triumphant German army to march through the streets of Paris in return for allowing France to keep the town of Belfort, in Alsace. The people of France were poor, humiliated and disillusioned with the government that had allowed the demise of their country.

Furthermore, Bismarck's policy of isolation made it almost impossible for France to form alliances within Europe which would help her to regain some of her former power.

The people of France were resentful towards G

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French agriculture also suffered and the years 1875 - 1885 were especially disastrous for the French wine industry. It has been suggested that one of the factors for this was the high financial investment abroad. As a result, Paris was placed under martial law and restrictions were enforced in the larger cities of France. in 1871 the monarchists were still predominant in the national assembly. The Dreyfus affair which dragged on for more than twelve years further revealed the precarious position of the republic, and the deep divisions in French society. Unstable government, fluctuating support from the people, corruption, and the consequences of the Franco-Prussian war were all obstacles in the path of the country's progression, however they came out of the post-war years relatively financially unshaken, with the reparations paid off, and the economy almost healthy. Due to his cowardice, however, the opportunity passed and Boulangerism fizzled out with his suicide, on his lover's grave, in 1891. General Georges Boulanger, minister for war, attracted a huge following of French people from the army and right wing groups due to his political skills and his policy of revenge against Germany.

The third French republic was to face a continual threat from the left. However it eventually surfaced that the leader of the project, a prominent government official, had been accepting bribes.

Since the revolution eighty years earlier France had been a republic twice, a kingdom, and an empire.

The Panama scandal rocked the third French republic in 1892 and proved that even cabinet ministers can be corrupt; a plan to establish a canal, passing through all of Europe was put into action. This caused outrage amongst his followers and Boulanger could have taken this opportunity to seize power and establish a totalitarian state in France. However, they were divided into three separate factions - which was to be their downfall. This reaction to the Paris commune showed how most people in France felt at that time - they were determined to preserve the old conservative way of life and did not seem interested in creating a new France.

Approximate Word count = 1200
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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