Birth of the Third Republic

From this chaos emerged the Third Republic, almost by accident. The National Assembly, elected in February 1871, had a monarchist majority, but they were divided between three competing royal houses. As they bickered, republicans quietly built institutions. "The Republic is the form of government that divides us least," declared Adolphe Thiers, the conservative politician who became the provisional head of state.

The new republic faced immediate challenges. In May 1873, President Thiers was forced to resign, replaced by the monarchist Marshal MacMahon. For four years, France teetered on the edge of restoration. The crisis came to a head in May 1877 with the "Seize Mai" affair, when MacMahon dissolved the republican-dominated Chamber of Deputies. The ensuing electoral campaign became a referendum on the regime itself.

Léon Gambetta, the republic's most charismatic defender, crisscrossed the country by train—itself a symbol of modern progress. "Clericalism, there is the enemy!" he thundered to packed halls. His message resonated particularly with small shopkeepers, clerks, and skilled workers who saw the Republic as their path to advancement. When republicans won a decisive victory, the monarchist dream effectively died.