TeamFranceImperialism

 France in the Age of Imperialism (1880-1914)


Type of Government
Republican Parliamentary Democracy (Legislature=French Parliament, Executive=President)

Heads of State
> > **Jules Grevy (1879-1887): After elected, he minimized executive powers in favor of a legislative led government. He opposed retaliation against Germany after the Franco-Prussian War and was against colonial expansion. Forced to resign after son-in-law was caught up in scandal with the sale of decorations for the Légion d’Honneur.**




 * Marie Francois Sadi Carnot (1887-1894): Was only forced to deal with one major scandal during his presidency, the Panama Scandals. He was a very popular leader, but was stabbed and killed after announcing he would not run for reelection in 1894.**

** Jean Casimir-Perier (1894-1895): His presidency last just sixth months and was uneventful. He resigned the day after the Dupuy ministry did the same.**




 * Felix Faure (1895-1899): As president, he amnistied the anarchist movements which allowed many annexed leaders to return to France. In 1896 he recieved the Tsar in Paris and a little more than a year later, the Franco-Russian Alliance was announced. The end of his presidency was filled with dealing with the Dreyfus Affair.**

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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Timeline = 1880: The Jesuits and several other religious orders were dissolved, and their members were forbidden to teach in state schools. 1881: The Jules Ferry laws on free, mandatory and secular public education, voted in 1881 and 1882, were one of the first sign of this republican control of the Republic, as public education was not anymore in the exclusive control of the Catholic congregations. 1882: Religious instruction was removed from all state schools. The measures were accompanied by the abolition of chaplains in the armed forces and the removal of nuns from hospitals. Due to the fact that France was mainly Roman Catholic, this was greatly opposed. 1889: The Republic was rocked by the sudden but short-timed Boulanger crisis spawning the rise of the modern intellectual Emile Zola. Later, the Panama scandals also were quickly criticized by the press. 1893: Following anarchist Auguste Vaillent's bombing at the National Assembly, killing nobody but injuring one, deputies voted the //lois scélérates// which limited the 1881 freedom of the press. The following year, President Sadi Carnot was stabbed to death by Italian anarchist Caserio. 1898: Writer Émile Zola published an article entitled //J'Accuse. ..// The article alleged an anti-Semitic conspiracy in the highest ranks of the military to scapegoat Dreyfus, tacitly supported by the government and the Catholic Church. 1901: The Radical-Socialist Party is founded and remained the most important party of the Third Republic starting at the end of the 19th century. 1904: French foreign minister Theophile Delcasse negotiated with Lord Lansdowne, the British Foreign Secretary, the Entente Cordiale in 1904. 1905: The government introduced the law on the separation of Church and State. 1906: It became apparent that the documents handed over to Schwartzkoppen by Dreyfus in 1894 were a forgery and thus Dreyfus was pardoned after serving twelve years behind bars. 1914: The French socialist movement abandoned its antimilitarist positions and joined the national war effort. First World War begins.
 * Emile Loubet (1899-1906): His party called for revision of the Dreyfus Affair which caused a great deal of controversy. He was a great orator and thought to be a honest statesman. Seperation of church and state was voted on during his presidency, and met with many foreign leaders.**




 * Start of WWI Hostilities: Wanted to take back the Alsaice and Loraine territories from France. Allied with the Russians which was a concern to other European nations.**




 * Source:** [|**www.wikipedia.org**]**,** [|**www.britanica.com**]**, //Modern European History// (textbook)**

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