The
Opportunist Republicans was a term given to a faction of French Republicans who believed, after the proclamation of the Third Republic in 1870, that the regime could only be consolidated by
successive phasesGradualism is the belief that changes occur, or ought to occur, slowly in the form of gradual steps -Politics and society:...
. Considered to be on the center-left of the political spectrum, they dominated French politics from 1876 to the 1890s, and were rivalled to their left first by the Radicals and then by various Socialist parties.
The
Opportunist Republicans was a term given to a faction of French Republicans who believed, after the proclamation of the Third Republic in 1870, that the regime could only be consolidated by
successive phasesGradualism is the belief that changes occur, or ought to occur, slowly in the form of gradual steps -Politics and society:...
. Considered to be on the center-left of the political spectrum, they dominated French politics from 1876 to the 1890s, and were rivalled to their left first by the Radicals and then by various Socialist parties. Despite the pejorative connotation of this label, the "Opportunists" were able to reinforce Republican tendencies in the country in a time when monarchists forces were still strong.
The "Opportunists"
Following the defeat of
France against Prussia in 1871The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between France and Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria...
, the
Government of National DefenseLe Gouvernement de la Défense Nationale, or The Government of National Defence, was the first Government of the Third Republic of France from September 4, 1870, to February 13, 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, formed after the Emperor Louis Napoleon III was captured by the Prussian army. The...
held
legislative elections in February 1871French legislative elections to elect the first legislature of the French Third Republic were held on February 8, 1871.This election was held during an explosive situation in the country: following the Franco-Prussian War, 43 departments were occupied. Thus, all public meetings were outlawed...
, while the
Paris CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris, from March 28 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and socialists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class...
was still proclaimed. Those elections were won by the monarchist
OrleanistThe Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right political faction or party which arose out of the French Revolution, and ceased to have a separate existence shortly after the establishment of the Third Republic in 1870...
s and Legitimists, however, and not until the
1876 electionsThe 1876 general election held to elect the second legislature of the French Third Republic was held on February 20 and March 5 1876. 75.90% of voters voted that day.-Parliamentary Groups:- Sources :*...
did the Republicans win a majority in the Chamber of Deputies.
Henceforth, the "Opportunists" thought that the balance of the new regime, threatened by the risk of another
Bourbon RestorationThe Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the restored Bourbon Kingdom of France which existed from 1814 until the July Revolution of 1830, with the interval of the "Hundred Days" from Napoleon Bonaparte's return from Elba to the Battle of Waterloo in 1814–15. The regime was a constitutional...
, could only be insured by an implicit alliance between the rural peasants and the urban petty bourgeoisie, who represented the majority of the population.
Its primary figures, who sometimes opposed each other, included
Léon GambettaLéon Gambetta was a French statesman prominent after the Franco-Prussian War.-Youth and education:...
, leader of the
Republican UnionThe Republican Union was a French parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies of France during the French Third Republic founded on March 25, 1911 which united the left-wing of the Progressive Republicans, the most conservative group in the Chamber...
,
Jules FerryJules François Camille Ferry was a French statesman, republican. Was a promoter of laicism and among others, supported colonial expansion.- Early life :...
, leader of the Republican Left,
Charles de FreycinetCharles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet was a French statesman and President of the Council during the Third Republic, part of the Opportunist Republicans faction...
, who directed several governments in this period,
Jules FavreJules Claude Gabriel Favre was a French statesman. After the establishment of the Third Republic in September 1871, he became one of the leader of the Opportunist Republicans faction.- Early life :...
,
Jules GrévyFrançois Paul Jules Grévy was a President of the French Third Republic and one of the leaders of the Opportunist Republicans faction...
, and
Jules SimonJules François Simon was a French statesman and philosopher, and one of the leader of the Opportunist Republicans faction.-Biography:...
— because of their names, this period has also been called the "
République des Jules" (Republic of the Jules'). While Gambetta opposed colonialism as he considered it a diversion from the possibility of a
revengeRevanchism is a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war. Revanchism draws its strength from patriotic and retributionist thought and is often motivated by economic or geo-political factors...
against the newly founded
German EmpireThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
, Ferry was part of the "colonial lobby" who took part in the
Scramble for AfricaThe Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa, was the result of conflicting European claims to African territory during the New Imperialism period, between the 1880s and the First World War in 1914....
.
The Opportunists broke away with the Radicals who supported deep transformations of society, leading to strong disagreements in the Chamber of Deputies, in particular with
Georges ClemenceauGeorges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician, and journalist. He served as the prime minister of France from 1906-1909 and 1917-1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles...
.
Their successors, qualified as "progressists", slowly transformed their elders' tactics into social
conservatismConservatism is the diverse political and social philosophy that supports tradition and the status quo, or that calls for a return to the values and society of an earlier age, the status quo ante. However, the term has been used by politicians and political commentators with a variety of meanings...
. At the end of the 19th century, the Opportunists were replaced by the Radicals as the primary force in French politics. Despite this, they insisted in considering themselves as members of the French Left, a phenomenon known as
sinistrismeSinistrisme is a neologism invented by Albert Thibaudet in Les idées politiques de la France . He referred to the progressive substitution of left wing parties by new, more radical parties, which in turn pushed each party towards the center Sinistrisme is a neologism invented by Albert Thibaudet in...
.
See also
- France during the 19th century
- History of the Left in France
The Left in France at the beginning of the 20th century was represented by two main political parties, the Republican, Radical and Radical-Socialist Party and the French Section of the Workers' International , created in 1905 as a merger of various Marxist parties...
- Lois scélérates
The lois scélérates is the pejorative name for a set of French laws restricting the 1881 freedom of the press laws passed under the Third Republic , after several bombings and assassination attempts carried out by anarchist proponents of "propaganda of the deed".-The first law:The first law was...
voted by the Opportunist Republicans in 1893 after Auguste Vaillantthumb|150px|left|Auguste VailantAuguste Vaillant was a French anarchist, most famous for his bomb attack on the French Chamber of Deputies in 1893. The government's reaction to this attack was the passing of the infamous repressive Lois scélérates.He threw the home-made device from the public...
's bomb attackPropaganda of the deed is a concept that promotes physical violence against political enemies as a way of inspiring the masses and catalyzing revolution. Propaganda of the deed may take many forms, but in many cases utilizes violence against people seen as threats to the working class...
on the Chamber of Deputies, and which restricted the 1881 freedom of the press laws
- Politics of France
The Politics of France take place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of France is head of state and the Prime Minister of France head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the...
- Opportunism
Opportunism is a term used in politics and political science. It forms an important rationale as well for transaction cost economics. It is interpreted in different ways, but usually refers to one or more of the following:...