French Third Republic

nation of France from 1870 to 1940

The French Third Republic (French: La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe République) was the system of government created in France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 after France's defeat by Nazi Germany in World War II led to the creation of the Vichy government in France.[2]

French Republic
République française
1870–1940
Flag of French Third Republic
Flag
Coat of arms of French Third Republic
Coat of arms
Motto: Liberté, égalité, fraternité
("Liberty, equality, fraternity")
Anthem: La Marseillaise
("The Marseillaise")
Great Seal of France:
Obverse Reverse
The French Republic in 1939
  •   France
  •   French protectorates
Territories and colonies of the French Republic at the end of 1939 Dark blue: Metropolitan territory Light blue: Colonies, mandates, and protectorates
Territories and colonies of the French Republic at the end of 1939
Dark blue: Metropolitan territory
Light blue: Colonies, mandates, and protectorates
CapitalParis
Common languagesFrench (official), several others
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Calvinism
Lutheranism
Judaism
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
President 
• 1871–1873 (first)
Adolphe Thiers
• 1932–1940 (last)
Albert Lebrun
President of the Council of Ministers 
• 1870–1871 (first)
Louis Jules Trochu
• 1940 (last)
Philippe Pétain
LegislatureParliament
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
History 
• Proclamation by Leon Gambetta
4 September 1870
• Vichy France established
10 July 1940
Area
• Total
13,500,000 km2 (5,200,000 sq mi)
1894 (Metropolitan France)536,464 km2 (207,130 sq mi)
Population
• 1894 (Metropolitan France)
36,100,000[1]
• 1938 (including colonies)
150,000,000
CurrencyFrench Franc
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Second French Empire
Vichy France
Free France
German military administration
Italian military administration
Today part of France
 Algeria

It was formed in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War from 1870-1871. After France was defeated Napoleon III was exiled from France. In 1914 France declared war on the German Empire led by Kaiser Wilhelm II until Germany became the Weimar Republic Era in 1918 after World War 1.

In 1940 after Nazi Germany started World War 2 the French surrendered. Southern France became Vichy France and France’s Colonies in North Africa surrendered while the Empire of Japan took French Indochina before Japan Attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 .

References

change
  1. "Population of the Major European Countries in millions".
  2. Anderson, F.M. (1904). The constitutions and other select documents illustrative of the history of France, 1789–1901. The H. W. Wilson company 1904., complete text online