The Moderates or Moderate Republicans ( French : Républicains modérés ), pejoratively labeled Opportunist Republicans ( Républicains opportunistes ), was a French political group active in the late 19th century during the Third French Republic . The leaders of the group included Adolphe Thiers , Jules Ferry , Jules Grévy , Henri Wallon and René Waldeck-Rousseau .
46-600: Jules François Camille Ferry ( French: [ʒyl fɛʁi] ; 5 April 1832 – 17 March 1893) was a French statesman and republican philosopher. He was one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans and served as Prime Minister of France from 1880 to 1881 and 1883 to 1885. He was a promoter of laicism and colonial expansion . Under the Third Republic , Ferry made primary education free and compulsory through several new laws . However, he
92-589: A colonial expansion in Africa , creating protectorates in Madagascar and Tunisia . Despite this semi-authoritarian policies, the republicans refused to be charged with conservatism and continued to proclaim themselves of the left, republicanism in France being historically associated with the left-wing . This paradox was later identified as sinistrisme ("leftism"). In the legislative elections of 1885 ,
138-644: A coup d'état , causing his flight to Brussels and a republican landslide in the 1889 . In the 1890s, the Moderate Republican parable ended as the Panama scandals of 1892 involved prominent Radical politicians like Clemenceau, Alfred Naquet and Léon Bourgeois , granting a large victory to the ANR in the legislative elections the following year . However, the Dreyfus affair broke out in 1893, causing
184-427: A regulation for the conferring of university degrees, which, though rejected, aroused violent polemics because the 7th article took away from the unauthorized religious orders the right to teach. He finally succeeded in passing his eponymous laws of 16 June 1881 and 28 March 1882, which made primary education in France free , non-clerical ( laïque ) and mandatory. In higher education, the number of professors called
230-630: A war with Qing dynasty China, which had a claim of suzerainty over the two provinces. The excitement caused in Paris by the sudden retreat of the French troops from Lạng Sơn during this war led to the Tonkin Affair : his violent denunciation by Clemenceau and other radicals, and his downfall on 30 March 1885. Although the treaty of peace with the Chinese Empire (9 June 1885), in which
276-647: Is a right for the superior races, because they have a duty. They have the duty to civilize the inferior races." Ferry directed the negotiations which led to the establishment of a French protectorate in Tunis (1881), prepared the treaty of 17 December 1885 for the occupation of Madagascar ; directed the exploration of the Congo and of the Niger region; and above all, he organized the conquest of Annam and Tonkin in what became Indochina . The last of these endeavors led to
322-558: The Société botanique de France , and from 1873 to 1889, he was a member of the Académie des sciences . In 1882 Jules Ferry , as Minister of Public Instruction, decided to create a mission to explore the Regency of Tunisia. The expedition was headed by Cosson and included the botanist Napoléon Doumet-Adanson and other naturalists. In 1884 a geological section under Georges Rolland
368-530: The Chamber of Deputies split in two groups, namely the moderate Republican Left led by Jules Favre and the radical Republican Union led by Léon Gambetta . The two parliamentary groups were non-influential during the early years of the Republic, dominated by the monarchist Moral Order coalition of Patrice MacMahon , but after the failure of a return to the monarchy and after the legislative elections of 1876
414-744: The First Empire . He studied law, and was called to the bar at Paris in 1854, but soon went into politics, contributing to various newspapers, particularly to Le Temps . He attacked the Second French Empire with great violence, directing his opposition especially against Baron Haussmann , prefect of the Seine department . A series of his articles in Le Temps was later republished as The Fantastic Tales of Haussmann (1868). Elected republican deputy for Paris in 1869, he protested against
460-673: The Liberal Republican Union ( Union libérale républicaine ) in 1888 and 1889, respectively. The Moderate Republicans were a large and heterogenous group started after the French Revolution of 1848 . However, the group lost the legislative elections of 1849 , finishing as the minority group in the National Assembly . After the Louis-Napoléon's coup d'état in 1851 and the birth of
506-481: The Opportunist Republicans faction, he was twice premier (1880–1881 and 1883–1885). He was an active Freemason initiated on 8 July 1875, in "La Clémente Amitiée" lodge in Paris the same day as Émile Littré . He became a member of the "Alsace-Lorraine" Lodge founded in Paris in 1782. Two important works are associated with his administration: the non-clerical organization of public education, and
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#1732772747892552-739: The Second French Empire in 1852, the Republicans took part in the parliamentary opposition along with the monarchists against the Bonapartist majority. After the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) and the consequential fall of the French Empire, the Third French Republic was born. However, its politics was divided in two groups, namely the right-wing monarchists ( Orléanists and Legitimists ) and
598-514: The left-wing republicans ( radicals and moderates ). If both republicans were combined by anti-clericalism and social reformism , the radicals were mostly nationalist and anti-German , refusing the Treaty of Versailles with Prussia . The moderates instead supported the Treaty and were more pragmatic on international politics. After the legislative elections of 1871 , the republicans inside
644-468: The magistrature , army, and civil and diplomatic service. In the 1890s he visited Algeria and provided a critical report. He predicted that Algeria could not escape a conflict between Indigènes and Europeans: The key to understanding Ferry's unique position in Third Republic history is that until his political critic Georges Clemenceau became Prime Minister twice in the 20th century, Ferry had
690-437: The "Republic's black hussars" (French: hussards noirs de la République ) because of their Republican support, doubled under his ministry. After the military defeat of France by Prussia in 1870, Ferry formed the idea of acquiring a great colonial empire, principally for the sake of economic exploitation. In 1882, as Minister of Public Instruction, he decided to create a mission to explore the Regency of Tunisia. The expedition
736-619: The Anti-Dreyfus field. This decision was fatal for the ANR's destiny. In 1899, the re-conviction of the Colonel Dreyfus, with a partial pardon favored by the republican Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau , caused divisions inside the ANR, aggravated by the rehabilitation of Dreyfus in 1900. To remove the mole of antisemitism, Waldeck-Rousseau founded the Democratic Republican Alliance (ADR) in 1901, claiming
782-574: The Monarchist MacMahon. From this time, with the progressive disappearance of the Monarchists the moderates began to move toward the parliamentary centre between the old rights (Bonapartist and reunited monarchists) and the new lefts ( radical-socialists , Marxists and Blanquists ). To prevent the creation of a socialist state , the two radical and moderate republicans spirits decided to cooperate and form common governments despite
828-488: The Prussian military. He got the two provinces, but he realized it would eventually have severe future repercussions. Bismarck was able to ignore the French for most of the 1870s and early 1880s, but as he found problems with his three erstwhile allies (Austria, Russia, and Italy), he realized France might one day take advantage of this (as it did with Russia in 1894). When Ferry came up with a radically different approach to
874-465: The Qing dynasty ceded suzerainty of Annam and Tonkin to France, was the work of his ministry, he would never again serve as premier. The desire for a monarchy was strong in France in the early years of the Third Republic – Henri, Count of Chambord having made a bid early in its history. A committed republican, Ferry undertook a wide-scale "purge" by dismissing many known monarchists from top positions in
920-690: The Radicals of Clemenceau, who disenchanted by the militarism of Boulanger launched the Society of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the socialists became disappointed by Boulanger's frequentation of monarchists like the Duchess of Uzès and Prince Napoléon Bonaparte , also themselves disappointed by Boulanger's republican ideas. The coup de grâce to Boulangisme arrived when he was accused of preparing
966-507: The Republic; socialists like Édouard Vaillant , who admired the General's views on workers' rights ; and nationalists who desired revenge against Germany. Finally, Boulanger personally led the League of Patriots , a far-right revanchist and militarist league and benefitted from popular and financial support by workers and aristocrats , respectively. In the face of the rise of Boulanger,
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#17327727478921012-542: The Republican Union. However, the republican Prime Minister Ferry was forced to resign in 1885 after a political scandal known as the Tonkin Affair and President Grévy also resigned his office in 1887 after a corruption scandal involving his son-in-law. The Moderate Republicans, seriously challenged, survived only thanks to the support of the Radical Republicans of René Goblet and worries about
1058-503: The Vosges, and became one of the leaders of the Opportunist Republicans . When the first republican ministry was formed under W. H. Waddington on 4 February 1879, he was one of its members, and continued in the ministry until 30 March 1885, except for two short interruptions (from 10 November 1881 to 30 January 1882, and from 29 July 1882 to 21 February 1883), first as minister of education and then as minister of foreign affairs. A leader of
1104-421: The awful defeat of 1870. But Ferry realized that Germany was too powerful, and it made more sense to cooperate with Otto von Bismarck and avoid trouble. A sensible policy – but hardly popular. Bismarck was constantly nervous about the situation with France. Although he had despised the ineptness of the French under Napoleon III and the government of Adolphe Thiers and Jules Favre , he had not planned for all
1150-579: The declaration of war with Germany , and on 6 September 1870 was appointed prefect of the Seine by the Government of National Defense . In this position, he had the difficult task of administering Paris during the siege, and after the Paris Commune was obliged to resign (5 June 1871). From 1872 to 1873 he was sent by Adolphe Thiers as minister to Athens, but returned to the chamber as deputy for
1196-409: The demands he presented to the French in 1870. He only wished to temporarily cripple France by the billion-franc reparation, but suddenly he was confronted by the demands of Marshals Albrecht von Roon and Helmut von Moltke (backed by Emperor Wilhelm I ) to annex the two French provinces as further payment. Bismarck, for all his abilities regarding the manipulation of events, could not afford to anger
1242-606: The formation of two factions, namely the Dreyfusards like Émile Zola , Anatole France and Clemenceau who supported the innocence of the Jewish Colonel and the Anti-Dreyfusard like Édouard Drumont , Jules Méline and Raymond Poincaré who accused Dreyfus of betrayal, partially due to rampant antisemitism . The ANR, which Méline and Poincaré were members of, refused the antisemitic thesis, but took side with
1288-659: The heritage of Ferry and Gambetta. Many Moderate Republicans joined the ADR, including Yves Guyot , Ferdinand Dreyfus (not linked with the Colonel), Narcisse Leven and David Raynal . The Moderate Republicans who had remained in the ANR finally adhered along with Progressive Republicans to the Republican Federation , a right-wing party very distant from the original ANR's beliefs. Ernest Cosson Ernest Saint-Charles Cosson (22 July 1819 – 31 December 1889)
1334-528: The imperial front against the British Empire, thus hoping to create a wedge between the two Western European great powers. It did, as a result, leading to a major race for influence across Africa that nearly culminated in war in the next decade, at Fashoda in the Sudan in 1898. But by then both Bismarck and Ferry were dead, and the rapprochement policy died when Ferry lost office. As for Fashoda, while it
1380-464: The interests of the rich bourgeoisie and Catholics , formed the Liberal Republican Union in 1889. Continuing to depict itself as leftist, the ANR was a conservative group opposing the income tax and strikes that tried to defend the Republic from its reputed enemy Boulanger and used many banquets to finance his activities. Finally, there was a rupture inside the Boulangist party, namely
1426-436: The longest tenure as Prime Minister under that regime. He also played with political dynamite that eventually destroyed his success. Ferry (like his 20th-century equivalent Joseph Caillaux ) believed in not confronting Wilhelmine Germany by threats of a future war of revenge. Most French politicians in the middle and right saw it as a sacred duty to one day lead France again against Germany to reclaim Alsace-Lorraine , and avenge
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1472-434: The major colonial expansion of France . Ferry believed the path to a modernized and prosperous France lay in the triumph of reason over religion. School reforms were a key part of his plan. Following the republican program, he proposed to destroy the influence of the clergy in universities and found his own system of republican schooling. He reorganized the committee of public education (law of 27 February 1880) and proposed
1518-616: The moderate and radical republicans gained 193 and 98 seats in the Chamber, respectively. From this time, the republicans maintained strong majorities in the French Parliament and were pejoratively called Opportunists by their detractors for their aptitude to gain the popular consensus in spite of any ideology. In January 1879, the Republican Jules Grévy was elected as President of the Republic , succeeding
1564-582: The personal antagonism between Grévy and Gambetta, who died in 1882. During the late 1870s and 1880s, the Republican majority launched an education reform with the Bert Law , creating the normal schools ; and the Ferry Laws , that secularize public education. However, Grévy also signed the so-called Lois scélérates ("villainous laws") that restricted the freedom of the press and France started
1610-617: The republican consolidation was confirmed. Even if popularly won by the Conservative Union of Armand de Mackau , the elections guaranteed a solid republican majority in the Chamber. In fact, until the election the two republican groups had been reunited in a new political party guided by President Grévy and his close ally Jules Ferry , namely the Democratic Union, born of the fusion of the Republican Left and
1656-491: The republican leaders were divided. From one side, the old republican moderate wing, composed by prominent personalities like Jules Ferry, Maurice Rouvier and Eugène Spuller , representing the middle bourgeoisie , industrialists and scholars , formed the National Republican Association (ANR) in 1888. To the other side, the republican right-wing of Henri Barboux and Léon Say , who represented
1702-527: The rise of a new political phenomenon called revanchism , the desire for revenge against the German Empire after the defeat of 1871. The revanchist ideas were strong in the France of the Belle Époque and with the scandals involving the republican governments there was a rise of the nationalist party led by General Georges Boulanger . Boulanger was Minister of War from 1886 to 1887. His appointment
1748-498: The situation and offered an olive branch, Bismarck reciprocated. A Franco-German friendship would alleviate problems of siding with either Austria or Russia, or Austria and Italy. Bismarck approved of the colonial expansion that France pursued under Ferry. He only had some problems with local German imperialists who were critical that Germany lacked colonies, so he found a few in the 1880s, making certain he did not confront French interests. But he also suggested Franco-German cooperation on
1794-695: The time, the Moderate Republicans progressively evolved into a centre-right political party. During their existence, the Moderate Republicans were present in the French Parliament first under the name of Republican Left ( Gauche républicaine ) and after a fusion with radical republicans as the Democratic Union ( Union démocratique ). They were further divided into the National Republican Association ( Association nationale républicaine ) and
1840-525: Was a French botanist born in Paris . Cosson is known for his botanical research in North Africa, and during his career he participated in eight trips to Algeria . In several of these he was accompanied by Henri-René Le Tourneux de la Perraudière (1831–1861), whom he honoured in the naming of several species and genera (e.g., Perralderia , Galium perralderii ). In 1863 he was elected president of
1886-437: Was a candidate for the presidency of the republic, but the radicals refused to support him, and he withdrew in favor of Sadi Carnot . On 10 December 1887, a man named Aubertin attempted to assassinate Jules Ferry, who would later die on 17 March 1893 from complications attributed to this wound. The Chamber of Deputies gave him a state funeral. Changes Opportunist Republicans Although considered leftist at
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1932-482: Was a confrontation, it led to Britain and France eventually discussing their rival colonial goals, and agreeing to support each other's sphere of influence – the first step to the Entente Cordiale between the countries in 1904. Ferry remained an influential member of the moderate republican party, and directed the opposition to General Boulanger . After the resignation of Jules Grévy (2 December 1887), he
1978-461: Was a strategy of Prime Minister Goblet to pledge the nationalists, but after the fall of his cabinet he was replaced by Maurice Rouvier and the General was not reconfirmed. This political error started the political phase called Boulangisme (1887–1891). Around the General was forming a heterogeneous group of supporters, including radical reformers like Georges Clemenceau and Charles de Freycinet ; Bonapartists and monarchists who wanted to overthrow
2024-630: Was added to the Tunisian Scientific Exploration Mission. Rolland was assisted by Philippe Thomas from 1885 and by Georges Le Mesle in 1887. With Jacques Nicolas Ernest Germain de Saint-Pierre (1815–1882), Cosson published the influential Atlas de la Flore des Environs de Paris . Botanical specimens collected by Cosson are held in many herbaria around the world, including the National Museum of Natural History, France , Harvard University Herbaria ,
2070-635: Was forced to resign following the Sino-French War in 1885 due to his unpopularity and public opinion against the war. Ferry was born in France, in the Vosges department , to Charles-Édouard Ferry, a lawyer from a family that had established itself in Saint-Dié as bellmakers , and Adélaïde Jamelet. His paternal grandfather, François-Joseph Ferry, was mayor of Saint-Dié through the Consulate and
2116-422: Was headed by the botanist Ernest Cosson and included the botanist Napoléon Doumet-Adanson and other naturalists. In 1884 a geological section under Georges Rolland was added to the Tunisian Scientific Exploration Mission. Rolland was assisted by Philippe Thomas from 1885 and by Georges Le Mesle in 1887. In a speech on the colonial empire before the Chamber of Deputies on 28 March 1884, he declared that "it
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