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Was the Republican Government established in France after the collapse of the Second French Empire during the Franco-Prussian War. It ended with the defeat of France by Germany at the beginning of World War I and its division between a militarly occupied area and a client state of the Axis, the Vichy Regime.
Summary
The French Third Republic was the system of government adopted in France from 1870 when the Second French Empire collapsed until 1940 with the fall of France in World War II. It was founded after the Franco-Prussian War, when France was defeated by Prussia and the emperor Napoleon III was captured. The Third Republic lasted a relatively long time, but was often unstable, with frequent changes in leadership and frequent political crises.
The Third Republic was characterized by parliamentary democracy, separation of church and state, and a relatively free and active press. However, it also faced a number of challenges, including the Dreyfus Affair, the rise of socialist and communist movements, and tensions between republicans and monarchists.
The Third Republic came to an end in 1940 during World War II, when France fell to the German invasion. The last prime minister of the Third Republic, Paul Reynaud, resigned and was succeeded by Marshal Philippe Pétain, who established the collaborationist Vichy regime.
Establishment
September 1870: It was not till after the capitulation of Metz, and almost at the same time with the close blockade of Thionville, that Montmedy was invested by the German forces.
September 1870: When the news of the surrender at Sedan of Napoleon III and 80,000 men arrived, the Second Empire was overthrown by a popular uprising in Paris, which forced the proclamation of a Provisional Government and a Third Republic by general Trochu, Favre and Gambetta on 4 September. The new government called itself the Government of National Defence.
September 1870: Siege of Soissons.
September 1870: Battle of Borny-Colombey.
September 1870: Battle of Mars-la-Tour.
September 1870: On September 19, the Germans surrounded it and erected a blockade, as already established at Metz, completing the encirclement on 20 September.
September 1870: Siege of Toul.
September 1870: Siege of Metz.
September 1870: Siege of Strasbourg.
October 1870: Siege of Soissons.
October 1870: Battle of Chateaudun.
October 1870: Battles of Dijon (1870-1871).
November 1870: Siege of Belfort (1870-1871).
November 1870: Siege of La Fère (1870).
November 1870: Battle of Coulmiers.
November 1870: Siege of Thionville (1870).
November 1870: Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (1870).
November 1870: Battles of Dijon (1870-1871).
December 1870: Battle of Orleans (1870).
December 1870: Battle of Coulmiers.
December 1870: Siege of Phalsbourg (1870).
December 1870: Siege of Montmédy (1870).
December 1870: Fight of Longeau.
December 1870: Siege of Péronne (1871).
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Were a series of wars that resulted in the creation of the German Empire under Prussian leadership in 1871.
1.1.Franco-Prussian War
Was a war that saw the Second French Empire fight against an alliance of German states led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The war was caused by the struggle over dominance in continental Europe between Prussia and France. The German states were victorious and in 1871 merged to form the German Empire. France was occupied and forced to cede Alsace-Lorraine to Germany.
1.1.1.German Invasion (Franco-Prussian War)
Was the invasion of the Second French Empire by an alliance of German states during the Franco-Prussian War. The French defeat at Sédan (1870) caused the fall of the French Empire.
1.1.2.War of the Government of National Defence
Was the continuation of the German invasion of France after the fall of the Second French Empire. The newly created Second French Republic continued to fight, but the German troops eventually occupied most of northern and central France.
January 1871: Battle of Villersexel.
January 1871: Battle of Le Mans (1871).
January 1871: Battle of the Lisaine.
January 1871: Battle of Saint-Quentin (1871).
February 1871: Battle of Villersexel.
February 1871: Siege of Belfort (1870-1871).
1.1.3.German Withdrawal (Treaty of Frankfurt of 1871)
Was the phased evacuation of France by the forces of the German Empire as settled in the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871) that had ended the Franco-Prussian War.
May 1871: By application of the Treaty of Frankfurt, the departments of Calvados, Orne, Sarthe, Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Yonne, Seine-Inférieure, Eure, Seine-et-Oise, Seine-et-Marne as far as the Seine, Aube and Côte-d'Or were evacuated by the Germans following its signature on May 10, 1871.
July 1871: The treaty of Frankfurt provided that after a first payment by France of an indemnity of half a billion, the evacuation of German troops would extend to the departments of the Somme, the Oise and parts of the departments of Seine-Inférieure, Seine-et -Oise and Seine-et-Marne, located on the right bank of the Seine. These 6 departments were liberated at the end of July 1871 after payment of 500 million francs in mid-July, and one billion in August.
October 1871: The departments of Aisne, Aube, Côte-d'Or, Doubs and Jura were evacuated by the Germans in accordance with the treaty of Frankfurt.
August 1873: The advance payment by the French at the beginning of 1873 of the last of the 5 billion in compensation led to the liberation of the departments of Ardennes, Marne, Haute-Marne and Vosges from german occupation in July 1873.
October 1873: The German army leaves Belfort, the Meuse and the Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.
2.1.World War I western Front
Was the theatre of war in western Europe during World War I.
May 1915: Second Battle of Artois: On 9 May, five French corps had attacked two German divisions on a 25 km front and advanced 4 km on the front of the 5th Bavarian Reserve Division between the Lorette Spur and La Targette. The 77th Division and the DM of XXXIII Corps penetrated between Carency and Neuville.
May 1915: Second Battle of Artois: After the initial disbandment the Germans concentrated their reserves on 140m altitude and repulsed the attack.
May 1915: Second battle of Artois: the French army conquered Carency.
May 1915: With the Second Battle of Artois, Ablain-Saint-Nazaire is freed by French forces.
June 1915: Second Battle of Artois: Neuville is freed by French forces.
June 1915: Second Battle of Artois: the French were driven back after a few days, due to the very intense reaction of the German artillery and infantry.
September 1915: Third Battle of Artois: Battle of Loos: The British were able to break through the weaker German defences and capture the village of Loos-en-Gohelle, mainly due to numerical superiority.
September 1915: Third Battle of Artois: French III and XII Corps proceeded slowly and with little progress southeast of Neuville-Saint-Vaast.
September 1915: Third Battle of Artois: French XXXIII and XXI Corps had taken the town of Souchez.
September 1915: Third Battle of Artois: In very wet weather the French Tenth Army captured Vimy Ridge, except for the highest point, where German counter-attacks retook the ground from XXXIII Corps.
February 1916: Battle of Verdun: The Germans took Fort Douaumont and then French reinforcements halted the German advance by 28 February.
May 1916: The Germans turned their focus to Le Mort Homme. After some of the most intense fighting of the campaign, the hill was taken by the Germans in late May. On 24 May, the Germans took the second summit, Côte 295.
June 1916: The Germans captured Fort Vaux on 7 June.
June 1916: With the aid of diphosgene gas, the Germans came within 1 km of the last ridge before Verdun.
June 1916: The German advance was contained on 23 June.
July 1916: On 1 July, after a week of heavy rain, British divisions in Picardy began the Battle of the Somme with the Battle of Albert, supported by five French divisions on their right flank. The attack had been preceded by seven days of heavy artillery bombardment. The experienced French forces were successful in advancing but the British artillery cover had neither blasted away barbed wire, nor destroyed German trenches as effectively as was planned.
July 1916: Advancement of the French up to July 14.
September 1916: Advancement of the French forces up to 15 september.
November 1916: The final phase of the battle took place in October and early November, again producing limited gains with heavy loss of life. All told, the Somme battle had made penetrations of only 8 kilometres and failed to reach the original objectives. The advancement showed on map are up to november.
December 1916: The French recaptured Fort Vaux in November.
January 1917: By December 1916 the French had pushed the Germans back 2.1 km from Fort Douaumont.
March 1917: During the Somme battle and through the winter months, the Germans created a fortification behind the Noyon Salient that would be called the Hindenburg Line. During the German withdrawal, the British Third Army and Fifth Army followed up and conducted the Capture of Bapaume, 17 March 1917.
March 1917: The French took Péronne.
March 1917: The German retirement took place between 9 February and 20 March 1917, after months of preparation. The German retreat shortened the Western front by 40 km.
April 1917: Battle of Arras: initial French advancement.
April 1917: French advancement after the Battles of Arras and of Vimy Ridge.
April 1917: The French Third Army in the centre advanced astride the Scarpe River and in the south, the British Fifth Army attacked the Hindenburg Line but made few gains. The British armies then conducted smaller attacks to consolidate the new positions.
April 1917: The Nivelle Offensive was a failed military operation led by French General Robert Nivelle during World War I. It took place in 1917 in the region of Chemin des Dames in France. The offensive resulted in heavy casualties and led to widespread mutinies within the French army.
May 1917: The Nivelle Offensive was a failed military operation led by French General Robert Nivelle during World War I. It took place in 1917 in the region of Chemin des Dames in France. The offensive resulted in heavy casualties and led to widespread mutinies within the French army.
November 1917: Battle of Cambrai:On 20 November the British launched the first massed tank attack and the first attack using predicted artillery-fire. he attack was a great success for the British, who penetrated further in six hours than at the Third Ypres in four month.
December 1917: Battle of Cambrai: The advance produced an awkward salient and a surprise German counter-offensive began on 30 November, which drove back the British in the south and failed in the north.
2.1.1.German Offensive in Flanders (World War I)
Was the German offensive in the Flanders at the beginning of World War I.
August 1914: Siege of Maubeuge.
August 1914: Battle of St. Quentin.
September 1914: The German Army came within 70 km of Paris but at the First Battle of the Marne (6-12 September).
September 1914: The opposing forces in Western Europe made reciprocal outflanking manoeuvres, known as the Race for the Sea and quickly extended their trench systems from the Swiss frontier to the North Sea.
September 1914: Race for the Sea: German forces arrive in Ham.
September 1914: Race for the Sea: German forces arrive in Mericourt.
October 1914: Race for the Sea: German forces arrive in Bapaume.
October 1914: Changes of the Western front by 8 October 1914.
October 1914: Race for the Sea: German forces arrive in Ypres and Baielleul.
2.1.2.German spring offensive
Was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918. Following American entry into the war in April 1917, the Germans decided that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could ship soldiers across the Atlantic and fully deploy its resources.
March 1918: Somme Offensive.
April 1918: Somme Offensive.
April 1918: The Lys Offensive was a major German attack on the Western Front during World War I in April 1918. The Germans managed to penetrate Allied lines to a depth of 9.3 mi (15 km).
June 1918: Aisne Offensive.
June 1918: Noyon-Montdidier Offensive.
July 1918: Champagne-Marne Offensive.
2.1.3.Second Battle of the Marne
Was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War.
July 1918: Second Battle of the Marne.
August 1918: Second Battle of the Marne.
2.1.4.Hundred Days Offensive
Was a series of massive Allied offensives that led to the collapse of the Western Front and of the German Empire.
August 1918: Battle of Amiens (1918).
August 1918: Second Battle of the Somme: Albert was captured by the French on 22 August.
August 1918: Second Battle of the Somme: Bapaume fell to the French on 29 August.
August 1918: Allied advancement up to 30 August.
September 1918: The Germans had been forced back to the Hindenburg Line.
September 1918: Havrincourt and St Mihiel conquered by French Third Republic.
September 1918: Avancement up to 25 September.
October 1918: Battle of Cambrai.
October 1918: The British arrived in Roubaix.
November 1918: Entente advance in central Europe by 11 November 1918.
2.2.Aftermath of World War I
Were a series of treaties and military events that can be considered a direct consequence of World War I.
2.2.1.Treaty of Versailles
Was the treaty that ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers.
2.2.1.1.Territorial cessions of Germany in Europe
Were territorial cessions of Germany in Europe after World War I.
January 1920: The treaty of Versailles restored the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine to France by rescinding the treaties of Versailles and Frankfurt of 1871.
Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.
3.1.World War II (Western Front)
Was the Western European theatre of World War II.
3.1.1.German Invasion of Belgium
Was the German Invasion of Belgium during World War II.
May 1940: Battle of Boulogne.
3.1.2.German Invasion of France
The Battle of France was the German invasion of France during World War II that ended with the French Armistice of Compiègne on 22 June 1940.
3.1.2.1.Central Front of the German Invasion of France (World War II)
Was the front of the Meuse Line during the German invasion of France in World War II.
May 1940: The German advance forces reached the Meuse line late in the afternoon.
May 1940: On 12 May, Sedan was captured without resistance and the Germans defeated the French defences around Sedan on the west bank of the Meuse.
May 1940: German advance in Belgium.
May 1940: Stonne changed hands 17 times and fell to the Germans for the last time in the evening.
May 1940: Battle of Montcornet.
June 1940: Battle of Dunkirk.
3.1.2.2.Fall Rot
Was the operation to complete the conquest of France by the German Army during the Battle of France.
June 1940: Frontline of the Battle of Belgium in that date.
June 1940: German advance in France.
June 1940: On 14 June, Paris fell to the German forces. The Parisians unable to flee the city found that in most cases the Germans were extremely well mannered.
June 1940: German conquest of Rennes.
June 1940: The German 7th Panzer Division headed west over the Seine river through Normandy and captured the port of Cherbourg on 18 June.
June 1940: German conquest of Nantes.
June 1940: German conquest of Brest.
June 1940: The remnants of French Army 2 Group are encircled by German forces.
June 1940: German advances in France by June, 25th 1940.
3.1.2.3.French Armistice
Was the Armistice of 22 June 1940 when France surrendered to Germany during World War II.
3.1.2.3.1.Franco-German Armistice
The French Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. The armistice partitioned France: northern and central France were militarly occupied by Germany, Alsace-Lorraine was inglobated into the German State, and the remainder of France became Vichy France, a regime loyal to Germany.
June 1940: The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June. Northern and coastal France fell under direct German occupation, whereas a French government aligned with Germany ("Vichy France") was established in the south. Alsace-Lorraine was annexed to Nazi Germany.
3.1.3.Overall Frontline (Belgium and France)
Refers to the battles on the northern French and Belgian front during the German invasion of the region.
May 1940: Frontline of the Battle of Belgium in that date.
May 1940: Surrender of French troops in Calais.
May 1940: Defensive Perimeter around Dunkirk established. The Germans occupy the surroundings of Dunkirk.
June 1940: Evacuation of British and Belgian forces from Dunkirk completed.
3.1.4.Italian invasion of France
Was the invasion of southern France by Fascist Italy during the Battle of France.
June 1940: After eliminating the French field fortifications with artillery fire, the Germans took the city of Bramans.
June 1940: German forces occupied Les Granges-Saint-Paul.
June 1940: That day the fort of Pont Saint-Louis engaged in its last artillery duel with the Italians. No vehicles managed to cross the bridge before the armistice. The capture of "the pearl of France", Menton, a famous tourist destination, was "an undeniable success" (despite its cost) for the Italians.
Disestablishment
May 1940: The German advance forces reached the Meuse line late in the afternoon.
May 1940: On 12 May, Sedan was captured without resistance and the Germans defeated the French defences around Sedan on the west bank of the Meuse.
May 1940: Frontline of the Battle of Belgium in that date.
May 1940: German advance in Belgium.
May 1940: Stonne changed hands 17 times and fell to the Germans for the last time in the evening.
May 1940: Battle of Montcornet.
May 1940: Battle of Boulogne.
May 1940: Surrender of French troops in Calais.
May 1940: Defensive Perimeter around Dunkirk established. The Germans occupy the surroundings of Dunkirk.
June 1940: Battle of Dunkirk.
June 1940: Evacuation of British and Belgian forces from Dunkirk completed.
June 1940: Frontline of the Battle of Belgium in that date.
June 1940: German advance in France.
June 1940: On 14 June, Paris fell to the German forces. The Parisians unable to flee the city found that in most cases the Germans were extremely well mannered.
June 1940: German conquest of Rennes.
June 1940: The German 7th Panzer Division headed west over the Seine river through Normandy and captured the port of Cherbourg on 18 June.
June 1940: German conquest of Nantes.
June 1940: German conquest of Brest.
June 1940: After eliminating the French field fortifications with artillery fire, the Germans took the city of Bramans.
June 1940: The remnants of French Army 2 Group are encircled by German forces.
June 1940: German forces occupied Les Granges-Saint-Paul.
June 1940: That day the fort of Pont Saint-Louis engaged in its last artillery duel with the Italians. No vehicles managed to cross the bridge before the armistice. The capture of "the pearl of France", Menton, a famous tourist destination, was "an undeniable success" (despite its cost) for the Italians.
June 1940: German advances in France by June, 25th 1940.
June 1940: The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June. Northern and coastal France fell under direct German occupation, whereas a French government aligned with Germany ("Vichy France") was established in the south. Alsace-Lorraine was annexed to Nazi Germany.
Selected Sources
B. Stephen (2003): The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871, Osprey Publishing, p.43
B. Stephen (2003): The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871, Osprey Publishing, p.54
B. Stephen (2003): The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871, Osprey Publishing, p.65
B. Stephen (2003): The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871, Osprey Publishing, p.69
B. Stephen (2003): The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871, Osprey Publishing, pp.38,40
Campaign In The West, Situation 4 June 1940. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope13.jpg
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, p.154
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, p.223
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, p.313
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, p.337
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.154, 155
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.180, 181
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.224, 225
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.321, 322
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.368, 369
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.389, 390
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.4, 5
Graf von Moltke, H. (2022): The Franco-German War of 1870-71, Good Press, pp.5, 6
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE, 1940 - CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940 - Situation 21 May and Operations Since 16 May. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://www.westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe/WWIIEurope12.pdf
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE, 1940 - CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940 Situation 16 May and Operations - Since 10 May. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe/WWIIEurope11.pdf
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 110
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 140
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 148
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 186
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 192
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, p. 96
Von Tiedemann, B. (1877): The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71, London : Her majesty's stationery office, pp. 67-68, 84-85
WESTERN EUROPE, 1940 - CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940 - The Pursuit, 13-25 June. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://www.westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe/WWIIEurope15.pdf
French Third Republic
