History of France: Difference between revisions

During the crisis, Great Britain was able to occupy several French possessions in the Caribbean and India. However, the new government was allowed to keep its new ''département'' of Belgique, as was the will of the local Walloon populace.

 

====The shift towards authoritarianism====

In Europe, France's diplomatic situation was precarious. By 1900, they were still friendly and indebted to the British for helping them establish their government in the 1870s. However, constant British intervention in areas of France's sphere of interest started to strain relations. This was further exacerbated when Britain sanctioned and supported the Venetian annexation of the Papal Adriatic in 1908. This catalysed the shift towards an anti-British political climate only a few months before the French National Elections.

 

In November 1908, [[Hervé Saunier]], a staunch anti-British writer and professor from Paris, was proclaimed as France's new president. Saunier was known as more of a theorist than a statesman, more concerned with the ideological aspects of running France. As such, Saunier often delegated duties and appointed fellow party members to run the government's various institutions, also creating new ones during his tenure.

In 1910, Saunier appointed [[François Desmarais]] as the Grand Marshal of the French Republican Military. Desmarais was a political ally of Saunier, who previously served as Governor-General of [https://wiki.rosestulipsandliberty.com/wiki/Kampuchea Kampuchea] before returning to France in 1909. Saunier believed that a robust military apparatus was required to protect France's republican institutions. Ironically, Desmarais' appointment saw the increase of the military's role in French governance. Desmarais put down political opposition against Saunier or the Communard Party. Intimidation and political coercion were commonplace throughout the 1910s. During the 1914 elections, [[Hervé Saunier]] was reelected to the presidency, but his victory was widely contested. It was widely believed that Desmarais had intimidated his opponents and the tallying committee to secure his power. Regardless of this, Desmarais' was still widely popular among the public.

 

In 1919, Desmarais and Saunier had a feud over Desmarais' increasing influence. Shortly after this falling out, Desmarais founded ''Le Avant Garde'', a political alliance consisting of anti-British, pro-military nationalists. The political tensions culminated in a coup d'etat staged by Desmarais and the army on September 2, 1919, only a year before the next elections. Desmarais abolished the presidency. Desmarais' popularity with the French people gave him his legitimacy to rule. He would lead as the Grand Marshal of France until his ultimate demise in 1928.

====The Great War====

{{Main|The_Great_War#French_Communard_intervention_and_invasion_of_Savoy-Piedmont_(July-August_1935)|l1 = French role in the Great War}}