The Third French Republic, Italy, and Germany: A Comparison of Political Systems and Scandals

Summary

The Third French Republic was characterized by universal male suffrage, a strong bureaucracy, and political stability despite scandals such as the Dreyfus Affair. Italy’s polity was created primarily by Piedmont and had a strong monarch, which eventually proved fatal for democracy after WWI. Germany retained a federal system and no national government, with elections fought along party-political lines.

Table of Contents

• The Third French Republic: From Universal Male Suffrage to Political Stability
• The Dreyfus Affair: Scandal and Political Division
• Italy’s Polity: Strong Monarchy and Fatal Democracy
• Germany’s Federal System and Political Parties
• Political Stability through Strong Bureaucracy

Q&A

Q: What was the basis for the longevity and stability of the Third French Republic?
A: Léon Gambetta and Jules Ferry formed a social compact between various classes such as civil servants, artisans, shopkeepers, and the lower middle class with professionals, businessmen, and middling landowners.

Q: What was the Dreyfus Affair and what were its consequences?
A: The Dreyfus Affair was a major political scandal in France that began in 1894 when sensitive military information was leaked to the Germans, with suspicion falling on Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer. Despite his protests of innocence, he was convicted and sent to life imprisonment in a penal colony. The discovery of forgeries in the Secret Service’s dossier later proved his innocence and revealed the actual author of the sensitive information to be Ferdinand Esterhazy. The affair resulted in the government’s dissolution of over two hundred congregations of religious orders, the further secularization of education, and public outrage.

Q: How did Italy’s political system differ from France’s?
A: Italy’s polity was created primarily by Piedmont and had a strong monarch, unlike France’s parliamentary rule with universal male suffrage. It was generally accepted that an Italian government had to possess a majority in the legislature.

Q: How did Germany’s political system differ from France’s and Italy’s?
A: Germany retained a federal system and no national government, with elections fought along party-political lines. Political parties ranged from pro-Bismarck National Liberals to parties representing national minority groups.

Q: What united social classes in Germany and Italy?
A: In Germany, the Catholic Centre Party united social classes of the urban and rural south and west. In Italy, the right of the monarch was fatal for democracy after WWI.

The Third French Republic: From Universal Male Suffrage to Political Stability

Established in 1871, the Third French Republic gave political power to the Chamber of Deputies based on universal male suffrage. The Legitimists, supporters of the traditional monarchy, won the first national elections but soon lost their majority. Marshal Patrice de MacMahon was even accused of preparing a coup d’état. Henri, Comte de Chambord, the official claimant to the throne, was also a poor political candidate. Moderate Republicans such as Léon Gambetta and Jules Ferry soon took over, laying the groundwork for the Republic’s stability by forming a social compact between various classes.

The Dreyfus Affair: Scandal and Political Division

France experienced a political crisis at the end of the 1890s involving the leaking of military secrets to Germany by a French officer. The scandal was known as the Dreyfus Affair, named after Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer accused of the crime although he proclaimed his innocence. He was convicted and sent to life imprisonment in a penal colony, while suspicion fell on him because of his ethnicity. The discovery of forgeries in the Secret Service’s dossier later proved his innocence and revealed the actual author of the sensitive information to be Ferdinand Esterhazy. Esterhazy was acquitted by a military tribunal, leading to public outrage and a campaign by the novelist Emile Zola. The affair became a fierce battle in the press between two sides, with deep passions and violence erupting on both sides. The government’s dissolution of over two hundred congregations of religious orders and the further secularization of education resulted from the affair, and the power of the bureaucracy and civil servants provided stability amidst the chronic instability of French governments under the Third Republic.

Italy’s Polity: Strong Monarchy and Fatal Democracy

Italy’s polity was created primarily by Piedmont and had a strong monarch. However, after WWI, the right of the monarch proved fatal for democracy. It was generally accepted that an Italian government had to possess a majority in the legislature.

Germany’s Federal System and Political Parties

Germany retained a federal system and no national government, with elections fought along party-political lines. Political parties were quickly formed, ranging from pro-Bismarck National Liberals to parties representing national minority groups. The Catholic Centre Party of Germany was founded in the early 1870s, uniting social classes of the urban and rural south and west.

Political Stability through Strong Bureaucracy

A strong bureaucracy underpinned what often looked like a weak and fractious legislative system in both France and Germany. This provided stability amidst scandals and political instability, as seen in the Third French Republic and the Dreyfus Affair. While the specific political systems of these countries differed, their bureaucracy provided stability that helped them weather political storms.

Conclusion

While the Third French Republic, Italy, and Germany had different polities, they all shared scandals, political instability, and strong bureaucracies. The Third French Republic was characterized by universal male suffrage and political stability, even amidst scandals such as the Dreyfus Affair. Italy’s polity had a strong monarch that ultimately proved fatal for democracy after WWI. Germany retained a federal system with no national government and political parties ranging from pro-Bismarck National Liberals to minority groups. Nonetheless, all three countries had a strong bureaucracy that provided much-needed stability amidst turbulent political times.