Abstract
The Franco-Prussian war destroyed the Empire. There was a clear split between monarchists and Republicans. The 3rd Republic was proclaimed in September 1870. Why did the Empire collapse?
The majority of people had become disillusioned; there was therefore a lack of legitimacy of the regime. Monarchists wanted to restore the pre-revolution regime. Within the society, there were divisions between classes. The Empire was not legitimate because it emerged with the coup d'état led by Napoleon III in 1851. This regime was undemocratic, especially the upper house. Moreover, press was under censorship. In the 1860s, France won a successful war against Austria. However, at the same time, the 5-year long colonial adventure led in Mexico ended up with a defeat for France. It reinforced the loss of popularity and legitimacy. The Parliament refused to vote financial laws to modernize this army.
After the collapse of the Empire, the Republican government was still at war against Prussia (“government of national defense”). It is a paradox that this unpopular war (in public opinion) became a popular conflict. On the other hand, the conservatives wanted to stop this revolutionary war.
