Adolphe Thiers

Louis Adolphe Thiers (April 16, 1797–September 3 1877) was a French statesman and historian. Thiers was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871. From 1871 to 1873 he served initially as Chief of State (effectively a provisional President of France, then a full provisional President. When following a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly his offer of resignation was accepted (he had expected another rejection) and he was forced to vacate office. He was replaced as Provisional President by Patrice MacMahon, duc de Magenta, who became full President of the Third Republic, a post Thiers had coveted, in 1875 when a series of Organic Laws officially creating the Third Republic were enacted.

The Third Republic

On August 30 he became the provisional president of the as-yet undeclared republic. Thiers held office for more than two years after this event. (See note 1)

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His strong personal will and inflexible opinions had much to do with the resurrection of France; but the very same facts made it inevitable that he should excite violent opposition. He was a confirmed protectionist, and free trade ideas had made great headway in France under the Empire; he was an advocate of long military service, and the devotees of la revanche (the revenge) were all for the introduction of general and compulsory but short service. Both his talents and his temper made him utterly indisposed to maintain the attitude supposed to be incumbent on a republican president; and his tongue was never a carefully governed one. In January 1872 he formally tendered his resignation; and though it was refused, almost all parties disliked him, while his chief supporters, men like Charles de Rémusat, Barthelemy Saint-Hilaire and Jules Simon were men rather of the past than of the present.

Related Topics:
Protectionist - Free trade - 1872 - Charles de Rémusat - Barthelemy Saint-Hilaire - Jules Simon

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The year 1873 was, as a parliamentary year in France, occupied to a great extent with attacks on Thiers. In the early spring, regulations were proposed and, on April 13, carried, which were intended to restrict the executive and, especially, the parliamentary powers of the president. On April 27 a contested election in Paris, resulting in the return of the opposition candidate, Barodet, was regarded as a grave disaster for the Thiers government, and that government was not much strengthened by a dissolution and reconstitution of the cabinet on May 20. Immediately afterwards, the question was brought to a head by an interpellation moved by the duc de Broglie. The president declared that he should take this as a vote of no confidence; and in the debates which followed a vote of this character (though on a different formal issue, and proposed by Jean Ernoul) was carried by sixteen votes in a house of 704. Thiers at once resigned (May 24), expecting that he would have his resignation rescinded or that he would be immediately re-elected. To his shock the resignation was accepted and Patrice MacMahon elected to the provisional presidency instead.

Related Topics:
1873 - April 13 - April 27 - Barodet - May 20 - Jean Ernoul - May 24

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