Define the Following Terms: Third Republic

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The Answer is The Third Republic refers to the system of government adopted in France from 1870, following the collapse of the Second French Empire, until 1940, when France was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. Officially known as the French Third Republic (La Troisième République Française), it was a parliamentary republic characterized by a series of constitutional laws, with the first being enacted in 1875.

The Third Republic was established after the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent Paris Commune. It endured many crises, including the Boulanger crisis, the Dreyfus Affair, and the divisions of World War I. Despite these challenges, it also saw periods of stability and economic growth, as well as the expansion of the French colonial empire.

The government structure of the Third Republic was based on a separation of powers with a President, a Prime Minister, and a two-house parliament consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The President had limited powers and served more as a figurehead, while the real executive power rested with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, who were responsible to the Chamber of Deputies.

The Third Republic came to an end in 1940 when the French government, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, signed an armistice with Germany and established the Vichy regime, which collaborated with the Axis powers. The Fourth Republic was established after the liberation of France in 1944, but it was not until 1946 that a new constitution was adopted.

Define the Following Terms: Third Republic

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