French Third Republic

*République française*

* Free France

The **French Third Republic**, officially the **French Republic**, was a country in Western Europe. It spanned from the toppling of France's last monarch, Napoleon III following the Franco-Prussian War to the invasion by Nazi Germany during World War II, lasting about 69 years and is currently the 2nd longest lasting regime in France's long history, behind the First Kingdom, but the current republic will overtake the third republic as the longest lasting republican form of the country on July 11, 2028.

## History

### WW1

The Third Republic formed when Emperor Napoleon III abdicated. France formed alliances with the United Kingdom and Russia, forming the Triple Entente. When Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Austria-Hungary sent a list of demands to Serbia. When they refused, Austria-Hungary, egged on by Germany, declared war. Russia and Serbia are friends, and Russia and France are in an alliance, so they all enter the war, too. The UK stayed out for now. When Germany invaded Belgium to get around France's defenses, the UK joined the war. It looked like Germany was about to defeat France, but winter settled in, and both sides participated in trench warfare. Germany never captured Paris (nor Moscow), and the Allies came out victorious.

### Interwar period

France received Alscae-Lorraine (and several colonies) from Germany. Germany was unable to pay war reparations; this was made worse during the Great Depression. When Adolf Hitler rose to power, France and the UK practiced a policy of appeasement: if Hitler's demands were met, he would be satisfied. France did not mind Nazi Germany annexing Austria nor giving the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Finally, when Hitler demanded Poland give up land to connect mainland Germany to East Prussia, France and the UK dropped their appeasment policy, and warned Hitler that if he invaded Poland, they would declare war. He did not listen, and he invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.

### WW2

Nazi Germany's plan was very similar to its WW1 plan: defeat France, knocking out the UK in the process, turn on the Soviet Union, and win the war. Once again, Hitler bypassed France's defenses via Belgium (as well as the Netherlands and Luxembourg). Unlike the Second Reich, the Third Reich captured Paris (thus, defeating France). Germany then occupied the coastline for defense, and allowed the rest to continue existing as a puppet state.

## Appearances

* WW1 (both parts)
* WW2 (Part 1)
* Cold War (both parts) (cameo)

 Belgium •  **France** •  Greece •  Italy •  Japan •  Montenegro •  Portugal •  Romania •  Russia •  Serbia •  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland •  United States

**Central Powers**
 Austria-Hungary •  Bulgaria •  Germany •  Ottoman Empire

Australia •  Belgium • Republic of China •  Czechoslovakia •  Denmark • Ethiopia •  **France** • Greece • Luxembourg • Mexico • The Netherlands •  Norway • The Philippines • Poland •  Soviet Union •  United Kingdom •  United States • Yugoslavia

**Axis Powers**
 Nazi Germany •  Kingdom of Italy •  Empire of Japan •  Kingdom of Hungary •  Kingdom of Romania •  Kingdom of Bulgaria • Croatia • Finland • Thailand