La IIIe République et Bismarck : le rôle des opportunistes dans le compromis franco-allemand
The European concert is often perceived, at least from the 1871s to 1890, as the unmistakable work of the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and the major politicians of his time. The said Bismarckian policy  effectively influenced most of the interactions between opposing parties, particularly between France and Germany. Its bearing on the French policy  is such that it affects home and foreign policies. The opportunist republicans will personify this ambiguous reaction to new German giant. A pragmatic attitude allows them, between 1878 and 1885, to recover their former role as well as to guide a strong nationalist feeling. If the opportunists are often blamed for having preferred the short term, the governments of Ferry, Gambetta, Waddington and Freycinet governments managed to handle Bismarckian policy skilfully. Familiar with its ephemeral character, opportunist governments knew how to find advantages, insure that France recover its diplomatic position and acquire new colonial territories while protecting a certain independence vis-à-vis the Iron Chancellor.
Franco-German conciliation Bismarckian Policy Third Republic Opportunism