... beginning of the Third Republic, there was a serious monarchist threat. Monarchists dominated the Assembly elected after the fall of the Second Empire(the Royalist Assembly, elected in Feb.,1871). In the discussion about the form og government that France was to adopt, the royalist/monarchists sought to restore monarchy. In 1873, the monarchists in the Assembly dismissed Thiers and replaced him with Marshal MacMahon, a monarchist, as president. The monarchists hoped that MacMahon would help to restore monarchy. It was fortunate for the republicans that the monarchists were divided amongst themselves and they finally decided on the choice of the king after much argument. But the new king would accept only the white Bourbon flag instead of the tricolour. This was opposed by the French. He monarchists failed to find an alternative ruler. Thus, the monarchist threat was removed for a while. By the majority of one vote, the head of state ...

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