Lorrain Republican Union
Encyclopedia
The Lorrain Republican Union was a Christian democratic party in Moselle, France
during the Third Republic
. Founded in 1919, the URL became the dominant party in Moselle during the Interwar era. In Alsace
, the Popular Republican Union
(UPR) was considered the UPR's sister party. The URL was much more conservative than the Popular Democratic Party
(PDP), the main Christian democratic party in the rest of France at the time.
The URL was founded in 1919 by former members of the Zentrum
to defend Moselle's judicial specificity. In the French legislative election, 1919
the URL won 65% of the votes and all its candidates were elected, including a young Robert Schuman
. In 1923, the URL loosely allied itself to the conservative Republican Federation
became known as the Republican Democratic Union (URD) in 1929. The URL-URD evolved to become more of an electoral coalition rather than an organized political party, an evolution all too common in France at the time. Despite the independence of its members, the URL maintained a strong base due to the support of the clergy, mayors, industrialists, and the media.
Despite support for the Catholic Church and Lorrain specificity, the URL was not an autonomist party and in fact the URL fought Moselle's Catholic autonomists.
The UPL, UPR, and PDP merged in 1946 to the create the Popular Republican Movement
(MRP).
In the Chamber of Deputies
, the URL's parliamentarians sat with various groups from the centre-right and the right before forming, with the Alsatian UPR, the Republicans of the Centre
in 1932 and the Independents of Popular Action
in 1936.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
. Founded in 1919, the URL became the dominant party in Moselle during the Interwar era. In Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, the Popular Republican Union
Popular Republican Union
The Popular Republican Union was a Christian democratic party in Alsace, France during the Third Republic. Founded in 1919, the UPR became the dominant party in Alsace during the Interwar era. In Lorraine, the Lorrain Republican Union was considered the UPR's sister party...
(UPR) was considered the UPR's sister party. The URL was much more conservative than the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party (France)
The Popular Democratic Party was a non-confessional Christian democratic party in France during the Third Republic. Founded in 1924, it represented the trend of advanced French social Catholicism, while remaining a party embodying the ideology of centrism....
(PDP), the main Christian democratic party in the rest of France at the time.
The URL was founded in 1919 by former members of the Zentrum
Centre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
to defend Moselle's judicial specificity. In the French legislative election, 1919
French legislative election, 1919
The 1919 legislative election, the first election held after World War I, was held on 16 and 30 November 1919.Proportional representation by department replaced the Two-round system by arrondissements in use since 1889...
the URL won 65% of the votes and all its candidates were elected, including a young Robert Schuman
Robert Schuman
Robert Schuman was a noted Luxembourgish-born French statesman. Schuman was a Christian Democrat and an independent political thinker and activist...
. In 1923, the URL loosely allied itself to the conservative Republican Federation
Republican Federation
The Republican Federation was the largest conservative party during the French Third Republic, gathering together the liberal Orleanists rallied to the Republic. Founded in November 1903, it rivalized with the more secular and centrist Alliance démocratique...
became known as the Republican Democratic Union (URD) in 1929. The URL-URD evolved to become more of an electoral coalition rather than an organized political party, an evolution all too common in France at the time. Despite the independence of its members, the URL maintained a strong base due to the support of the clergy, mayors, industrialists, and the media.
Despite support for the Catholic Church and Lorrain specificity, the URL was not an autonomist party and in fact the URL fought Moselle's Catholic autonomists.
The UPL, UPR, and PDP merged in 1946 to the create the Popular Republican Movement
Popular Republican Movement
The Popular Republican Movement was a French Christian democratic party of the Fourth Republic...
(MRP).
Elections
The URL won all seats in Moselle in 1919 and 1924, and won 5 out of 9 seats in 1928. The party also had 5 Senators and controlled Moselle's general council.In the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of France
Chamber of Deputies was the name given to several parliamentary bodies in France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:* 1814–1848 during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, the Chamber of Deputies was the Lower chamber of the French Parliament, elected by census suffrage.*...
, the URL's parliamentarians sat with various groups from the centre-right and the right before forming, with the Alsatian UPR, the Republicans of the Centre
Republicans of the Centre
The Republicans of the Centre was a French parliamentary group in the 15th Chamber of Deputies of France during the French Third Republic between 1932 and 1936...
in 1932 and the Independents of Popular Action
Independents of Popular Action
The Independents of Popular Action was a French parliamentary group in the 16th Chamber of Deputies of France during the French Third Republic between 1936 and 1940...
in 1936.