Popular Liberal Action
Encyclopedia
The People's Liberal Action (Action Libérale or Action Libérale Populaire) (1901-1919) was a French political party during the French Third Republic
that represented Catholic supporters of the Republic.
The Liberal Action was founded in 1901 by Jacques Piou and Albert de Mun, former monarchists who switched to republicanism at the request of Pope Leo XIII.
Action Libérale was the parliamentary group from which the political party emerged, adding the word populaire ("popular") to signify this expansion.
Non-confessional, it sought to gather all the "honest people" and to be the melting pot sought by Leo XIII where Catholics and moderate Republicans would unite to support a policy of tolerance and social progress. Its motto summarized its program: "Liberty for all; equality before the law; better conditions for the workers." However, the "old republicans" were few, and it did not manage to regroup all Catholics, as it was shunned by monarchists, Christian democrats, and Integrists. In the end, it recruited mostly among the liberal-Catholics (Jacques Piou) and the Social Catholics (Albert de Mun).
The party was drawn into battle from its very beginnings (its first steps coincided with the beginning of the Combes ministry and its anticlerical combat policy), as religious matters were at the heart of its preoccupations. Defending the Church in the name of liberty and common law, it positioned itself as a right-of-centre party and, at its peak, had 70 deputies, 250,000 paying members, and 2,500 committees scattered through France
. Fiercely fought by the Action française
, the movement declined from 1908, when it lost the support of Rome. Nevertheless, the ALP remained until 1914 the most important party on the right.
All but forgotten during World War I
because of the Union sacrée, it emerged in 1919, with only its administrators, but still exerting an important moral influence on the Catholic electors. In 1919, the Action Libérale Populaire joined the Bloc National. After that, it sought to regroup, most notably in 1923 and 1927, but to no avail.
The Action Libérale Populaire played an important historical role by integrating into political life the Catholiques ralliés and by being the first political party, right of center, to organize itself under a "modern" scheme.
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...
that represented Catholic supporters of the Republic.
The Liberal Action was founded in 1901 by Jacques Piou and Albert de Mun, former monarchists who switched to republicanism at the request of Pope Leo XIII.
Action Libérale was the parliamentary group from which the political party emerged, adding the word populaire ("popular") to signify this expansion.
Non-confessional, it sought to gather all the "honest people" and to be the melting pot sought by Leo XIII where Catholics and moderate Republicans would unite to support a policy of tolerance and social progress. Its motto summarized its program: "Liberty for all; equality before the law; better conditions for the workers." However, the "old republicans" were few, and it did not manage to regroup all Catholics, as it was shunned by monarchists, Christian democrats, and Integrists. In the end, it recruited mostly among the liberal-Catholics (Jacques Piou) and the Social Catholics (Albert de Mun).
The party was drawn into battle from its very beginnings (its first steps coincided with the beginning of the Combes ministry and its anticlerical combat policy), as religious matters were at the heart of its preoccupations. Defending the Church in the name of liberty and common law, it positioned itself as a right-of-centre party and, at its peak, had 70 deputies, 250,000 paying members, and 2,500 committees scattered through France
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...
. Fiercely fought by the Action française
Action Française
The Action Française , founded in 1898, is a French Monarchist counter-revolutionary movement and periodical founded by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois and whose principal ideologist was Charles Maurras...
, the movement declined from 1908, when it lost the support of Rome. Nevertheless, the ALP remained until 1914 the most important party on the right.
All but forgotten during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
because of the Union sacrée, it emerged in 1919, with only its administrators, but still exerting an important moral influence on the Catholic electors. In 1919, the Action Libérale Populaire joined the Bloc National. After that, it sought to regroup, most notably in 1923 and 1927, but to no avail.
The Action Libérale Populaire played an important historical role by integrating into political life the Catholiques ralliés and by being the first political party, right of center, to organize itself under a "modern" scheme.
Election results
- 1902French legislative election, 1902Legislative elections were held in France on 27 April and 11 May 1902.This was a success for the Left Block which was composed by alliance between Socialists, Radicals, and the left-wing of the old Opportunist Republicans which merged after the Affaire Dreyfus crisis, to save the parlementary form...
: 28.33% - 1906French legislative election, 1906The 1906 general election was held on 6 and 20 May 1906.-Popular Vote:-Parliamentary Groups:- Sources :*...
: 14.04% - 1910French legislative election, 1910-Popular Vote:-Parliamentary Groups:- Sources :*...
: 19.08% - 1914French legislative election, 1914The 1914 general elections were held on 26 April and 10 May 1914, months before the outbreak of the First World War. The left won a landslide victory, though the entirety of the chambers, from Catholics to socialists united during World War I to form the Union sacrée.-Popular Vote:-Parliamentary...
: 11.34%
Notable members
- Jacques Piou, Founding president
- Albert de Mun, first vice-president
- Amiral de Cuverville, vice-president
- duc d'Estissac, vice-president
- Baron Xavier Reille
- Camille Guyot de Villeneuve
- Hyacinthe de Gailhard-Bancel
- Henri Bazire
- Henri-Constant Groussau
- Louis HébertLouis HébertLouis Hébert is widely considered to be the first Canadian apothecary as well as the first European to farm in Canada. He was born around 1575 at 129 de la rue Saint-Honoré in Paris to Nicolas Hébert and Jacqueline Pajot...
- comte Ferri de Ludre
- Paul Lerolle
- marquis de l'EstourbeillonRégis de l'EstourbeillonRégis-Marie-Joseph de l'Estourbeillon de la Garnache was a French aristocrat and politician who was associated with Breton regionalist activism. He is generally known as Régis de l'Estourbeillon, but held the title Marquis de l'Estourbeillon.He was born in Nantes...
- Jean Plichon
- Emmanuel de Las-Cases
- Léonce de Castelnau
- Xavier de la Rochefoucauld
- Emile DriantÉmile DriantÉmile Augustin Cyprien Driant was a French nationalist writer, politician, and army officer. He was the first high ranking casualty of the Battle of Verdun during World War I.-Biography:...