in the legislative elections of 1885, the republican consolidation was confirmed. even if popularly won by the conservative union of armand de mackau, the elections guaranteed a solid republican majority in the chamber. in fact, until the election the two republican groups had been reunited in a new political party guided by president grévy and his close ally jules ferry, namely the democratic union, born of the fusion of the republican left and the republican union. however, the republican prime minister ferry was forced to resign in 1885 after a political scandal known as the tonkin affair and president grévy also resigned his office in 1887 after a corruption scandal involving his son-in-law. the moderate republicans, seriously challenged, survived only thanks to the support of the radical republicans of rené goblet and worries about the rise of a new political phenomenon called revanchism, the desire for revenge against the german empire after the defeat of 1871.