after the franco-prussian war (1870–1871) and the consequential fall of the french empire, the third french republic was born. however, its politics was divided in two groups, namely the right-wing monarchists (orléanists and legitimists) and the left-wing republicans (radicals and moderates). if both republicans were combined by anti-clericalism and social reformism, the radicals were mostly nationalist and anti-german, refusing the treaty of versailles with prussia. the moderates instead supported the treaty and were more pragmatic on international politics. after the legislative elections of 1871, the republicans inside the chamber of deputies split in two groups, namely the moderate republican left led by jules favre and the radical republican union led by léon gambetta. the two parliamentary groups were non-influential during the early years of the republic, dominated by the monarchist moral order coalition of patrice macmahon, but after the failure of a return to the monarchy and after the legislative elections of 1876 the moderate and radical republicans gained 193 and 98 seats in the chamber, respectively. from this time, the republicans maintained strong majorities in the french parliament and were pejoratively called opportunists by their detractors for their aptitude to gain the popular consensus in spite of any ideology.