<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The French Third Republic (French: La Troisième République, sometimes written as La III République) was the system of government adopted in France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed, until 1940, when France's defeat by Nazi Germany in World War II led to the formation of the Vichy government in France . It came to an end on 10 July 1940 . </P> <P> The early days of the Third Republic were dominated by political disruptions caused by the Franco - Prussian War of 1870--71, which the Republic continued to wage after the fall of Emperor Napoleon III in 1870 . Harsh reparations exacted by the Prussians after the war resulted in the loss of the French regions of Alsace (keeping the Belfort district) and Lorraine (the northeastern part, i.e. present - day département de la Moselle), social upheaval, and the establishment of the Paris Commune . The early governments of the Third Republic considered re-establishing the monarchy, but confusion as to the nature of that monarchy and who should be awarded the throne caused those talks to stall . Thus, the Third Republic, which was originally intended as a provisional government, instead became the permanent government of France . </P>

When did the third republic of france began