The Popular Liberal Action (, ALP), simply called Liberal Action (), was a
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
that represented
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
supporters of the
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
. It operated in the
center-right
Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...
, primarily to oppose the left-wing Republican coalition led by
Émile Combes
Émile Justin Louis Combes (; 6 September 183525 May 1921) was a French politician and freemason who led the Bloc des gauches, Lefts Bloc (French: ''Bloc des gauches'') cabinet from June 1902 to January 1905.
Career
Émile Combes was born on 6 ...
who pursued an
anti-clerical
Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historically, anti-clericalism in Christian traditions has been opposed to the influence of Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, ...
agenda designed to weaken the Catholic Church, especially its role in education. The ALP between 1901-1914 had its best election in 1902, with 78 deputies. It built a nationwide newspaper and propaganda network, had excellent funding. There were 1200 local committees, with 200,000 dues paying members in 1906.
History
The Liberal Action was founded in 1901 by
Jacques Piou
Jacques Piou (1838-1932) was a French lawyer and politician.
Early life
Jacques Piou was born on 6 August 1838 in Angers, France.Albert de Mun
Adrien Albert Marie, Comte de Mun (, 28 February 18416 October 1914), was a French political figure, nobleman, journalist, and social reformer of the nineteenth century. Born into a noble family de Mun joined the French army at a young age serv ...
, former monarchists who switched to republicanism at the request of Pope
Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the A ...
. From the Churches perspective, its mission was to express the political ideals and new social doctrines embodied in Leo's 1891 encyclical "
Rerum Novarum
''Rerum novarum'', or ''Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor'', is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It is an open letter, passed to all Catholic patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops, which addressed the condi ...
Integrist
In politics, integralism, integrationism or integrism () is an interpretation of Catholic social teaching that argues the principle that the Catholic faith should be the basis of public law and public policy within civil society, wherever the ...
Jacques Piou
Jacques Piou (1838-1932) was a French lawyer and politician.
Early life
Jacques Piou was born on 6 August 1838 in Angers, France.Albert de Mun
Adrien Albert Marie, Comte de Mun (, 28 February 18416 October 1914), was a French political figure, nobleman, journalist, and social reformer of the nineteenth century. Born into a noble family de Mun joined the French army at a young age serv ...
).
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. It defended the Church in the name of liberty and common law. Fiercely fought by the ''
Action française
''Action Française'' (, AF; ) is a French far-right monarchist and nationalist political movement. The name was also given to a journal associated with the movement, '' L'Action Française'', sold by its own youth organization, the Camelot ...
'', 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
'' and by being the first political party, right of center, to organize itself under a "modern" scheme. A new attempt started in 1924 with the Popular Democratic Party.
Notable members
*
Jacques Piou
Jacques Piou (1838-1932) was a French lawyer and politician.
Early life
Jacques Piou was born on 6 August 1838 in Angers, France.Albert de Mun
Adrien Albert Marie, Comte de Mun (, 28 February 18416 October 1914), was a French political figure, nobleman, journalist, and social reformer of the nineteenth century. Born into a noble family de Mun joined the French army at a young age serv ...
, first vice-president
*
Amiral de Cuverville
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of th ...
Xavier Reille
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, born ...
*
Camille Guyot de Villeneuve Camille may refer to:
Fictional entities
* a Power Rangers Jungle Fury character
* Camille Wallaby, a character in Alfred Hedgehog
* a character from ''League of Legends'' video game voiced by Emily O'Brien
Films
*'' Camille (1912 film)'', a s ...
*
Hyacinthe de Gailhard-Bancel
Hyacinthe de Gailhard-Bancel (1 November 1849 – 22 March 1936) was a French politician, lawyer, and pioneer of agricultural syndicalism. He was (1899–1910, 1912–1924).
Biography
Born on 1 November 1849 in Allex, Gailhard-Bancel was grand ...
*
Henri Bazire
Henri is the French form of the masculine given name Henry, also in Estonian, Finnish, German and Luxembourgish. Bearers of the given name include:
People French nobles
* Henri I de Montmorency (1534–1614), Marshal and Constable of France
* H ...
Émile Driant
Émile Augustin Cyprien Driant (11 September 1855 – 22 February 1916) was a French writer, politician, and army officer. He was the first high-ranking casualty of the Battle of Verdun during World War I.
Biography
Born at Neufchâtel-sur-Ais ...
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
, -
! Election year
! # of overall votes
! % of overall vote
! # of overall seats won
! +/–
! Leader
, -
!
1902
Events
January
* January 1
** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...
, 1,350,581 (#3)
, 16.00
,
,
,
, -
!
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...