Freemasonry and party building in late 19th-Century France

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, the French Third Republic political system was still composed only of parliamentary groups and politically oriented voluntary organisations. No modern political parties existed yet. The formation of the Radical Party in 1901 created a new political order in France. From that year on, the Third Republic was to possess, like the USA and Britain, a modern political party system. Who created the Radical Party, and how? The French Freemasonry was the major actor in that it formed the Radical Party using two political instruments developed throughout most of the 19th century. These are the 'regional Masonic congresses' and the 'civil leadership model'. This article analyses the way French Free masonry moulded these tools and used them in creating the Radical Party.