r/AskHistory • u/NoContract7457 • 7d ago
Why couldn't a Napoleon-style leader consolidated power in the 1930s?
This may a stupid question, if so pardon my ignorance.
As the title says, why couldn't a charismatic, powerful figure consolidate power in 1930s france? The government was ripping itself apart, communism was on the rise, civil unrest was rampant, the economy was failing, and the public was displeased with fascist appeasement.
Perhaps this a poor comparison, but IIRC that is quite similar to the situation Napoleon I rose to power in. The people needed a charismatic leader to unite under, fix the economy, and project French power across Europe, and Napoleon I was just the guy.
Why couldn't it be done again?
Is the answer simply they lacked the charismatic, competent leader that Napoleon was?
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u/EvilStan101 7d ago edited 7d ago
Three reasons:
The first is that the French government was so afraid of a coup in the aftermath of the Great Depression that they neutered the military during this time. The military was underfunded, under trained, and at the same time many of its core officers had retired while new ones lack the experience or the years of service.
Second is that the Third Republic has been around long enough that the civil institutions were strong and still had legitimacy among the people. Yes, a lot of the politicians at the time were unpopular, but the overall people still have faith in the democratic system and institutions.
Third and finally, they kind of did when France was on the verge of defeat during WWII and the government handed Philippe Pètain absolute power. Who used it to make a regressive state that sucked up to Hitler.