The National Bloc (french: Bloc national) was the name given to two loose coalitions formed by various parties of the

right Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, characterised by an alliance between former enemies of centre-right Radicals, conservative liberals and Catholic nationalists. The first Bloc, led by Clemenceau, was in power from 1919 to 1924. Later, the name was often used to describe a governing alliance of a similar range of parties, led by Poincaré and in power from 1926 to 1932.

Elections of 1919

Made up primarily of

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

right wing Right-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this pos ...

parties, such as the Fédération républicaine,

Alliance démocratique Democratic Alliance (''Alliance démocratique'', AD) was a short-lived political party in Quebec, Canada, founded by the Montreal journalist and politician Nick Auf der Maur. This left-of-centre political party was mainly based among the anglopho ...

, and Action libérale, the coalition had the support of various radical right wing parties as well. The Bloc wanted to continue the patriotic

union sacrée The Sacred Union (french: Union Sacrée, ) was a political truce in France in which the left-wing agreed, during World War I, not to oppose the government or call any strikes. Made in the name of patriotism, it stood in opposition to the pledge mad ...

which was Raymond Poincaré's coalition during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The bloc won with 53% of the vote. The National Bloc

election campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referend ...

focused on two principal issues: Patriotism and fear of

Bolshevism Bolshevism (from Bolshevik) is a revolutionary socialist current of Soviet Marxist–Leninist political thought and political regime associated with the formation of a rigidly centralized, cohesive and disciplined party of social revolution, ...

. * Patriotism: The National Bloc stressed the importance of the union sacrée and praised

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

. It complained that the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

lacked more

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

concessions, particularly the annexation of the Ruhr. The campaign was based around the slogan, "Germany will pay!" The party platform was based on programs that would be financed through German

war reparations War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. History Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history. ...

. * Fear of Bolshevism: Several strikes following the end of the war, along with the Russian Revolution, increased anti-communist sentiment in France.

Composition

Electoral results

Defunct political party alliances in France {{france-hist-stub