Third Republic was moving into the twentieth century. The Radical Republicans, supported by most of the Socialists, had finally triumphed over the forces of the Right, but the bitterness between them had been exacerbated almost beyond hope of repair. They seemed to dwell more and more in two separate, hostile worlds, divided not only politically but by their fundamental attitudes toward morals and religion. There was no tolerance, no breadth of understanding, which might have led toward reconciliation in the interest of national unity.
