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The article discusses the fiscal policies instituted by France's Third Republic in the late nineteenth century. Taxation was increased to pay for public programs such as education and transportation. Topics considered include the historiography of taxation and the theories of sociologist Max Weber, state-building and war, French President Adolphe Thiers, nineteenth-century taxation and theories on income tax. A comparison of the tax systems of France, Great Britain, and the U.S. is presented.

This paper offers a theory of military retrenchment by states in relative decline. I argue that a declining state will choose to withdraw foreign military deployments and security commitments when there exists a suitable regional 'successor' to which it can devolve its current responsibilities. The degree of a successor's suitability and the strategic importance of the region to the declining state interact to determine when and how rapidly retrenchment will occur. Importantly, this devolutionary model of retrenchment predicts significant variations in retrenchment patterns across a declining state's multiple regional commitments. It advances the literature by producing nuanced predictions of precisely where, when, and how quickly retrenchment will occur. This paper assesses the theory empirically through an examination of Great Britain's varying regional retrenchment strategies prior to World War I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author examines the global ambitions of France between the restoration of Louis XVIII in 1814 and the fall of Napoleon III in 1870. The author characterizes this period as a high point in French imperialism. A number of topics are addressed including an examination of the formal and informal power of France between the fall of the house of Bourbon and the rise of the Third Republic, French imperialism between the 18th and 20th centuries, and the extent of French foreign trade and overseas investment.

Discusses the history of the Third Republic of France. Examination on the different schools of thought that attempted explain the political conditions and events that brought the creation of the Third Republic; Analysis on the political philosophy of Etienne Vacherot.