France in the 19th century was a dangerous warground, filled with distrust and greed for power. Political conflict, bloodshed, prejudice and more tore France apart. In 1871, the Franco-Prussian War resulted in the defeat and humiliation of France. The war that France thought it could easily win resulted in the French Third Republic ceding its provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the victorious Germany (Krieger p.171). Shortly after France's defeat, Parisians formed a radical group called the "Commune." The Commune rejected the new conservative government and sparked a revolt in Paris. This led to a two-month siege of Paris by government troops, who brutally crushed anyone who opposed the new government (France, 1800-1900 AD). This bloody repression only intensified citizens' bitter hatred towards the French government. Furthermore, in 1894, the Dreyfus affair left the French terribly betrayed. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was convicted of selling military secrets to the Germans and sentenced to prison for the rest of his life. Although Dreyfus was completely innocent, anti-Semites and other military officers prevented Dreyfus from being vindicated until 1906 (Krieger p. 172). The obvious injustice and bias of the Dreyfus affair exposed widespread anti-Semitism and deepening political divisions in France. These major events and many others have damaged France's image in the eyes of the world as well as its national pride. France's painful scars and deep divisions could only be healed by a unifying factor, the new expression of art: impressionism. Even though France was politically divided and hurt, France managed to be a major center of beautiful culture and expression, which..... . middle of paper......rymoret.com/us/biography>.Hurt, Perry. “Revolution in painting.” North Carolina Museum of Art. Np, and Web. November 28, 2013. . NCMA Curator and “Revolution in Paint” Curator “Impressionism (Late 1800s).” Scholastic, helping children around the world read and learn. Np, and Web. November 27, 2013. .Krieger, Larry. Intensive AP European History course. Piscataway, NJ: Research & Education Association, 2010. Print. “Port Manech”. The Hermitage Museum: Digital Collection. IBM and Web. November 28, 2013. “Rehs Galleries Inc.” Henri Moret. Rehs Galleries Inc., nd Web. November 28, 2013. The J. Paul Getty Trust. “The J. Paul Getty Museum”. Understand formal analysis. The J. Paul Getty Trust, nd Web. November 28. 2013.