France in 1800 was a dangerous warring ground full of mistrust and greed for power. Political disputes, bloodshed, prejudice and more tore France apart. In 1871, the Franco-Prussian War brought France defeat and humiliation. The war that France thought it could easily win led to the French Third Republic ceding its provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, the victor (Krieger p.171). Soon after France's defeat in the war, the people of Paris formed a radical group called the “Commune.” The Commune rejected the establishment of 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 all those who opposed the new government (France, 1800-1900 AD). This bloody repression only intensified the citizens' bitter hatred for the French government. Furthermore, in 1894, the Dreyfus affair made the French feel tremendously betrayed. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was found guilty 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 officials prevented Dreyfus from being avenged until 1906 (Krieger p. 172). The clear injustice and prejudice in the Dreyfus affair revealed widespread anti-Semitism and deep political divisions in France. These major events and numerous others damaged France's appearance in the world as well as their national pride. France's painful scars and deep divisions could only be healed by one unifying factor, the new artistic expression: Impressionism. Although France was politically divided and wounded, 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, nd Web. November 28, 2013. . NCMA Conservator and editor of "Revolution in Paint" "Impressionism (late 1800s)." Scholastic, helping children around the world read and learn. Np, nd Web. November 27, 2013. .Krieger, Larry. AP Crash course in European history. Piscataway, NJ: Research & Education Association, 2010. Print."Port Manech." The State Hermitage Museum: Digital Collection. IBM and Web. November 28, 2013. "Rehs Galleries Inc." Henry Moret. Rehs Galleries Inc., nd Web. November 28, 2013. The J. Paul Getty Trust. "The J. Paul Getty Museum." Understanding formal analysis. The J. Paul Getty Trust, nd Web. 28 November. 2013.