Medal - Marshal Patrice de Mac Mahon

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Details on Mac Mahon's French Presidency.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
MARÉCHAL DE MAC MAHON DUC DE MAGENT
ÉLU PRÉSIDENT
DE LA
RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
LEI 24 MAI
1873

Translation:
MARSHAL OF MAC MAHON DUKE OF MAGENT
ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF THE
FRENCH REPUBLIC
MAY 24
1873

Comment

MacMahon led the main French army in the war against the Germans in 1870. He was trapped and wounded at the Battle of Sedan in September 1870, in part because of his confused and indecisive strategic planning. The army, including MacMahon and Emperor Napoleon III, surrendered to the Germans. Thus France lost the war and the Emperor went into exile. After convalescing, MacMahon was appointed head of the Versailles Army, which suppressed the Paris Commune revolt in May 1871 and set the stage for his political career. MacMahon was a devout conservative Catholic, and a traditionalist who despised socialism and strongly distrusted the mostly secular Republicans. He kept to his duty as the neutral guardian of the Constitution and rejected suggestions of a monarchist coup d'état, but refused to meet with Gambetta, the leader of the Republicans. He moved for a parliamentary system in which the assembly selected the ruling government of the Third Republic, but he also insisted on an upper chamber. He later dissolved the Chamber of Deputies, resulting in public outrage and a Republican electoral victory. Soon after MacMahon resigned and retired to private life. -



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_de_MacMahon