De Mun led the shift of the French Right from royalism to republicanism during the first half of the Third Republic. He was an aristocrat who sought to build a popular party, a fervid Catholic who would be undermined by his church, an idealist who engaged in illegal conspiracies, and a patriot whose nation would reject his counsel until just before his death. France's conservatives were in such disarray between 1875 and 1914 that he became their dominant voice for nearly forty years. Originally published 1978. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.