The Third Republic was created on September 4, 1870 following the collapse of the Empire of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War. In February 1875, a series of parliamentary Acts established the constitutional laws of the new republic. These acts established a regime based on parliamentary supremacy. Governments collapsed with regularity, rarely lasting more than a couple of months, as radicals, socialists, liberals, conservatives, republicans and monarchists all fought for control. Despite the series of short-lived governments, the social stability, industrialization, and establishment of a professional civil service marked the Third Republic. It ended with the fall of France to the Germans in 1940. The first president during the Third Republic was Adolphe Thiers (1871–73).