When you read popular French literature from around this time, you find extremely strong anti-German sentiment. This may have played on the reaction of the gove

When you read popular French literature from around this time, you find extremely strong anti-German sentiment. This may have played on the reaction of the government, but what I think it influenced the most was the treaty of Versailles after the war. The treaty was a "revenge" of sorts for the harsh conditions imposed by Germany after the war of 1870 (and, of course, for the massive loss of life and material destruction of WWI).