The Difference Between the Second and Third Republics

Carol Costello: No matter how unpopular or ineffective a government is, so long as there is not a viable alternative, that government can remain in place. The Roman Empire reached its most chaotic period during the crisis of the Third Century but survived for hundreds of years and even stabilized. In some ways, the Second Republic was initially stronger and better poised to succeed than the Third Republic. But what happened in both cases was that those in power turned against each other while those out of power bided their time grew stronger.