Anti-clericalism is the opposition to the secular influence of the church, usually the Catholic Church. It was a major theme in the domestic policies of several European countries during the late nineteenth century, such as in Germany from 1871 to 1887, Spain in 1873, and in the Netherlands and Belgium during the 1880s and 1890s. The movement was first seen in France during the French Revolution of 1789, and its beliefs would give rise to the Radical Party of France. During the twentieth century, the ideology was important in Spain due to the Church's hostility to the Second Spanish Republic. Communist regimes also adopted anti-clericalism as a policy, hoping to reduce or eliminate the influence of religion upon society. The issue reapppeared sporadically in French politics, with 750,000 demonstrators protesting in Versailles in 1984 to defend the rights of Catholic schools against the French government. Western societies became more secular during the century, rendering anti-clericalism unnecessary.
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