[3] Initially, the journal's slogan was Henri Vaugeois's "Reaction first", but under the influence of Maurras and his Enquête sur la monarchie, the monthly became the organ of integral nationalism and advocated for a monarchical restoration.
It played a significant role in the Dreyfus Affair, being one of the primary proponents of anti-Dreyfusard, antisemitic, and revanchist ideologies; it became an influential bastion of nationalist right-wing politics at the end of the 19th century.
Historian Jacques Prévotat notes that the journal's founding coincided with a strategy of building momentum, which eventually led to the establishment of the Action française league in 1905 and its regional sections between 1907 and 1908.
[5] Vaugeois's journal gained the support of many notable figures of the era, such as Maurice Barrès, Paul Bourget, Jules Lemaître, and Léon Daudet.
Its story continued in 1908 with the launch of the daily newspaper L'Action française (subtitled "Organ of Integral Nationalism") under Charles Maurras's direction.