Transcript The Emergence of Louis Napoleon—Napoleon III

After the revolution of 1848 France became
republic. There were four candidates for the
position of the president.
Among the four candidates was a
Napoleon—a second Napoleon, LouisNapoleon Bonaparte.
Who was he? He was the son of Napoleon’s brother,
Louis, who had married Hortense, Josephine’s
daughter. So, in fact Louis-Napoleon was a
descendant of both Napoleon and Josephine.
Louis Napoleon played it both ways: he
was a friend of the common people, and yet
wanted law and order.
So, Louis Napoleon
became President of
France.
In 1852 Napoleon
declared himself Napoleon
III, and France an
Empire—the second
Empire—his uncle,
Napoleon had ruled the
“first empire.”
Napoleon III
ruled France as
a complex
dictator.
Part II
Napoleon III and the Second
Empire.
A short man, like his uncle, he was not a
great organizer, leader, or soldier like the
first Napoleon--But this new Napoleon had
more sympathy for the poor and respected
public opinion than his famous uncle.
Napoleon III wanted modern progress for
France—he supported the Industrial
Revolution with all its improvements.
Napoleon III
ordered that Paris
be modernized.
Old medieval
buildings were
blown up.
The great Opera house was built—
complete with Phantom!
Streets were widened to prevent
barricades being built. The army could
now gain easier access to the city.
Drains and water supplies
improved…subways began to be built.
The French built the
Suez Canal in 1869
Railroads were built…
The Stock Exchange boomed—and the
capitalists became fantastically
wealthy.
Hospitals were established and free
medicine distributed.
France
became
the city of
art and
fashion
And in 1864, it became legal for workers to
strike. Labor unions were gaining strength.
Yet, Napoleon
believed in Free
Trade—and signed
a free trade
agreement with
Great Britain. This
angered Prussia and
other European
countries.
French colonies
But by 1860, the French “Empire” was
running into trouble…
Napoleon supported a disastrous intervention in
Mexico (1862-1867), where the brother of the
King of Austria was killed…
And finally, Napoleon III faced Prussia in 1870—he
would be defeated and abdicate the throne. The
second Empire ends. There will be no more kings in
France.