Running Head: NAPOLEON III
Napoleon III
Napoleon III
Born Louis Napoleon Bonaparte on 20th April 1808, Napoleon III rose to be the president of the French 2nd republic and later as Napoleon III became the ruler of the 2nd French empire in 1851. Napoleon III led a coup against his uncle Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte-Napoleon I who was the then popular elected president in 1848 and on 2nd December 1852 a day set to aside to mark the 48th anniversary of Napoleon’s coronation, Napoleon III ascended to the throne. Napoleon III remained in power as the emperor of the French empire up to 4th September 1870 to earn the unique distinction of being the 1st titular president as well as the last monarch of France.
Napoleon III is most remembered for a robust foreign policy determined to Jettison the 1815limitations imposed on France by the concert Europe as well as relentlessly acted to assert the French influence over Europe as well as abroad. For instance, in 1859 he fought Austria to unify Italy and spearheaded allied action against Russia in the Crimean war claiming the role of protecting the Maronite Christians (Bonaparte,2004). Away from his expansionist escapades , Napoleon III was acting in France during a period of major domestic industrialization on the economic front and he found time to over see the renovation of Paris by setting the outline to the modern city that Paris is today(Pierre,2007). However his reign over the great 2nd French empire was brutally cut short when he was overthrown after his disastrous surrender at the battle of sedan in 1870. Sadly in the battle of Prussia on 2nd September 1870, the emperor was captured and disposed 3 days later by the forces of the 3rd republic and exiled to England where he died on January 1873 while undergoing a multitask operation to break up a bladder stone.
Historical Significance/ Legacy of Napoleon III
His greatest legacy remains the rebuilding of the city of Paris a decision that was driven by his desire to reengineer the city design to guard against any potential attack on the Government by the revolutionaries if they capitalized on the narrow medieval streets by transforming them in to barricades (Bonaparte, 2004). He also wanted to modernize Paris to bring it to par with the modern London .with a known typical social approach to politics, Napoleon III build a ultra modern sewerage system as well as houses to improve health and created green parks across the city(Hugo,2007). He also oversaw the building of railway network and development of coal mining and steel industry which greatly changed the nature of the French economy transforming it to a modern age large scale economy with ideas borrowed from the industrial revolution in England where he had lived in exile .Napoleon III a true French nationalist.
(Blanc 2007)
Reference Bonaparte, N. L. (2004).The Political and Historical Works of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte: I. La
Vergne, TN. Lightning Source Inc
Blanc, Louis. France Under Louis Phillipe.New York:Lea & Blanchard, 2007.
Hugo V. Les Miserables. New York: 1 st World Publishing, 2007.
Pierre G. Last Days of the Reign of Louis Phillippe. New York: Elibron.com, 2007.
