 Revolution of 1848 King Louis Philippe abdicates throne  Last French monarch Louis Napoleon (nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) elected President of the French Second Republic

 1851: Louis Napoleon uses military to seize complete control of government  1852: grants universal manhood suffrage and used a plebiscite to gain support for the founding of a French empire Plebiscite: allowing people to vote on an issue  1852: Louis Napoleon was crowned Napoleon III Second French Empire

 Kept an extravagant court  Controlled military, police, and civil service  He could introduce legislation to the legislature  He was given power to declare war  Used plebiscite to legitimize his rule

 “Liberal Empire”  Promoted a strong economy  Railroad construction expanded  Construction projects provided jobs  Modernized the streets and sewage systems in Paris  Legalized trade unions and gave workers the right to strike

 Wanted to restore France’s military and diplomatic power Fought against Russia in the Crimean War Aided Sardinia against the Austrians  Important step for Italian Unification France gained control of Algeria and territories in Southeast Asia

 Conflict between France and Prussia leads to the Franco-Prussian War  France defeated (1871)  Napoleon III overthrown and exiled to Britain  French Second Empire collapsed

 Loss of Franco-Prussian War resulted in anarchy in Paris  Paris Commune created government established by political radicals and socialists to run the city of Paris separately from the rest of France Goal: to create a democratic, proletarian government Over 20,000 died when troops were sent in to reclaim the city

 1875: Third Republic firmly established Numerous scandals weaken the government  Failure of the Panama Canal  Dreyfus Affair