Napoleon III & French Nationalism Unit Four/Ch. 22 AP European History - UHS

The 1848 Revolution in France  Inability of Louis Philippe to make necessary reforms  lots of unemployed & unhappy people in Paris  Competition between socialist Republicans like Louis Blanc, and more moderate republicans who were weary of socialism  National Workshops vs. Constituent Assembly (more conservative)  Attempted closure of the workshops instigated “June Days” (10,000 killed or wounded)  militant class warfare  Constituent Assembly drafts new constitution  best defense against radicals is to create strong executive power in the hands of the president to be elected by universal male suffrage = 2 nd Republic

Setting the Stage (Pre 1850 vs. Post 1850)  Repressive conservatism  period of war & change  Exuberant Romanticism  Hardheaded realism  Economic hardship  Prosperity  New organizing principle  Nationalism  The Realpolitik

Louis Napoleon  Napoleon III  Elected president in Dec  Politically ambitious & manipulative  Coup d’etat  Dismissed National Assembly in 1851  Later elected hereditary emperor  Napoleon III

Domestic & Economic Policies  Most successful aspect of Napoleon III’s rule  Used gov’t resources to stimulate nat’l economy & industrial growth  Social welfare reforms  Vast reconstruction of Paris  Baron Haussman  Stimulated business and employment

Internal Challenges & Liberalization  Internal opposition to regime increased in 1860s  Liberalization of the regime  Frequent warfare & poor foreign policy

The Crimean War  The Eastern Question: Who would benefit from the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire?  RUS, AUS, FR, GB interested in opportunity  OE & RUS declare war Oct  Concerns over upsetting “balance of power”

 AUS remained neutral, GB & FR sided with Turks  Crimean war long, inefficient, costly  New trends in warfare  journalists, nurses  Dramatic changes to balance of power in Europe