Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (1808–1873), was a very important leader in French history. He was the first President of the French Republic and later became the last monarch (ruler) of France. He was the nephew of the famous Napoleon I.

Louis-Napoléon was elected president by the people in 1848. Four years later, on December 2, 1852, he made himself Emperor of the French. He ruled until September 1870, when he was captured during the Franco-Prussian War.

Early Life and Challenges
Becoming the Ruler of France
Later Life and Death
Lasting Impact
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Challenges

Before becoming emperor, Napoleon III was known as "Louis Napoléon." He was the son of Louis Bonaparte and Hortense de Beauharnais. His father was made king of Holland, a country controlled by France, during Napoleon I's time.

After Napoleon I was defeated in 1815, his family, the Bonapartes, had to leave France. Louis-Napoléon spent time in exile, including four years in New York, United States. He even sailed to Central America.

He tried to take power in France twice, but both attempts failed. In 1840, he secretly returned to France and tried to start an uprising with some hired soldiers. This attempt failed, and he was sent to prison. While in prison, he spent his time studying and writing.

After his uncle Joseph died in 1844, Louis-Napoléon became the main person who could claim the throne for the Bonaparte family. Two years later, his father Louis died, making his claim even stronger.

In 1848, a revolution in France removed King Louis-Philippe from power and created a new republic. This meant Louis-Napoléon was finally free to return to France.

Becoming the Ruler of France

In 1848, Louis-Napoléon was elected President of France by a huge number of votes. People voted for him because of his famous last name, hoping he would bring back the glory of his uncle, Napoleon I.

He used his position as president to gain more power. In 1852, he crowned himself Emperor Napoleon III, and the Second French Empire began. In 1856, his wife, Eugenie, gave birth to their son and heir, Louis Napoléon, the Prince Impérial.

Napoleon III faced assassination attempts, but he survived them. For the first few years of his rule, his government was very strict. He controlled what newspapers could print and limited the power of the French Parliament.

A big challenge for Napoleon III came from Prussia, a powerful German state. Prussia defeated Austria in a war in 1866, which made France less powerful in Europe. To stop Prussia from becoming even stronger, Napoleon III started the Franco-Prussian War. This war was a disaster for France. In 1870, Prussian forces captured Emperor Napoleon III during the Battle of Sedan. Two days later, his government in Paris was removed from power, and France became a republic again.

Later Life and Death

After being captured, Napoleon III spent his last years living in England with his wife Eugenie and their son. He died on January 9, 1873, in Chislehurst, England. He was very sad about losing his empire and the battle that led to his capture.

He was first buried in a local Catholic church. Later, after his son died fighting in South Africa, his wife Eugenie built a monastery. This monastery became the final resting place for both her husband and her son.

Lasting Impact

One of the most important things Napoleon III did was to completely rebuild Paris. He hired a man named Georges-Eugène Haussmann to oversee this huge project. One reason for the rebuilding was to make it harder for future revolutionaries to block the narrow, old streets with barricades.

However, the main reason was Napoleon III's desire to make Paris a modern city, like London, which he had seen during his time in exile. New wide boulevards, parks, and grand buildings were created, giving Paris the beautiful look it has today.

During his reign, the railway network in France grew a lot, and the first department stores, like Bon Marché, opened. He also supported education, with schools for girls being created and women being allowed into medical school and the famous Sorbonne for the first time.

Images for kids

Louis Napoleon at the time of his failed coup in 1836
Louis Napoleon launching his failed coup in Strasbourg in 1836
The Prince-President in 1852, after the coup d'état
Photographic portrait of Louis Napoleon (1852) by Gustave Le Gray
The Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord railway stations in Paris were built under Napoleon III. During his reign, the railway network of France expanded from 3 500 kilometres to 20 000 kilometres.
Among the commercial innovations encouraged by Napoleon III were the first department stores. Bon Marché opened in 1852, followed by Au Printemps in 1865.
Enormous public works projects reconstructed the center of Paris. Here, work to extend the Rue de Rivoli continues at night by electric light (1854).
Camille Pissarro, Avenue de l'Opéra, one of the new boulevards created by Napoleon III. The new buildings on the boulevards were required to be all of the same height and same basic facade design, and all faced with cream coloured stone, giving the city center its distinctive harmony.
Empress Eugénie in 1853, after her marriage to Napoleon III, by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Napoleon III and Abdelkader El Djezairi, the Algerian military leader who led a struggle against the French invasion of Algeria
The French landing near Yevpatoria, Crimea, 1854
The French capture of Russian positions around Sevastopol brought the end of the Crimean War.
The Battle of Malakoff, 8 September 1855
Napoleon III in 1855
Napoleon III with the French forces at the Battle of Solferino, which secured the Austrian withdrawal from Italy. He was horrified by the casualties, and ended the war soon after the battle.
Arrival of Marshal Randon in Algiers in 1857
French capture of Gia Dinh (modern Saigon), 17 February 1859
Second French intervention in Mexico, 1861–1867
The Tuileries Palace during the gala soirée of 10 June 1867, hosted by Napoleon III for the sovereigns attending the Paris International Exhibition of 1867.
Napoleon III commissioned Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to restore the medieval town of Carcassonne in 1853.
In 1861, through the direct intervention of the Emperor and the Empress Eugénie, Julie-Victoire Daubié became the first woman to receive a baccalauréat diploma.
Victor Duruy, Napoléon III's Minister of Public Education from 1863 to 1869, created schools for girls in every commune of France and women were admitted for the first time to medical school and to the Sorbonne.
Eugénie and the Prince Imperial in 1862
Portrait of Napoleon III in 1868 by Adolphe Yvon
Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern
At the outbreak of the war, crowds gathered on the Place de la Bastille, chanting "To Berlin!"
Battle of Mars-la-Tour on 16 August 1870
Surrender of Napoleon III after the Battle of Sedan, 1 September 1870
The last photograph of Napoleon III (1872)
Illustration of Napoleon (in Chislehurst in England) on his deathbed
Napoleon III by Alexandre Cabanel, c. 1865, when aged around 57. This was Empress Eugénie's favourite portrait, since it represented, in her opinion, his person most faithfully.
Tomb of Napoleon III
Paul Hadol's caricature of Marguerite Bellanger toying with Napoleon
Louis Bonaparte (1778–1846), the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, the King of Holland, and father of Napoleon III
Hortense de Beauharnais (1783–1837), mother to Louis Napoleon in 1808
The lakeside house at Arenenberg, Switzerland, where Louis Napoleon spent much of his youth and exile
Louis Napoleon's 1840 attempt to lead an uprising against Louis-Philippe ended in fiasco and ridicule. He was sentenced to prison for life in the fortress of Ham in Northern France.
The room in the fortress of Ham where Louis Napoleon studied, wrote, and conducted scientific experiments. He later often referred to what he had learned at "the University of Ham".
After his escape from prison, he had a brief affair with Rachel (1823–1858), the most famous French actress of the time, during her London tours.
Louis Napoleon met the wealthy heiress Harriet Howard in 1846. She became his mistress and helped fund his return to France.
Georges-Eugène Haussmann and Napoleon III make official the annexation of eleven communes around Paris to the city. The annexation increased the size of the city from twelve to the present twenty arrondissements.
The Paris Opera was the centerpiece of Napoleon III's new Paris. The architect, Charles Garnier, described the style simply as "Napoleon the Third".
The Bois de Boulogne, transformed by Napoleon III between 1852 and 1858, was designed to give a place for relaxation and recreation to all the classes of Paris.
Photo of the Emperor
Napoleon III with his son and heir, the Prince Imperial, c. 1860
Napoleon III with his family, c. 1860s
Napoleon III in normal attire, c. 1868
Napoleon III with Empress Eugénie, c. 1865

Napoléon III facts for kids

Contents

Early Life and Challenges

Becoming the Ruler of France

Later Life and Death

Lasting Impact

Images for kids

See also