Napoleon III founds the Second Empire
The first emperor's nephew wins election, then crowns himself
Quick facts
- Location
- Paris, France
- Key people
- Napoleon III (Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte)
- Reign
- 1852-1870
What happened
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon I, was elected president of the Second Republic in 1848 and then staged a coup against the constitution in 1851 that let him extend his rule beyond its term limit. On 2 December 1852, exactly one year after that coup, he proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon III, establishing the Second Empire. His eighteen-year reign brought rapid industrialization, Baron Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris with wide boulevards, and French involvement in the unification wars of Italy and Germany.
Why it matters
Napoleon III's Second Empire modernized France's economy and cities but ended in catastrophic military defeat, and its collapse in 1870 opened the way for the Third Republic, France's longest-lasting government since 1789.
How we know
Napoleon III's own correspondence with his cousin Prince Napoleon, along with the government's official proclamations and the extensive Haussmann rebuilding records, document both his political rise and his domestic reign in detail.
Sources
- Fondation Napoleon. Timeline: the 2nd French Republique and the 2nd Empire · Unclassified sourcenapoleon.org · Cited as a "website" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- Fondation Napoleon. The Second Empire and its downfall · Unclassified sourcenapoleon.org · Cited as a "website" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
See something wrong? . Corrections with a source get fixed fastest.
Part of a timelineHistory of France34 events · From Vercingetorix's last stand at Alesia to a Fifth Republic in the EU, the long story of one country rebuilding itself again and againView all →