Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte
Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, also known as Louis Napoleon, was born on April 20, 1808, in Paris, France. He was the nephew of the famed Napoleon Bonaparte, and his full name reflects his family's attempt to connect him directly to the legacy of his uncle. Here are some key points about his life:
- Early Life and Education: Louis Napoleon was the third son of Louis Bonaparte, who was briefly King of Holland, and Hortense de Beauharnais, stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was educated in Switzerland and Germany, where he received a military education, which would later influence his political ambitions.
- Political Career:
- After the fall of his uncle and the Napoleonic Empire, Louis Napoleon attempted several coups to restore the Bonaparte family to power. His first attempt in 1836 led to his arrest and imprisonment in Fort de Ham, where he wrote his manifesto, "The Extinction of Pauperism."
- In 1840, he escaped to England, and in 1848, he returned to France during the French Revolution of 1848. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly and later became President of the Second Republic in December 1848, winning the election with a significant majority.
- Second Empire:
- In 1851, he staged a coup d'état and dissolved the National Assembly, establishing himself as the sole ruler of France. In 1852, he declared himself Napoleon III, thus beginning the Second French Empire.
- His rule was marked by economic modernization, infrastructure development like the rebuilding of Paris by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, and significant foreign policy initiatives.
- Foreign Policy and Wars:
- Downfall: The disastrous Franco-Prussian War in 1870 led to his capture at the Battle of Sedan and the subsequent collapse of the Second Empire. He went into exile in United Kingdom where he died on January 9, 1873, in Chislehurst, Kent.
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