French Second Republic

This article is about the specific polity French Second Republic and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Was the republican government of France that was esablished with the February Revolution of 1848.

Summary

The February Revolution of 1848 overthrew the July Monarchy of King Louis-Philippe, who had ruled France since the 1830s. This uprising was driven by a diverse coalition of republicans, socialists, and working class Parisians who were dissatisfied with the monarchy's conservatism and unwillingness to enact democratic reforms.

With the king having fled, the deputies of the old National Assembly gathered to establish a new government. After much deliberation, they settled on creating a republic, with a president as the head of state. A number of candidates vied for the presidency, but the choice ultimately fell on Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the nephew of the great Napoleon.

Louis Napoleon was able to draw on the enduring popularity of the Bonaparte name, as well as the desire for a return to order after the turmoil. The army, many of whom were Bonapartists, also rallied to his cause. He was elected president in a landslide, garnering over 5.5 million votes out of a total of 7.4 million cast.

Once in power, Louis Napoleon quickly began consolidating his authority. In 1851, he staged a coup, surrounding the National Assembly with troops and having deputies who opposed him arrested. He then called a referendum to extend his term as president, which the voters approved overwhelmingly.

The following year, Louis Napoleon went even further, calling another referendum to transform the republic into an empire, with himself as Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. This was approved by over 7.8 million votes to 253,000 against. The Second Republic had thus been supplanted by the Second Empire.

Establishment

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Revolutions of 1848

Was a revolutionary wave in Europe that started in France. The revolutions were essentially democratic and liberal in nature, with the aim of removing the old monarchical structures and creating independent nation-states, as envisioned by romantic nationalism.

1.1.French Revolution of 1848

Was an insurrection in France that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic.

2. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

Disestablishment