The French Second Empire
An Anatomy of Political Power

A major history of Napoleon III's Second Empire in France.

Roger Price (Author)

9780521808309, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 November 2001

518 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.3 cm, 0.91 kg

'… Prices's study lies … in his impressive mastery of detail and in how he manages to clothe the bones of his subject with a wealth of information and illustrative material from an astonishingly wide range of sources.' History

This book is about a major historical figure, Napoleon III, and a political regime. It examines how Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (nephew of the first Napoleon) was able to secure election as President of the Republic and subsequently to launch a coup d'état to establish a Second Empire. It then considers the ways in which power was exercised by the new imperial regime. Later, apparent stability led Napoleon III to engage in a difficult process of transition towards a more liberal regime; but at the point of success the decision was taken to go to war against Prussia which resulted in a catastrophic defeat and the destruction of his regime. This is a most thoroughly researched book on the Second Empire, which makes a contribution to our knowledge of a vitally important period of French history following the 1848 revolution and the intense mid-century crisis.

Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. The Rise of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte: 1. President of the Republic
Part II. State and Society: 2. Napoleon III and the Bonapartist state
3. The system of government
4. The management of elections
5. Preserving public order
6. Constructing moral order
7. Creating the conditions for prosperity
Conclusion to part II
Part III. The Rise of Opposition: 8. The context for opposition
9. The forms of opposition (1) legitimism
10. The forms of opposition (2) liberalism
11. The forms of opposition (3) republicans in the aftermath of the coup d'état
12. The forms of opposition (4) the republican revival
Conclusion to part III
Part IV. War and Revolution: 13. War and revolution
General conclusion
Select bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], European history [HBJD]