Early life
Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, later known as Louis Napoleon and then Napoleon III, was born in Paris on the night of 19–20 April 1808. His father was Louis Bonaparte,

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Bonapartist succession and philosophy of Bonapartism
Ever since the fall of Napoleon in 1815, a Bonapartistmovement had existed in France, hoping to return a Bonaparte to the throne. According to the law of succession established by Napoleon I,

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1848 Revolution and birth of the Second Republic
In February 1848, Louis Napoleon learned that the

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In foreign policy, Napoleon III aimed to reassert French influence in Europe and around the world as a supporter of popular sovereignty

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Following the model of the Kings of France and of his uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon III moved his official residence to the Tuileries Palace, where he had a suite of rooms on the ground floor of the south wing between the Seine and the Pavillon de l'Horloge(Clock

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Social policy and reforms
From the beginning of his reign, Napoleon III launched a series of social reforms aimed at improving the life of the working class. He began with

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A New Empire
Louis Napoleon's goal was to move from despotism to parliamentary government without a revolution, but instead he was a moderate increasingly

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