Napoleon III

Napoleon III, also known as Louis-Napoleon, was the President and later Emperor of France during the mid 19th century. He was the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte and spent a portion of his life in exile from France. In 1848 when King Louis-Philippe abdicated, Louis-Napoleon returned from exile and was elected President. (PROSE: World Game) During the course of his reign as President, Christian de Roche served as his Emissary to England during the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. The President and his supporters had many enemies, resulting in an assassination attempt on de Roche's life. (AUDIO: Other Lives)

In 1852, the Second French Empire was declared and President Louis-Napoleon became Emperor Napoleon III. In 1865, Paris was "peaceful and prosperous" under his reign. Successful artists including Claude Monet and Manet painted in Paris and Offenbach played at the opera. However, come 1870 the Emperor led France to a disastrous defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. After the de defeat at the hands of Prussia, the Third French Republic was proclaimed, Napoleon III was ousted and France remained a republic ever since. (PROSE: World Game)

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