Napoleon III

Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (1808-1873), son of Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846) and Hortense de Beauharnais ; king of Holland 1806-1810), was president (1848-1852) and subsequently Emperor (1852-1870) of France, reigning as Napoleon III. In a situation that resembles the case of Louis XVII of France, the numbering of Napoleon's reign assumes the existence of a legitimate Napoleon II of France who never actually ruled.

Imprisoned after the second of two abortive coup attempts (October 1836 and August 1840), he escaped to Great Britain in May 1846, returning after the revolution of February 1848 to win the presidency that December on a platform of strong government, social consolidation and national greatness. Three years later he seized dictatorial powers, proclaiming himself Emperor in December 1852.

Napoleon's challenge to Russia's claims to influence in the Ottoman Empire led to France's successful participation in the Crimean War (March 1954-March 1856), and in May-July 1859 French intervention secured the defeat of Austria in Italy. But intervention in Mexico (January 1862-March 1867) ended in defeat and the execution of the French-backed Emperor Maximilian, and France saw her influence further eroded by Prussia's crushing victory over Austria in June-August 1866.

Despite the regime's achievements, notably in rebuilding Paris under the stewardship of Baron Haussmann (1809-1891; prefect of the Seine 1853-1870), political reforms in July 1869-May 1870 came too late to win over democratic opinion within France, and action against Prussia in July 1870 (see Franco-Prussian War) led to the Emperor's capture at the battle of Sedan (September 2) and deposition in Paris two days later. He died in exile in England on January 9, 1873.

Buried in Saint Michael's Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire, England