Napoleon III: The Pursuit of Prestige

The establishment of the Second Empire in France, after a series of experiments in government, came about because of the determination of one man who was ultimately sanctioned by the will of the many. The man was Louis Napoleon Bonaparte; the many were those French people who, newly enfranchised after the revolutions of 1848, gave him their vote and made him their President, and then Emperor. The regime appeared to be one of achievement and prestige, but it was fated to end badly for both Napoleon and the French, and to leave the country a permanent republic. This book seeks to explain why this occurred, by looking not only at the legendary brilliance of the Imperial Court, which outshone all those of traditional European monarchies, but also at the financial and commercial rejuvenation of France, the growth of Paris and the Emperor's determined attempts to restore his country to what he considered to be its rightful place on the stage of Europe.