Second Empire’s Decade of Prosperity (1851-1860)

Who was Louis-Napoleon / Napoleon III?

Overthrew the Republic in 1851, became Emperor in 1852; influenced by Saint-Simonian ideas; presided over the Crimean War victory; combined authoritarianism with modernization.

Who was Georges Haussmann?

Civil engineer and prefect of the Seine; directed Paris’s massive urban transformation (1853–1870) — wide boulevards, parks, sewers, and public works.

Who was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon?

Leading socialist theorist of the Second Empire; advocated “mutualism” and workers’ cooperatives; opposed state socialism.

Who were the Pereire brothers?

Former Saint-Simonians; founded the Crédit Mobilier investment bank; key figures in industrial and infrastructure expansion.

Who was Camillo Cavour?

Piedmontese statesman who secured Napoleon III’s support for Italian unification.

Who was Felice Orsini?

Italian nationalist exile who attempted to assassinate Napoleon III in January 1858.

Who were Adolphe Thiers and Victor Hugo?

Leading opposition figures — Thiers (Orleanist) and Hugo (Republican); both exiled for opposing the regime.

Who were Gustave Flaubert and Charles Baudelaire?

Writers prosecuted in 1857 for Madame Bovary and Les Fleurs du Mal for alleged immorality; symbols of cultural dissent.

What happened in 1851?

Louis-Napoleon overthrew the Republic; a December 20 plebiscite approved a new constitution.

What happened on November 20, 1852?

A second plebiscite overwhelmingly approved restoration of the hereditary Empire

What war did France fight between 1851–1856?

The Crimean War (with Britain against Russia); ended with the 1856 Paris Peace Conference.

What were the results of 1858–1859?

After Orsini’s assassination attempt, Napoleon III aided Italian unification; won battles against Austria but signed the Armistice of Villafranca (July 11, 1859), leaving Venice Austrian.

What occurred in the 1860s regarding French colonies?

Expansion of control in Indochina (Annam and Cochinchina, parts of Vietnam).

How did Napoleon III establish authoritarian rule and legitimacy?

Through a coup and plebiscites that curtailed legislative power; relied on mass approval while repressing opposition (republicans, legitimists, workers).

What characterized the economic boom of the 1850s?

State-backed railways, industrial growth, and banking expansion (Crédit Mobilier); prosperity aided by global gold discoveries and favorable markets.

What was the social impact of Haussmannization?

Paris was modernized with boulevards, sewers, and markets but poorer residents were displaced to outskirts, deepening class segregation.

What were Napoleon III’s main foreign policy goals?

To overturn the post-1815 settlement, restore French prestige, and project liberal credentials via the Crimean War and support for Italian unification.

How did culture reflect division under the Second Empire?

Official culture favored spectacle (e.g., Offenbach operettas); a critical literary counterculture faced censorship (Flaubert, Baudelaire); rise of the Petit Journal marked the birth of mass media.