Nephew of Napoleon I and president of the Second Republic of France, Napoleon III declared himself emperor of the French in 1852; he ruled as an autocrat, even though he supported nationalism and mass politics; his successes include the modernization of Paris, industrialization, increasing international trade, supporting new banks, and backing the construction of the Suez Canal, and as a result he was popular amongst the French public; his downfall was a result of a war with Prussia, which led to his overthrow in the bloodless Revolution of 1870