Editing Political history of France (section)

===Coup of 1851===
{{Further|French coup of 1851|Second French Empire}}

The coup d'état of 2 December 1851 was a [[self-coup]] staged by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (later [[Napoleon III]]), at the time [[President of France]] under the [[French Second Republic|Second Republic]]. Code-named Operation Rubicon and timed to coincide with the anniversary of [[Coronation of Napoleon I|Napoleon I's coronation]] and victory at [[Battle of Austerlitz|Austerlitz]], the coup dissolved the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]], granted dictatorial powers to the president and preceded the establishment of the [[Second French Empire]] a year later, which lasted until 1870.

Faced with the prospect of having to leave office in 1852, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (nephew of [[Napoleon]] Bonaparte) staged the coup in order to stay in power and implement his reform programs; these included the restoration of [[Universal manhood suffrage|universal male suffrage]] previously abolished by the legislature. The continuation of his authority and the power to produce a new constitution were approved days later by a [[1851 French constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]], resulting in the [[French Constitution of 1852|Constitution of 1852]], which greatly increased the powers and the term length of the president. A year after the coup, Bonaparte proclaimed himself "[[Emperor of the French]]" under the [[regnal name]] Napoleon III.

The Second French Empire, officially the "French Empire," was an Imperial [[Bonapartist]] regime of [[Napoleon III]] from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the [[French Second Republic|Second]] and the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]] of [[France]]. The Second French Empire oversaw some of the most significant achievements in infrastructure and economy, and reasserted itself as the dominant power in Europe for a decade.

Historians in the 1930s and 1940s often disparaged the Second Empire as a [[History of fascism|precursor of fascism]],{{Sfnp|Price|2015|page=272}} but by the late 20th century it emerged as an example of a [[Modernization|modernising]] regime.{{Sfnp|Price|1996|pages=4–10}}{{Sfnp|Spitzer|1962|pages=308–329}}

Historians have generally given the Second Empire negative evaluations on its foreign policy, and somewhat more positive evaluations of domestic policies, especially after Napoleon III liberalised his rule after 1858. He promoted French business and exports. The greatest achievements included a grand [[History of rail transport in France#Success under the Second Empire|railway network]] that facilitated commerce and tied the nation together with [[Paris]] as its hub. This stimulated economic growth and brought prosperity to most regions of the country. The Second Empire is given high credit for the [[Haussmann's renovation of Paris|rebuilding of Paris]] with broad [[Boulevards of Paris|boulevards]], striking public buildings and elegant residential districts for higher class Parisians.

In international policy, Napoleon III tried to emulate his uncle [[Napoleon]] I, engaging in numerous [[French colonial empire|imperial ventures around the world]] as well as [[List of conflicts in Europe#19th century|several wars in Europe]]. He began his reign with French victories [[Crimean War|in Crimea]] and [[Second Italian War of Independence|in Italy]], gaining [[Savoy]] and [[Arrondissement of Nice|Nice]].

Using very harsh methods, he built up the French Empire in [[French North Africa]] and in [[French Indochina]] in Southeast Asia. Napoleon III also launched an [[Second French intervention in Mexico|intervention in Mexico]] seeking to erect a [[Second Mexican Empire]] and bring it into the French orbit, but this ended in a fiasco.

He badly mishandled the threat from [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], and by the end of his reign, the French emperor found himself without allies in the face of overwhelming German force.{{Sfnp|Wolf|1963|page=275}} His rule was ended during the [[Franco-Prussian War]], when he was captured by the [[Prussian Army]] at [[Battle of Sedan|Sedan]] in 1870, and dethroned by French republicans. He died in exile in 1873 in England.