Napoleon III The Pragmatic Emperor - 2436 Words

The final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo and the collapse of the French Empire left a bittersweet mood in France. Many, tired of the long war and declining morale, welcomed a fresh start. Others, however, missed the sweet taste of empire and detested defeat and the foreign dissection of French territory. In exile, the Bonapartes waited for a chance and a member of the family who could restore honor to their name. Louis Napoleon met the description. Staging multiple failed coups, Napoleon rejected failure and instead took a more patient approach. Finally, in December of 1888, Napoleon swept into France from exile in England and won the Presidency in a landslide victory. Immediately, Napoleon set to work at home, working on the†¦show more content†¦In his first act as president, Napoleon sent aid and his word to stand behind Rome and the Pope against Garibaldis continued aggression. His dual goal to both, spare the religious susceptibilities of French Catholics and to avoid offending the national susceptibilities of the Italian revolutionists, won him both praise from the Catholics at home and scorn from Republicans who supported the fiery Italian (OSullivan). To resolve the conflict, Napoleon took the practical approach and did not retract his support for the Pope, but rather asked Pius to institute liberal reform and the Napoleonic Code in the Papal states (OSullivan). He in return, approved the Loi Falloux that increased the influence the Church had in France, especially in education. Already meeting resistance in the National Assembly due to the low representation of moderates there, Napoleon forced the issue of the four-year term and organized a coup to continue serving the people. On December 2, 1851, Napoleon claimed dictatorial powers and cited his popularity as he dissolved the assembly and declared himself emperor of the Second French Empire (Osgood 59). With power now consolidated, Napoleon moved his attentions back to internation al affairs and began to flex the French arm in front of the world. Determined to create a great empire, but understanding the new world theme of the balance of power, Napoleon labored to restore prestige to France while avoiding unnecessary war. NapoleonShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast the Unification of Germany, Italy, and the United States2346 Words   |  10 Pagesthe French emperor Napoleon I helped German unification. It was important that he encouraged many of the middle-sized German states to absorb huge numbers of small independent territories, mostly bishoprics, church lands, and local principalities. This consolidation process, called mediation, led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and brought the same French legal codes, measurements, and weights to most German-speaking areas, thus helping to modernize them. In 1806 Napoleon defeated theRead MoreWithin the Context of Germany 1789 – 1890 How Important a Role Did Bismarck Play in the Unification of Germany?4340 Words   |  18 Pagespalace of Versailles in France. Following the military defeat of France by Prussia in the Franco/Prussian war, (July 1870 to January 1871), the leaders of the existing Germanic states attended a ceremony there to proclaim Wilhelm I of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German Empire . Otto von Bismarck is widely recognized as the statesman who engineered the unification of Germany in this period, via astute political awareness, cunning diplomacy and the use of effective military power. HoweverRead MoreResearch Paper in Society and Culture2764 Words   |  12 Pagesor less independent  fiefdoms  which, during the  Middle Ages, were  vassals  either of the  King of France  or of the  Holy Roman Emperor. Many of these fiefdoms  were united in the  Burgundian Netherlands  of the 14th and 15th centuries.[18]  Emperor Charles  V  extended the  personal union  of the  Seventeen Provinces  in the 1540s, making it far more than a personal union by the  Pragmatic Sanction of 1549  and increased his influence over the  Prince-Bishopric of Lià ¨ge. The  Eighty Years War  (1568–1648) dividedRead MoreThe Czech Republic As We Know It5172 Words   |  21 PagesChristianity was spreading across the Slovene lands. In 962 the H oly Roman Empire was established and in 1085 Vrastislav II became the first Czech king which started the Premyslid dynasty. The Premyslid dynasty ended with the death of King Wenceslas III in 1306. In 1414 Jan Hus, an outspoken Czech, started speaking out against the corruption in the Catholic Church. Jan would conduct sermons in Czech so the regular citizens could understand the message. Unfortunately Jan was to outspoken and was burntRead MoreNationalism and Transnationalism in the Context of the European Union28567 Words   |  115 Pagescultural and political elites. The idea of European Integration has roots deep in the history of that subcontinent. Different parts of Europe have been brought together for different reasons, beginning with Roman times, through Franks, Habsburgs, Napoleon or Hitler.[63] That aspiration of unification gathered particular power after the Second World War, when Europeans, marked by the tragic experiences of the two probably most catastrophic episod es in human history, began to seek a means to avoid thatRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesaddition, the end of the cold war broke down many regional boundaries. In 1976, the United Nations sponsored the first Conference on Human Settlements, called Habitat I, in Vancouver, Canada, followed by Habitat II in Istanbul in 1996 and Habitat III, again in Vancouver in 2006. Urban research and study centers multiplied around the globe, some linked to government planning offices, some to universities, and some to NGOs. They addressed a wide spectrum of concerns that included physical planning