The Second French Empire confirmed by plebiscite and Napoleon III proclaimed Emperor
- When
- 1852
- Where
- Paris
- Episodes
- 2
The Second French Empire was formally established on 2 December 1852, following a plebiscite held on 21–22 November 1852. Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, previously President of the French Second Republic, was proclaimed Emperor of the French as Napoleon III. The transition resulted from a constitutional amendment that concentrated power in the executive, replacing the title of president with emperor and making the post hereditary.
Episodes
- Plebiscite Confirmation
A plebiscite held on 21–22 November 1852 confirmed the establishment of the Second French Empire with a large majority in favor.
- Proclamation of Emperor
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor of the French as Napoleon III on 2 December 1852, ending the Second Republic.
Background and detail
Plebiscite. In response to requests for the restoration of the empire, the Senate scheduled a referendum for 21–22 November 1852. The vote resulted in an overwhelming majority in favor, with 7,824,129 votes for and 253,159 against. This plebiscite provided the mandate to amend the constitution, effectively ending the Second Republic and establishing the Second French Empire.
Proclamation. On 2 December 1852, exactly one year after the coup, the Second Republic was officially ended. Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor of the French as Napoleon III. The 1852 constitution was retained, but the title of president was replaced with emperor, and the position was made hereditary, concentrating significant power in the executive.
People involved
- Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte · President of the French Second Republic; Proclaimed Emperor of the French as Napoleon III
Sources
- Napoleon III Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
- Second French Empire Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01
- French Second Republic Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-17
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.