State

Second French Empire

1852–1870 · 19th century

The Second French Empire was the regime of Napoleon III, who as president of the Second Republic seized power in 1851 and proclaimed himself emperor in 1852. It modernised Paris and the economy, expanded French colonies and helped Piedmont-Sardinia against Austria in 1859, receiving Nice and Savoy in 1860. Defeat in the Franco-Prussian War brought its collapse in 1870.

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Second French Empire. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/second-french-empire
MLA
“Second French Empire.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/second-french-empire. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Second French Empire.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/second-french-empire.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Second French Empire’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/second-french-empire (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻