republic · France and the Low Countries
French Second Republic
Origins
The February Revolution of 1848 toppled the July Monarchy. A provisional government including the poet Alphonse de Lamartine proclaimed the Republic, introduced universal male suffrage, abolished slavery in the colonies under Victor Schoelcher's decree, and created National Workshops for the unemployed.
Rule and society
The elected assembly was conservative, and the closure of the National Workshops provoked the June Days uprising, crushed by General Cavaignac with thousands killed. In December 1848 Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, was elected president by a landslide. The assembly then restricted suffrage and passed the Falloux law strengthening Church schools.
Decline and legacy
Barred from a second term, Louis-Napoléon staged a coup on 2 December 1851, approved by plebiscite. A year later, on 2 December 1852, he proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon III, founding the Second French Empire.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- French Second Republic was part of French Empire1848 CE – 1852 CE
- Roman Republic (1849) was conquered by French Second Republic1849 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). French Second Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-second-republic
- MLA
- “French Second Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-second-republic. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “French Second Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-second-republic.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘French Second Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/french-second-republic (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻