The Long 19th Century

The French First Empire was leaded by Naoleon Bonaparte. This period is important in the French history for its overall economic expansion that particularly benefited the bourgeois, as well as its agricultural advancements for potato farmers, both of which were catalyzed by the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon became the ruler of the France Empire. This event symbolized the beginning of a new expansionist era as well as the end of the French Revolution.

It is one of the most desicive naval battles in history in which British fleets defeated the French/Spanish one.
Thanks to this war, Napoleon never invade Britain and in its moment this battle stoped the expansion of Napoleon.

In this war, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and a number of German states finally defeated France and drove Napoleon into exile on Elba. They drove Napoleon out of Germany in 1813 and invaded France in 1814, forcing Napoleon to abdicate and restoring the Bourbons.

This congress held in Viena reorganized France after the Napoleonic Wars, the objective was to provide a long-term peace plan for Europe by solving critical issues from the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, France’s Bourbon monarchy was restored. During the Restoration, the new Bourbon regime was a constitutional monarchy and so it had some limits on its power.

It took place in Belgium and marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by the British and Prussians, in consequence, the end of his reign and the end of France’s domination in Europe. After Waterloo, Napoleon abdicated and later died in exile.

The July Monarchy was a period of liberal monarchy rule of France under Louis-Philippe, established after the July Revolution. The new regime’s ideal was explicated by Louis-Philippe’s famous statement in January 1831: “We will attempt to remain in a juste milieu (the just middle), in an equal distance from the excesses of popular power and the abuses of royal power.”

Under Napoleon III, who changed the consttution: Elected for ten years, the President should propose the laws, appoint the Ministers and could canvass the people's opinion by holding a plebiscite. A Legislative Corps, elected by universal suffrage, should vote the laws. A Senate, constituted of admirals, marshals, cardinals and other members appointed by the President, should check if the laws were in agreement with the Constitution and could amend them by senatus-consultum. A State Council of 40-50 members appointed by the President should elaborate the laws.

When the constitution of the Second Republic was finally promulgated and direct elections for the presidency were held, Louis-Napoléon, nephew of Napoleon, won.

France was ruled by Emperor Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870. The regime was authoritarian in nature during its early years, curbing most freedom of the press and assembly. The era saw great industrialization, urbanization and economic growth, but Napoleon III's foreign policies would be catastrophic.

Victor Hugo published one of the gratest novels on th 19th century, that relates the lifestyle of french population during the French Revolution as well as the politics and morals.

During the French-Mexican War, General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French army attempting to capture Puebla. Victory at the Battle of Puebla represented a great moral victory for the Mexican government, symbolizing the country’s ability to defend its sovereignty against threat by a powerful foreign nation.

The French legislature established the Third Republic which was to last until the military defeat of 1940. The birth of the republic saw France occupied by foreign troops, the capital in a popular socialist insurrection (the Paris Commune) and two provinces annexed to Germany. Feelings of national guilt and a desire for vengeance would be major preoccupations of the French throughout the next two decades. Yet by 1900, France had resumed many economic and cultural ties with Germany, and few French still dreamed of a "revanche".

A Conflict between the Second French Empire and the German States led by the Kingdom of Prussia. This war led to the World War 1 as a result of the Prussian ambitions to extend German unification. Lastly, the German forces won and as a result the Second French Empire Fall and the German Empire raised.

It began after the Franco-Prussian War until the outbreak World War I. It was a period in between the French Third Republic characterized by optimism, peace, prosperity in science and arts. Mainly in Paris where this period is named as "golden age" for arts and culture.

France's experience was somewhat unique. Having been defeated in the Franco-Prussian War, the country was required to pay £200 million in reparations to the Germans and was already reeling when the 1873 crash occurred. The French adopted a policy of deliberate deflation while paying off the reparations.