The Rise and Fall of Napoleon III

This chapter explores the ambitious yet contradictory political strategies of Napoleon III and how they were perceived by his contemporaries, notably Otto von Bismarck. It examines his impulsive foreign policy decisions and the duality of encouraging nationalism in some regions while suppressing it in others, ultimately leading to his downfall. The narrative culminates in the disastrous Franco-Prussian War and reflects on the drastic shift from his initial grandeur to becoming a derisively referred 'Napoleon the Small.'