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Napoleon's Popular Autocracy Rise
- Louis Napoleon Bonaparte used his popularity as a strategic advantage against the moderate republicans and conservatives.
- His coup in 1851 was driven by his desire for extended power beyond constitutional limits.
Bonapartism: Popular Autocracy Defined
- Bonapartism is a popular autocracy combining revolutionary sovereignty and strong central executive power.
- It justified abandoning democratic assemblies in favor of a single ruler representing the national will.
State-Sponsored Industrial Growth
- Napoleon III believed in state-driven economic progress supporting private enterprise through infrastructure.
- His free trade policies targeted boosting French competitiveness, especially with Britain, despite industrialist opposition.