French Second Empire referendum, 1852

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A referendum on re-establishing the Empire was held in France on 21 and 22 November 1852. [1] Voters were asked whether they approved of the re-establishment of the Empire in the person of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte and family. [2] It was approved by 96.9% of voters with a 79.8% turnout. [2]

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Napoleon III French emperor, president, and member of the House of Bonaparte

Napoleon III was the first elected President of France from 1848 to 1852. When he could not constitutionally be re-elected, he seized power in 1851 and became the Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. He founded the Second French Empire and was its only emperor until the defeat of the French army and his capture by Prussia and its allies in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. He worked to modernize the French economy, rebuilt the center of Paris, expanded the overseas empire, and engaged in the Crimean War and the war for Italian unification. After his defeat and downfall he went into exile and died in England in 1873.

Outcome

French Second Empire referendum%2C 1852
French constitutional referendum, 1851
Choice Votes %
Yes check.svg Yes7,824,18996.9
No 253,145 3.1
Valid votes 8,077,334 99.2
Invalid or blank votes 63,326 0.8
Total votes8,140,660100.00

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p673 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 1 2 Nohlen & Stöver, p683