On the field he iii. The last imperial couple of France: Napoleon III and Countess Theba. The last imperial couple of France

He was a passionate man, but full of self-control. He professed “Napoleonic” ideas, from his youth he strove for his cherished goal - to become an emperor and did not hesitate in choosing means, clearing the way to it. Considered in Parisian society to be the daughter of Prosper Merimee, she was educated at an elite Parisian boarding school and bore the title of 16th Countess of Theba. But even the ambitious attitude to life of both did not prevent their strong union.

1. Napoleon III

The era of the Second Empire in France is a controversial period in history. According to the definition of official historical science, this is a period of Bonapartist dictatorship - a reactionary regime based on the big bourgeoisie, which came to power by overthrowing the Second Republic and destroying democratic institutions. However, behind this dry definition stands the 22 years of the reign of Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, known as Napoleon III, an extraordinary personality, as was the era of his reign.

Charles Louis Napoleon was born in 1808 from the marriage of Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon I, King of Holland, with the daughter of Empress Josephine, Hortense de Beauharnais. After the overthrow of his uncle in 1814, he and his mother and brother wandered around Europe for a long time until they settled in Switzerland. WITH early childhood was raised to worship Napoleon I. He began his career serving in the Swiss army as an artilleryman and rose to the rank of captain.

Belief in his greater destiny and the spirit of adventurous romanticism led to participation in the uprising against papal authority in Italy in 1830. In 1832, after the death of the son of Napoleon I, Duke of Reistad, he became the heir to the Bonaparte dynasty. In 1836, he made a reckless attempt to seize power in Strasbourg, but was arrested and exiled to America. In 1837 he returned to Europe. In 1840, he landed in Boulogne, where, with the support of several officers, he tried to win over the troops, but were again arrested.

After the trial, he is imprisoned in the Gam fortress, where he spends 6 years. In 1846, with the help of his supporters, he managed to escape from prison. After the overthrow of the July Monarchy in 1848 and the establishment of the Second Republic, he returned to France, where he nominated himself for the presidency of the republic. Unexpectedly for everyone, he wins the election. As president, he pursues a policy of centralizing power and reducing the role of the Constituent Assembly.

With the support of the conservative majority, he assists the Vatican in suppressing the revolution in Italy, on whose side he fought in his youth, which leads to a number of assassination attempts by the Italian resistance. Subsequently, with the help of the monarchical majority in parliament, he prepared the ground for a coup d'etat and in 1852 declared himself Emperor of France. Goal achieved!

2. Countess Teba

To secure his position on the throne, he tries to intermix with the monarchical houses of Europe, but to no avail. Everywhere he receives refusals, veiled by plausible pretexts. At one of the receptions at the Elysee Palace, he meets Eugenia de Montijo, Countess of Teba. Eugenia was born into a family of noble Spanish nobles. Her family adhered to Bonapartist views and was well known among Parisian bohemians.

Her mother, Maria Manuela Kirkpatrick, is a Spanish aristocrat with English roots, her father is Cipriano Palafox, a Spanish grandee, Count of Montijo, who fought under the banner of Napoleon during the Franco-Spanish War. She was educated at a Catholic boarding house and was interested in history and politics. Eugenia was a universally recognized beauty - tall, black-haired with blue eyes, arousing admiration for her grace and dignity.

3. The last imperial couple of France

Eugenie quickly won the heart of Napoleon III and in 1853 they got married in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. She achieved the love and respect of Parisians by refusing a wedding gift and donating the intended money to charity. The beginning of Napoleon III's reign was brilliant. Through a series of reforms, he managed to increase trade turnover by reducing customs duties, which served as an impetus for economic growth.

Construction in progress railways, development and modernization of industry, through the introduction of steam engines, reform is being carried out agriculture. The capital was reconstructed - modern Paris with boulevards, avenues, squares, squares and parks thanks to Napoleon III and the architect Georges Haussmann. An active colonial policy is being pursued in Asia and Africa.

Successful military campaign against Russia in Crimean War increased the authority of France in the international arena. At first, Evgenia plays the role of an obedient wife, maintaining the shine of a magnificent imperial court. Gradually her influence increases - she attends cabinet meetings, tries to delve into foreign policy, tries to accept independent decisions with the tacit approval of the emperor, who, due to kidney disease, is increasingly withdrawing from business.

Her successes in diplomacy strengthen Evgenia's confidence in own strength and she acts more and more decisively. In governing the state, she is guided more by principles and intuition than by political expediency.

Thanks to her intervention, a hasty peace is concluded with Austria, after successful army actions in Northern Italy, France gets involved in an unsuccessful Mexican campaign in order to secure the throne for the Austrian Archduke Maximilian - the French corps was hastily evacuated, and the newly-made Emperor of Mexico was shot.

4. End of reign

A number of diplomatic mistakes were made. Inconsistent foreign policy and internal problems led to economic crisis and revolutionary ferment. It was decided to compensate for the failures with a victory over Prussia, which led to disaster. In 1870, the French army was surrounded at Sedan and capitulated. Napoleon III was captured, deposed by the revolution and emigrated to England with his family.

Napoleon died in 1873, Evgenia far outlived her husband, living to a ripe old age. She died in 1920 at the age of 95, having buried her son, the last contender of the Bonaparte dynasty, who died in South Africa, fighting in the ranks of the British army. The last joy in Evgenia’s life was the defeat of Germany in the First World War. She was buried in the crypt of the English Abbey at Farnborough with her family.

BONUS

And one more story worthy of a novel - the story of the illicit love of the most desired empress.

NAPOLEON III (Louis Napoleon Bonaparte) (1808-73), French emperor 1852-70. Nephew of Napoleon I Bonaparte. Taking advantage of the peasants' dissatisfaction with the regime of the Second Republic, he achieved his election as president (December 1848); With the support of the military, he carried out a coup d'etat on December 2, 1851. 12/2/1852 proclaimed emperor. Adhered to the policy of Bonapartism. Under him, France participated in the Crimean War of 1853-56, in the war against Austria in 1859, in the interventions in Indochina in 1858-62, in Syria in 1860-61, and Mexico in 1862-67. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, he surrendered in 1870 with an army of 100,000 men near Sedan. Deposed by the September Revolution of 1870.

NAPOLEON III (Napoleon III), Louis Bonaparte, full name Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808, Paris - January 9, 1873, Chislehurst Castle, near London), French emperor (1852-70).

He was the third son in the family of Napoleon I's younger brother Louis Bonaparte and Napoleon I's stepdaughter Hortense, daughter of Josephine Beauharnais from her first marriage to General A. Beauharnais. After the death of his father in 1846, he headed the house of Bonaparte.

The first years of Louis Napoleon's life were spent in Holland, of which his father was king in 1806-1810. He spent his youth in Switzerland (Arenenberg Castle), where he lived with his mother after the collapse of the empire of Napoleon I. He was mainly educated at home. His mentor was Philippe Lebas, the son of one of Maximilian Robespierre's comrades. He also studied at the military school in Thun (Switzerland).

In 1830-1831, Louis Napoleon took part in the revolutionary movement in Italy, directed against Austrian rule. As a result of repression, he was forced to flee to France, where in 1832 he was received by King Louis Philippe I. In 1836, he tried to raise an armed rebellion in Strasbourg, but was arrested and deported to the United States. In 1840 he secretly returned to France and tried to rebel the garrison of Boulogne, but was arrested and sentenced by the House of Peers to life imprisonment. Louis Napoleon served his sentence in the fortress of Am, from where he escaped in 1846. During his imprisonment, he wrote several essays on socio-political topics, in which he argued that France needed a regime that combined best qualities monarchies and republics - order and freedom.

From 1846 Louis Napoleon lived in England. The revolution of 1848 allowed him to return to his homeland. He was elected first as a deputy of the Constituent Assembly (September 1848), and then as president of the republic (December 1848).

On December 2, 1851, Louis Napoleon carried out a coup d'etat, which led to the establishment of the Bonapartist dictatorship. A year later, the hereditary power of the emperor was restored in France, confirmed by a plebiscite on December 10, 1852 (Second Empire). Louis Napoleon Bonaparte took the name Napoleon III, considering his predecessor the never-reigning Napoleon II (son of Napoleon I).

With the establishment of the Second Empire, the institutions of parliamentary democracy (legislative chambers, elections of deputies, the political press, etc.) turned into a screen for the unlimited power of Napoleon III. The core of the state became the executive apparatus subordinate to the emperor, starting with the cabinet of ministers and ending with prefects of departments and mayors of cities and communes. The legislative chambers were powerless, police brutality reigned.

The main support of the Bonapartist dictatorship was the top of the French army. In 1854, Napoleon intervened in the conflict between Turkey and Russia - in alliance with Great Britain, France participated in the Crimean War in 1853-56 on the side of Turkey; in 1859, in alliance with Piedmont, he waged war with Austria; sent in 1863 expeditionary force to Mexico; in 1867 he sent troops to Italy against Garibaldi's troops.

Napoleon III promoted economic progress. The removal of restrictions on the activities of joint stock capital, the conclusion of a free trade agreement with Great Britain (1860), the reconstruction of Paris, the construction of the Suez Canal (1859-69), and the holding of world exhibitions in the capital of France (1855, 1867) led to growth business activity and accelerating industrialization.

On January 29, 1853, Napoleon III married the daughter of a noble Spanish aristocrat, Count de Montijo, Eugenia, Countess of Teba. In 1856, the imperial couple had an heir, Prince Napoleon Eugene Louis Jean Joseph.

In the early 1860s. the growth of the budget deficit forced the emperor to enter into dialogue with the liberal opposition and implement political reforms: restore freedom of the press and assembly, introduce chamber control over the activities of ministers. In 1869, the chambers acquired all the rights of legislative power - the right of legislative initiative, discussion and voting of bills and the state budget. For the first time, the principle of government responsibility to the chambers was proclaimed. A plebiscite on May 8, 1870 showed that the majority of voters supported the government's policies. Nevertheless, part of society, represented by the left-liberal opposition, still condemned the empire as an illegal regime and demanded a return to republican rule.

The collapse of the Second Empire was accelerated by defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. On July 28, 1870, Napoleon III left for active duty, entrusting the regency to Empress Eugenie. Together with a group of troops under the command of Marshal P. McMahon, he was surrounded in the city of Sedan and on September 2 surrendered to the mercy of the winner. Following this, an uprising broke out in Paris, and on September 4, France was proclaimed a republic (Third Republic 1870-1940). Napoleon III was interned at Wilhelmsheche Castle near Kassel. Empress Eugenie and her son fled to Great Britain.

Napoleon III spent the last years of his life with his family at Chislehurst Castle near London, where he died as a result of an unsuccessful surgical operation. Empress Eugenie outlived her husband by almost half a century and died in 1920. Their only son, Prince Napoleon Eugene Louis, served as an officer in the English colonial forces and died in 1879 in the war with the Zulu in Africa.

Napoleon III(Napoleon III), Louis Bonaparte, full name Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808, Paris - January 9, 1873, Chislehurst Castle, near London), French emperor (1852-1870).

Nephew of Napoleon. He was the third son in the family of his younger brother Napoleon I Louis Bonaparte and the stepdaughter of Napoleon I Hortense, daughter of Josephine Beauharnais from her first marriage to General A. Beauharnais. After the death of his father in 1846, he headed the house of Bonaparte.

The first years of Louis Napoleon's life were spent in Holland, of which his father was king in 1806-1810. He spent his youth in Switzerland (Arenenberg Castle), where he lived with his mother after the collapse of the empire of Napoleon I. He was mainly educated at home. His mentor was Philip Lebas, the son of one of his comrades Maximilian Robespierre. He also studied at the military school in Thun (Switzerland).

Revolutionary Prince. In 1830-1831, Louis Napoleon took part in the revolutionary movement in Italy, directed against Austrian rule. As a result of repression, he was forced to flee to France, where in 1832 he was received by King Louis Philippe I. In 1836, he tried to raise an armed rebellion in Strasbourg, but was arrested and deported to the United States. In 1840, he secretly returned to France and tried to rebel the garrison of the city of Boulogne, but was arrested and sentenced by the House of Peers to life imprisonment. Louis Napoleon served his sentence in the fortress of Am, from where he escaped in 1846. During his imprisonment, he wrote several essays on socio-political topics, in which he argued that France needs a regime that combines the best qualities of a monarchy and a republic - order and freedom.

Path to power. Since 1846, Louis Napoleon lived in England. The revolution of 1848 allowed him to return to his homeland. He was elected first as a deputy of the Constituent Assembly (September 1848), and then as president of the republic (December 1848).

Emperor of the French. With the establishment of the Second Empire, the institutions of parliamentary democracy (legislative chambers, elections of deputies, the political press, etc.) turned into a screen for the unlimited power of Napoleon III. The core of the state became the executive apparatus subordinate to the emperor, starting with the cabinet of ministers and ending with prefects of departments and mayors of cities and communes. The legislative chambers were powerless, police brutality reigned.

The main support of the Bonapartist dictatorship was the top of the French army. In 1854, Napoleon intervened in the conflict between Turkey and Russia - in an alliance with Great Britain, France participated in Crimean War 1853-1856 on the Turkish side; in 1859, in alliance with Piedmont, he waged war with Austria; sent an expeditionary force to Mexico in 1863; in 1867 he sent troops to Italy against Garibaldi's troops.

Napoleon III promoted economic progress. The removal of restrictions on the activities of joint stock capital, the conclusion of a free trade agreement with Great Britain (1860), the reconstruction of Paris, the construction of the Suez Canal (1859-1869), and the holding of world exhibitions in the French capital (1855, 1867) led to an increase in business activity and accelerated industrialization.

Liberal Empire. In the early 1860s, the growing budget deficit forced the emperor to enter into a dialogue with the liberal opposition and implement political reforms: restore freedom of the press and assembly, and introduce chamber control over the activities of ministers. In 1869, the chambers acquired all the rights of legislative power - the right of legislative initiative, discussion and voting of bills and the state budget. For the first time, the principle of government responsibility to the chambers was proclaimed. A plebiscite on May 8, 1870 showed that the majority of voters supported the government's policies. Nevertheless, part of society, represented by the left-liberal opposition, still condemned the empire as an illegal regime and demanded a return to republican rule.

Collapse of the Second Empire. The collapse of the Second Empire was hastened by defeat in Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871. On July 28, 1870, Napoleon III left for active duty, entrusting the regency to Empress Eugenie. Together with a group of troops under the command of Marshal P. McMahon, he was surrounded in the city of Sedan and on September 2 surrendered to the mercy of the winner. Following this, an uprising broke out in Paris, and on September 4, France was proclaimed a republic (Third Republic 1870-1940). Napoleon III was interned at Wilhelmsheche Castle near Kassel. Empress Eugenie and her son fled to Great Britain.

Napoleon III spent the last years of his life with his family at Chislehurst Castle near London, where he died as a result of an unsuccessful surgical operation. Empress Eugenie outlived her husband by almost half a century and died in 1920. Their only son, Prince Napoleon Eugene Louis, served as an officer in the British colonial forces and died in 1879 in the war with the Zulu in Africa.

A. V. Revyakin

1808-1873) President of the French Republic (1848-1852), Emperor of the French (1852-1870). Nephew of Napoleon I. Taking advantage of the peasants' dissatisfaction with the regime of the Second Republic, he achieved his election as president (December 1848); With the support of the military, he carried out a coup d'etat on December 2, 1851. Exactly one year later he was proclaimed emperor. Adhered to the policy of Bonapartism. Under him, France participated in the Crimean War (1853-1856), in the war against Austria (1859), in interventions in Indochina (1858-1862), Syria (1860-1861), Mexico (1862-1867). During the Franco-Prussian War, he surrendered with an army of 100,000 men near Sedan (1870). Deposed by the September Revolution of 1870. When it comes to love, Louis Napoleon had no class prejudices: soubrettes, princesses, bourgeois women, shopkeepers, peasant women were in his arms... The youth of the future emperor was rich in love adventures. At thirteen years old, he could no longer contain his love fervor. He then lived in Switzerland with his mother, in Arenenberg Castle. One evening, Louis took one of the nannies into his room and showed her his masculine prowess. This piquant episode had the most pleasant consequences for the young women who lived in those days in the vicinity of Lake Constance. He started with shepherdesses who dreamed of being thrown onto the grass by the prince. Then he infiltrated the families of the decent Swiss bourgeoisie and indulged in love affairs in the most disorderly manner. Finally, he began dating beautiful foreign aristocratic women coming for the holiday season. This amazing amorous activity forced him to leave the castle after breakfast and return only for lunch. In 1830, Queen Hortense and Louis Napoleon stayed in Florence. There the prince was introduced to Countess Baraglini, who was distinguished by her striking beauty. To get into the countess's house, the prince dressed up as a woman, powdered his face and put on a wig. Taking a basket with bouquets of flowers, he, disguised as a flower girl, appeared at the house of his adored lady. As soon as the maid left, Louis Bonaparte threw himself on his knees in front of the countess and began to beg her to yield to the flame of his soul. The signora, scared to death, rang the bell. The servants and husband came running, and the lover barely escaped. The next day, all of Florence laughed at the future emperor. He challenged the countess's husband to a duel, but he himself fled from Florence without appearing for the duel. The Queen took Louis to Arenenberg, and then gave him to military school , where he studied for five years, at the same time proving to local girls that the reputation that artillerymen everywhere enjoyed was well deserved. In 1836, the Queen decided to marry the Prince to Princess Matilda. Louis was inflamed with love for the fifteen-year-old daughter of King Jerome, but her father soon recalled Matilda from Arenenberg... After the departure of the bride, Louis Napoleon decided to carry out a coup d'etat in Strasbourg and launch a campaign against Paris with the army. He decided to win over Colonel Vaudre, whose weakness was women. Soon they found a suitable candidate - an intelligent, beautiful, cunning, sensual Bonapartist, singer Mrs. Gordon. But at first, the prince himself decided to convert this woman to his faith and came to her concert. At midnight he was in her living room. After a love affair with the singer, Louis was convinced that Gordon was the woman who would be able to persuade the colonel to participate in the coup, and he was not mistaken. Madame Gordon has taken possession of Vaudray. Alas, the plot failed. Despite the seriousness of the crime, the king of France did not dare to bring Louis Napoleon to open court, but simply exiled him to New York. There the prince lived for his own pleasure. Only one piece of news upset him - King Jerome, Matilda's father, refused him his daughter's hand. Dejected Louis Napoleon indulged in real revelry. To begin with, he visited brothels and behaved so actively in them that even the regulars of these establishments were horrified at each of his next appearances. Then he began to look for girls right on the panel and began to organize very cheerful gatherings in his apartment. They even said that the prince had come to the point where he lived in the support of several girls of easy virtue and acted as a pimp. In June 1837, Louis Napoleon received a message about his mother's illness. On August 4, he was at the bedside of Hortense, who soon died. The prince now thought only about seizing power and was waiting for a new opportunity. But the second coup attempt ended with Louis Napoleon being sentenced to life imprisonment and imprisoned in the fortress of Am. The hardest thing for him was forced abstinence. But, fortunately for him, the charming 22-year-old Eleanor Vergeau, a person with elastic breasts and other attractive curves, was hired as the prison ironer. The prince decided to educate the weaver's daughter and, after the first history lesson, invited her to continue her education at night. She came, and in the morning Louis Napoleon did not let her leave the cell. So the girl became the “prison wife” of the prince. She cared for him and loved him, giving him two sons while she shared the hardships of captivity with him. Finally, the prince planned an escape, which he successfully accomplished, and disappeared into England. In London, the prince met Miss Howard, whose real name was Elizabeth Ann Herriet, who lived first as the son of a wealthy horse dealer, then as a major in the royal guard, with whom she had an illegitimate son. The prince was thirty-eight years old. He never was attractive man, but by that time his face bore the distinct mark of a stormy life: flabby cheeks sagged, circles darkened under his eyes, his mustache turned yellow from smoking. Miss Howard, like a professional courtesan, mastered her craft to perfection, and Louis Napoleon was conquered. He moved to live in her luxurious home and began to lead a comfortable life, hosting receptions, going hunting and visiting theaters. Meanwhile, in Paris, one court scandal was replaced by another. The “old rotten world” faded into oblivion in a series of these scandals. Soon Louis Philippe signed a renunciation and fled the country. A provisional government was created in France and a republic was proclaimed. The election campaign of candidates for seats in parliament has begun. Miss Howard invited Napoleon to nominate her candidacy and actively began organizing the prince's election campaign. It was planned to hire journalists, cartoonists, songwriters and negotiate with peddlers so that brochures with the biography of Louis Napoleon would be distributed in all provinces. Miss Howard “sold” her lands to the prince, who took out a loan against them; the woman in love received the rest of the money by selling her jewelry. Hundreds of thousands of leaflets literally bombarded French huts, and Louis entered parliament in four departments at once. Soon the heir to Emperor Napoleon arrived in Paris. The law on his expulsion was repealed. Now his goal was to become president of the republic. For three months, thanks to the funds of Miss Howard, who sold the furniture, the house and some other jewelry, energetic propaganda was carried out. The prince's victory in the elections was more than convincing. Louis Napoleon was proclaimed president of the republic in the name of the people. Miss Howard suffered greatly from not being accepted at the Elysee Palace. The Prince President explained this by saying that the de facto owner of the palace was his cousin and ex-fiancee Matilda, who would not allow a woman with an illegitimate child to appear in her apartment. In fact, Matilda wanted to end this connection with Louis Napoleon, attracting different means , including opera dancers. He turned his attention to the great dramatic actresses of his time: Madeleine Broan, Rachel, Alice Ozy. However, for some time now Louis Napoleon decided to deal only with secular women. The Marquise de Bellebeuf was his mistress for several months, then she was replaced by Lady Douglas, then he turned his attention to the Countess de Guyon. But it turned out that the latter already had a relationship with M. de Morny, the prince’s half-brother. At the end of the autumn of 1851, Louis Napoleon showed such amorous activity that even his closest associates were surprised: he demanded two and sometimes three women a day. This could partly be explained by the fact that the prince was preparing a coup d'etat. Financing for the operation, as always, was provided by Miss Howard. Louis Napoleon, despite his numerous betrayals, was still tenderly attached to her. Having enjoyed the day in the company of unfamiliar girls, in the evenings he went to seek peace in the small mansion of Miss Howard. On the evening of December 1, there was dancing in all the living rooms of the presidential palace. At one point, the prince quietly left the guests and handed over to his friends in his office the texts of the appeals, which were to be printed and posted around the city before dawn. Then he returned to the living rooms, exchanged jokes with the guests, said a few compliments to the ladies and again disappeared quietly to sign sixty arrest orders in his office. In the morning, Paris learned about the coup d'etat. Miss Howard, mad with joy, thought that the prince, who had now become the master of France, should marry her. But Louis Napoleon, although he appeared everywhere with his mistress, was in no hurry to share with her his plans for the future regarding marriage. Miss Howard, tired of waiting, herself appeared in the Tuileries for the emperor's gala evening. The prince's entourage was shocked. Those close to him began to talk to him about marrying a candidate worthy of his position - some European princess. Louis Napoleon followed his wise advice, but his attempts to woo the real princess failed. However, he was not too upset, because he was in love again. The object of his attention was a delightful creature of twenty-seven years old. Eugenia Montijo, a Spanish aristocrat, was slender, sophisticated, slightly reddish, with a tea-rose complexion and blue eyes. She had beautiful shoulders, high breasts, long eyelashes... As soon as he saw her, the prince was amazed; with the lit-up gaze of a gourmet, he looked with excitement at her charms. Once Louis tried to give free rein to his hands, but received a rather sharp blow with a fan, reminding him that he was not dealing with a dancer. However, Louis Napoleon decided that he would achieve his goal and continued his persistent courtship. Meanwhile, Eugenia’s mother never tired of repeating to her daughter that she should under no circumstances allow the emperor liberties, but the girl herself understood perfectly well how to inflame Louis’ desire more strongly. One day at dinner, Napoleon picked up a wreath of violets and put it on Eugenia’s head. But several more days passed before the emperor made an official proposal. The wedding night disappointed the emperor's expectations. He dreamed of a Spanish woman, hot and temperamental, but found a woman “no sexier than a coffee pot.” However, in public, Eugenia played the most elegant, most courteous empress, with a charming smile never leaving her face. Eugenia’s emphasized scrupulousness was by no means always shared by the emperor. Confusion, luxury, beauty, impatience and voluptuousness reigned in the Tuileries. Day after day, the modesty of the unfortunate empress was subjected to severe tests. Napoleon III was faithful to Eugenie for six months, but he did not tolerate monotony. Feeling hunger for love, the emperor pounced on a charming young blonde, a little eccentric, who was the center of attention at court. Her name was Madame de la Bedoyer. One day she appeared in the Tuileries in an extremely excited state, “eloquently testifying to the honor that the emperor showed her.” Napoleon quickly tired of her, having, however, managed to make her husband a senator. Then he rented a mansion on Bac Street, where he spent time with some actress, then with a cocotte, now with a soubrette, now with a society lady, now with a courtesan... The Empress did not even suspect her husband’s mischief. And suddenly she learned that Napoleon III had resumed his relationship with Miss Howard. A stormy scene occurred, Louis promised to end all relations with his mistress, but did not keep his word. The insidious Miss Howard caught the eye of the imperial couple every now and then and greeted the highest persons with malicious pleasure. Eugenia's gaze glazed over, her nostrils flared, she stood motionless, while Napoleon III returned the greeting with emphatic politeness. Soon the Empress was informed about the Emperor's walk with Miss Howard, and Eugenia declared that she refused to sleep with her husband in the same bedroom. Napoleon III, who dreamed of an heir, persuaded Howard to temporarily retire to England. The woman submitted to his will, taking with her her son and the two illegitimate sons of the emperor, whom he and Eleanor Vergeau had adopted. But Evgenia had a miscarriage. After some time, the misfortune repeated itself. Eugene was inconsolable, the emperor was irritated and concerned. Evil tongues joked that he was exhausted and incapable of anything. Finally, while visiting Queen Victoria in London, the imperial couple shared their grief. The Queen of England advised placing a pillow under the Empress's lower back. The advice turned out to be useful. At this time, Cavour, Victor Emmanuel's first minister, hatched the idea of creating a united Italy. He understood that these plans could only be realized with the help of the most powerful France. It was necessary to convince Napoleon III to help the King of Piedmont, and only a woman could do this, Cavour decided. The choice fell on the most beautiful Countess Virginia of Castile. She arrived in Paris and, together with her husband, appeared before the Parisian society. The Emperor, however, did not immediately pay attention to her, but the Countess did not lose hope. The Empress finally safely gave birth to a healthy boy - an heir. Perhaps it was for this reason that the emperor did not try to lure Virginia into the bedroom for four whole months. The Countess took a desperate step, appearing at the next costume ball in the Tuileries in the most extravagant costume - half naked, like an ancient goddess. Her efforts were crowned with success. Three weeks later, at a picnic, the emperor took the countess for a boat ride, and then took her to the island, where they stayed for about two hours... Virginia of Castile tried to convince the emperor to send French troops to Italy. He was ready to listen to her request, but quite suddenly broke up with the countess. The fact is that she turned out to be too talkative. Her place was taken by Marie-Anne Walewska. Napoleon III's relationship with Madame Walewska lasted about two years. All this time she received luxurious gifts from the emperor and brought her husband an unprecedented monetary income. …One day, the young courtesan Marguerite Bélanger walked along Saint-Cloud on foot, in the pouring rain. The emperor passing by threw a Scottish blanket to the girl, and the next day the young lady decided to take advantage of the situation. She asked for an audience, saying that she had a personal message to convey to the emperor. Napoleon agreed to accept her, perhaps anticipating a future romance or affair. This was the emperor's last serious hobby. Margarita captivated the emperor with her plebeian manners, spontaneity and imagination, which made him forget about court etiquette. The relationship lasted two years. Mocard, the Emperor's personal secretary, bought her a small mansion on the Rue de Vignes in Paris. Napoleon visited there often. Margarita followed her master everywhere. For example, when the court was in Saint-Cloud, she lived in small house right next to the fence of the imperial park. Louis Napoleon could get to his mistress unnoticed through a specially constructed passage. However, the Empress soon learned that this love affair of her husband was more than serious, and decided to spend a few days in Schwalbach, a water resort near Nassau. By the way, her personal doctor ordered her to go to the waters, since constant thoughts about Margarita Belanger deprived the empress of appetite and sleep. Margarita, naturally, could not influence the actions of the emperor, because the purpose of a courtesan is to satisfy the body, not the soul. Her little landau made from willow twigs according to the fashion of that time, too often it ended up on the path of the emperor’s carriage - either in the Bois de Boulogne or on the Champs Elysees. In 1864, Eugenia returned to Paris, and after some time the emperor was brought from the Rue de Vignes in such a terrible state that everyone understood: the connection with Margarita must end, otherwise France could lose its monarch. Eugenia ordered Mokar's brother to take her to the courtesan's house and told her that she was simply killing the emperor. In 1865, Prosper Mérimée wrote: "Caesar no longer dreams of Cleopatra." However, after some time, the beautiful Margot was forced, at the request of the emperor, to help him out in a very delicate matter. The fact is that Louis Napoleon once wanted to seduce a virgin. Soon they found a charming 15-year-old girl who had lost her virginity in the arms of the emperor. But soon Valentina - that was her name - realized that she was pregnant. To avoid a scandal, they decided that Margot should feign pregnancy. Thus, a rumor was spread that Emperor Bélanger's mistress had given birth to a child. A year later, this rumor reached the ears of the empress, who created another huge scandal. The emperor made excuses that Margot’s son was not his. Evgenia demanded proof. Margot wrote a letter to the emperor, in which she convinced that the child was not the fruit of the emperor’s efforts. The letter “accidentally” caught Evgenia’s eye. Despite the scenes created by the Empress, Napoleon III continued to show depressing symptoms of “senile erotomania.” He squeezed maids in linen closets, demanded that they supply him with young virgins and experienced prostitutes, burdened with the baggage of all kinds of perversions and vices. Day by day it mental abilities melted. Sometimes he would smoke for hours, falling into a strange stupor, but at the sight of pretty women he would noticeably come to life. His next hobby was the Countess de Mercy-Argenteau, to whom he penetrated through an underground secret passage. The Empress found out about her husband's new mistress, and the Tuileries was again filled with reproaches and tears. The lovers did not meet for a whole week, and when the emperor explained to the countess the reason for the breakup, she decided to take revenge on the empress. Her intrigue was a success - Evgenia left the Council because the cunning Mercy-Argenteau managed to convey to her the opinion that her presence on the Council undermined the authority of the emperor. She packed her things and left to open the Suez Canal. Evgenia returned to France, where the opposition was making itself known more and more loudly. The Emperor, sick and worried, seemed to have aged ten years. France was threatened with war, but this was precisely what inspired Eugenia. She called on the emperor to take decisive action. On July 19, 1870, France declared war on Prussia. Napoleon III went to war, accompanied by the crown prince. In early August, the French suffered one defeat after another. At the end of August, not wanting to destroy the entire army, Napoleon III surrendered. Unrest in Paris was growing. A huge crowd had gathered around the Tuileries and was ready to tear down the barriers, break into the palace and tear the Empress to pieces. Evgenia ran. She miraculously managed to slip out of the palace and leave Paris with adventure. In England, the Empress met with her son, the Crown Prince. She wanted to share the fate of her husband, the emperor, but she was not immediately allowed to see him, and when they met, they felt a previously unexperienced tenderness for each other. In France, the days of the Paris Commune began... Napoleon III was sixty-five years old. His health had noticeably deteriorated. On January 2, 1873, a successful operation was performed. There was another one planned. But on the morning of January 9, he began to become delirious and died at 10:45 a.m. Louis Napoleon was buried at Chislehurst. Of all the famous favorites of Napoleon III, only Countess Walewska arrived at the funeral, and a few days later Margarita Bélanger visited his grave. The Crown Prince died in 1879 in the Zulu War in South Africa. After the death of the emperor, his widow Eugenia lived for another forty-seven years, sometimes she came to Paris. Evgenia died in 1920 at the age of ninety-four.

Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte(French Charles Louis Napolon Bonaparte), called Louis Napoleon Bonaparte(Louis-Napolon Bonaparte), later Napoleon III(Napolon III; April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) - the first president of the French Republic from December 20, 1848 to December 1, 1852, Emperor of the French from December 1, 1852 to September 4, 1870 (from September 5, 1870 to March 19, 1871 he was in captivity).

The nephew of Napoleon I, after a series of conspiracies to seize power, came to it peacefully as President of the Republic (1848). Having carried out a coup (1851) and eliminated the legislative power, through “direct democracy” (plebiscite), he established an authoritarian police regime and a year later proclaimed himself emperor of the Second Empire. After ten years of fairly tight control, the Second Empire, which became the embodiment of the ideology of Bonapartism, moved to some democratization (1860s), which was accompanied by the development of the French economy and industry. Under him, Baron Haussmann carried out a large-scale reconstruction of Paris. A few months after the adoption of the liberal constitution of 1870, which returned rights to parliament, the rule of Napoleon was put to an end Franco-Prussian War, during which the emperor was captured by the Germans and never returned to France.

Napoleon III was last monarch France.

Biography

Early years

Received the name Charles Louis Napoleon at birth. Baptized on November 4, 1810 in the chapel of the Saint-Cloud Palace. He hardly knew his father, Louis Bonaparte, since the forced marriage of his parents was unhappy, and his mother, Hortense de Beauharnais, lived in constant separation from her husband. Three years after the birth of Louis Napoleon, she gave birth to an illegitimate son, Charles de Morny (whose father was Talleyrand's illegitimate son). Louis Napoleon himself was recognized as the father, although subsequently in literature hostile to him (by the way, V. Hugo) doubts were expressed about the legality of his birth, and not without factual grounds. Raised in the splendor of the court of Napoleon I, under the influence of his mother, Louis Napoleon from childhood displayed an equally passionate and equally romantic worship of his uncle. By nature he was a kind man, soft and meek, although occasionally hot-tempered; He was distinguished by his generosity and love of love, which he retained until his health completely deteriorated at the age of 60. All his instincts and feelings were outweighed by his fanatical faith in his star and devotion to the “Napoleonic ideas” that were the guiding ideas of his life. A passionate man and at the same time full of self-control (in the words of V. Hugo, the Dutchman curbed the Corsican in him), from his youth he strove for one cherished goal, confidently and firmly clearing the way to it and without hesitation in the choice of means.

Louis Napoleon spent his entire youth, starting in 1814, in wanderings, which, however, were not associated with material deprivation, since his mother managed to accumulate a huge fortune. Queen Hortense could not remain in France after the fall of the emperor, despite the personal sympathy of Alexander I for her. She was also expelled from the German states, and therefore, having changed several places of residence, she bought herself Arenenberg Castle in the Swiss canton of Thurgau, on the shores of Lake Constance, where she settled with her two sons. Louis Napoleon during these wanderings could not receive systematic school education, he briefly attended the gymnasium in Augsburg. His personal tutors (besides his mother) were Abbot Bertrand and Philippe Lebas, the son of a Jacobin. In Switzerland, Louis Napoleon entered military service and was an artillery captain. The result of his study of military affairs was his brochure “Considrations politiques et militaires sur la Suisse” (P., 1833) and the book “Manuel d’artillerie” (P., 1836; both works are reprinted in the collected works of his works).

In 1830-31, Louis Napoleon, together with his older brother Napoleon-Louis, took part in the conspiracy of the Modena revolutionary Ciro Menotti and in the expedition to Romagna; the purpose of the expedition was to liberate Rome from the secular power of the popes (and the goal of the two brothers was to kidnap the son of Napoleon Bonaparte and proclaim him king of Italy). After the failure of the expedition, during which his older brother died, Louis Napoleon managed to escape with an English passport across Italy to France, from where he was immediately expelled.