How liberal was the Liberal Empire?

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How liberal was the Liberal Empire?

• www.educationforum.co.uk

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Softening

• After setting up a virtual dictatorship in 1852
  Napoleon III softened the authoritarian nature
  of his regime in the second half of his rule
• Historians have debated
• What were the motivations for this?
• How liberal really was the liberal empire?

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Evidence of Political Liberalism

• From around 1860 Napoleon III introduced a series
  of reforms which loosened the reigns of
  dictatorship
• 1860 allowed journalists to report on debates in
  parliament
• Renounced his own right to borrow money for the
  state without parliamentary approval
• 1859 declared a amnesty for all political
  prisoners and exiles most returned
• 1860 allowed parliament to vote on detailed
  budget proposals (final say however remained with
  him)
• Peaceful strikes legalised in 1864
• Full trade union legality established in 1868
• 1870 proposal to abolish the workers passport
  the livret a worker had to carry with him
  throughout his career

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Explanations for Political Liberalism

• Napoleon was a genuine liberal who didnt want
  dictatorship?

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Explanation 2

• Napoleon III needed a new political alliance to
  keep power the Party of Order of old elites
  had started to oppose him once the red menace
  had passed
• Napoleon IIIs reforms therefore a cynical
  attempt to keep power by granting concessions to
  other groups specifically moderate liberals and
  workers

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Explanation 3

• Napoleon from 1865 was in poor health and enable
  to maintain dictatorial rule
• The Empress commented in 1865
• I find a sick man irresolute and exhausted. He
  can no longer walk, sleep scarcely eat

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Emergence of Opposition

• In 1863 a group of 40 members of parliament
  moderate republicans and liberals formed the
  Third Party
• It was led by Emile Oliver and they campaigned
  for greater liberalisation
• First time ever Napoleon III had faced any sort
  of opposition

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1869 Elections

• Saw an increase in support for the Third Party at
  which point Napoleon III decided to invite Oliver
  to be Prime Minister
• It is at this point that political liberalisation
  began
• Maybe an expedient attempt to keep power by
  bringing on board the opposition??

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Economic Liberalism

• Napoleon III was a supporter of free trade for
  two reasons
• a) It promoted economic growth and prosperity
• b) It cemented good relations with other
  countries (especially GB)
• Napoleon enthusiastically established a number of
  free trade treaties with foreign countries
  despite domestic opposition

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Free Trade Treaties

1. Cobden-Chevalier Free trade treaty with GB 1860
   reduced import duties in and out of both
   countries by 25 over 4 years. Coal, textiles,
   iron and steel from GB. Wines and silk from
   France
2. Similar treaties with Belgium (1861). Italy
   (1863), Netherlands (1865) and Portugal (1866)

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Why Free trade?

• Napoleon III faced considerable opposition from
  both French businessmen and workers who stood to
  lose business and jobs from foreign competition
• The benefits of long term economic prosperity and
  short term alliance outweighed these difficulties

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Question

• How liberal was the liberal empire??