Napoleon III, born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte on 20 April 1808, served as President of France from 1848 to 1852 and as Emperor from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president and the last monarch of France. Born in the Tuileries Palace in Paris, he was the son of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, and Hortense de Beauharnais, and was the nephew of Napoleon I. Initially named Charles-Louis Napoleon, he later became known as Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.Louis Napoleon was elected as the first president of the French Second Republic in 1848. In 1851, unable to secure a constitutional re-election, he seized power through a coup d'état. He proclaimed himself Emperor of the French, establishing the Second Empire, which lasted until his defeat at the Battle of Sedan in 1870, where he was captured by Prussian forces.During his reign, Napoleon III was recognized for modernizing the French economy and transforming Paris with new boulevards and parks, largely through the efforts of Georges-Eugène Haussmann. He expanded the French colonial empire and improved the merchant navy, making it the second largest globally. His foreign policy included involvement in the Crimean War, support for Italian unification, and attempts to establish a French empire in Mexico, which ultimately failed.Napoleon III's domestic policies included significant social reforms, such as granting workers the right to strike and organize, and promoting women's education. He negotiated free trade agreements, notably the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty with Britain, which aimed to enhance economic ties. His government also modernized the banking system and expanded the railway network, facilitating economic growth.Facing increasing pressure from Prussia, Napoleon III declared war in July 1870, leading to a rapid defeat of the French army. He was captured at Sedan on 2 September 1870, leading to the proclamation of the Third Republic in Paris. Following his release from captivity, he went into exile in England, where he died on 9 January 1873.Napoleon III's early life was marked by the legacy of his uncle, Napoleon I. After the fall of the First Empire, he and his family lived in exile, where he developed his political philosophy, advocating for a strong executive and popular sovereignty. His early attempts to seize power included failed coups in 1836 and 1840, which established his reputation as a Bonapartist leader.In the wake of the 1848 Revolution, he returned to France and quickly rose to prominence, winning significant electoral support. His presidency was characterized by efforts to stabilize the government and address social issues, culminating in his self-proclamation as emperor in 1852. His reign saw extensive public works, economic modernization, and a focus on expanding French influence abroad.Despite his initial successes, Napoleon III's foreign policy miscalculations, particularly regarding Prussia, ultimately led to his downfall. His legacy remains complex, with assessments of his domestic achievements often overshadowed by military failures and the eventual collapse of the Second Empire.