Reading, Pages 732-742: France's Revolutions

As can be expected, Napoleon Bonaparte's legacy was rooted most strongly in France. The French nationality and unity that Napoleon inspired would prove to be founding principles and means of resilience for the French revolutions of the 19th century. The Congress of Vienna's reinstatement of a bourbon monarch, King Louis XVIII, left the French public worried of a possible return to an absolutist rule. And because France had already experienced the liberation from an absolutist government during the French Revolution, it would take much more resilience from the government to crush the 19th century revolts. However, the persistence of the French people to reject an absolutist government and the lasting heroism of Napoleon in France eventually led France in roundabout politics in the 19th century, beginning with the downfall of Napoleon's empire and ending with Napoleon's nephew, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's Second Empire. 

The 1830 Revolution in France developed from Charles X's ascension to the French throne. Charles X ruled with absolutist values, consolidating his power and favoring the nobility. The French people publicly displayed their discontentment, but Charles X's practical overthrow of the parliament regiment when elections showed favor against the monarchy proved to be the last straw. Three days of street battles ensued, and Charles X's eventual abdication of the throne won the French the instatement of a constitutional monarchy. 

However, the constitutional monarchy under King Louis Philippe, did not differ drastically from the preceding absolutist monarchy. The government, in an attempt to stabilize the country, prohibited the continuation of radical political organizations in 1834. Political narrowness led to revolt, and following Louis Philippe's abdication of the throne, the provisional government seemed to be bright, creating a politically diverse atmosphere and opening up National Workshops for the unemployed. In 1948, the government abruptly ended the program, and the public's abhorrence materialized in the form of a four-day street battle. The end result this time was national elections that easily won Louis Napoleon Bonaparte the head position. In 1852, Louis Napoleon declared the Second Empire.

Following the French Revolution, the French public garnered an unwavering sense of nationality and liberty that they were determined not to lose sight of. The revolutions of 1830 and 1848 reveal the French public's outspokenness and rejection of any ideals that challenged the people's liberties. And although it can be said that Napoleon's imperial role was less of the independence France had fought for in the French Revolution, Napoleon maintained a likable image in France for unifying the country. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's landslide election reveals the French people's decisiveness in what they wanted and their unfaltering determination to get what they wanted.