chosen; and, after some
struggles, he not only mastered Paris, but, by the help of the army,
which was mostly Buonapartist, he dismissed the chamber of deputies, and
imprisoned or exiled all the opponents whom the troops had not put to
death, on the plea of an expected rising of the mob. This was called a
_coup d'etat_, and Louis Napoleon was then declared president for ten
years.

4. The Second Empire.--In December, 1852, the president took the title
of Emperor, calling himself Napoleon III., as successor to the young son
of the great Napoleon. He kept up a splendid and expensive court, made
Paris more than ever the toy-shop of the world, and did much to improve
it by the widening of streets and removal of old buildings. Treaties
were made which much improved trade, and the country advanced in
prosperity. The reins of government were, however, tightly held, and
nothing was so much avoided as the letting men think or act for
themselves, while their eyes were to be dazzled with splendour and
victory. In 1853, when Russia was attacking Turkey, the Emperor united
with England in opposition, and the two armies together besieged
Sebastopol, and fought the battles of Alma and Inkermann, taking the
city after nearly a year's siege; and then making what is known as the
Treaty of Paris, which guaranteed the safety of Turkey so long as the
subject Christian nations were not misused. In 1859 Napoleon III. joined
in an attack on the Austrian power in Italy, and together with Victor
Emanuel, King of Sardinia, and the Italians, gained two great victories
at Magenta and Solferino; but made peace as soon as it was convenient to
him, without regard to his promises to the King of Sardinia, who was
obliged to purchase his consent to becoming King of United Italy by
yielding up to France his old inheritance of Savoy and Nice. Meantime
discontent began to spring up at home, and the Red Republican spirit was
working on. The huge fortunes made by the successful only added to the
sense of contrast; secret societies were at work, and the Emperor, after
twenty years of success, felt his popularity waning.

5. The Franco-German War.--In 1870 the Spaniards, who had deposed
their queen, Isabel II., made choice of a relation of the King of
Prussia as their king. There had long been bitter jealousy between
France and Prussia, and, though the prince refused the offer of Spain,
the French showed such an overbearing spirit that a war broke out. The