levo

France 1815–70

The authoritarian Empire and its liberalisation

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Control of press and parliament in the 1850s, the concessions of the 1860s and the constitution of 1870.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

How did Napoleon III control elections in the authoritarian Empire?

Key term

How was the press controlled after 1852?

Key term

How did Napoleon III treat the Church in the 1850s?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How did Napoleon III control elections in the authoritarian Empire?

    Model answer

    The government named an official candidate in each constituency and used prefects, mayors and public works to secure his return, while opponents faced obstruction at every stage.

  2. 2

    How was the press controlled after 1852?

    Model answer

    Newspapers needed official authorisation and could be given warnings and then suspended or suppressed, so editors censored themselves.

  3. 3

    How did Napoleon III treat the Church in the 1850s?

    Model answer

    Napoleon III favoured the Church with subsidies, protection for its schools and the Roman garrison, and the clergy in return preached obedience to the Empire.

  4. 4

    What was the general security law of 1858?

    Model answer

    After Orsini's bomb attempt in 1858 the law of general security allowed suspects to be interned or deported without trial, and hundreds of former republicans were arrested.

  5. 5

    Why did Napoleon III begin to liberalise the Empire after 1860?

    Model answer

    Napoleon III needed new support after the Italian war had lost him the Catholics and the free-trade treaty had angered manufacturers, and he believed a crowned democracy should widen its base.

  6. 6

    What did the commercial treaty of 1860 with Britain do?

    Model answer

    The treaty removed prohibitions and cut tariffs sharply, exposing French industry to British competition and dismaying the manufacturers who had backed the Empire.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

England 1509–58
England 1603–49
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80
Italy and Germany 1815–71

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

Henry cited .
LeviticusGenesisExodus

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AImpeachment failed for want of proof.
BThe Commons passed an Act of Attainder.
CCharles signed his execution warrant in May 1641.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Rent reduction made the tenancy bearable.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in France 1815–70, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.