CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
France 1815–70
The coup of 1851 and the making of the Second Empire
- 3 things to know
- AS Unit 2
Overview
The dispute over the constitution, the coup of 2 December, the plebiscites and the proclamation of the Empire.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How was the coup organised?
What did the coup proclamation offer the country?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
When did Louis Napoleon carry out his coup d'état?
Model answer
Louis Napoleon seized power on 2 December 1851, the anniversary of his uncle's coronation and of the victory at Austerlitz.
- 2
How was the coup organised?
Model answer
Troops occupied Paris overnight, leading deputies and officers were arrested in their beds, the assembly was dissolved and the city was covered with proclamations.
- 3
What did the coup proclamation offer the country?
Model answer
The proclamation restored universal male suffrage, promised a strong government answerable to the people and called a plebiscite on a new constitution.
- 4
Was there resistance to the coup?
Model answer
Barricades in Paris were crushed with heavy loss on the boulevards, and risings in the centre and south were put down over the following weeks.
- 5
How severe was the repression after the coup?
Model answer
Some twenty-six thousand people were arrested and about ten thousand were transported to Algeria, while opponents such as Victor Hugo went into exile.
- 6
What was the result of the plebiscite of December 1851?
Model answer
About seven and a half million voters approved the coup and fewer than seven hundred thousand opposed it.
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