Louis, Emperor of the French (Napoleonic Age)

Louis (born Louis Charles Napoléon Henri Bonaparte; 16 March 1856 – ?? ?? ????) was Emperor of the French from 21 August 1876 to his abdication on 4 June 1879, for less than three years. Louis was the eldest son of his father, Napoléon III, and succeeded him upon his abdication one day before his death. Louis was a scion of the few aristocratic liberals that were inspired by the government and political culture of the United Kingdom; liberals both in the aristocracy and in the general populace hoped he would reverse some of the autocratic precedences of his father. He was very popular for the early months of his reign, but his opposition to the conservative and reactionary aristocrats then holding sway in Paris made him many enemies in the government. After fears spread through the upper echelons of French society that he planned to hand great legislative and executive power to the rubber-stamp French Parliament, great pressure from his allies, opposition, and even family members forced him to abdicate the throne. Since he had not then sired a son, the throne passed to his cousin, who would be crowned as Napoléon IV.