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With Louis Phillipe's departure after the February Revolution of 1848, Louis Napoleon decided to return to France and begin again. In the same year he was elected to the National Assembly and when they called for a presidential election, he was chosen to run. Louis now became the first modern French politician. He promised a return to the days of glory when his uncle ruled France. He promised a long lasting peace. He quickly became a favorite of every class, because he told them what they wanted to hear. It worked and on December 10, 1848, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was elected the first president of the Second French Republic. As proof of what an effective politician he was examine the complete results of that election. Louis garnered over 5 million votes out of a possible 7 million. .
One term was all that the new constitution allowed a president to serve. This was unacceptable to Louis and he began plans to strengthen his power and stretch his term. In 1849, he ended his internal problems with the Catholics by bringing Pope Pius IX back to Rome. In 1850, he further gained the support of the Catholic Church, when he passed an education bill brought forth by Frédéric de Falloux, known as the Falloux Laws. In 1851, he made his first appeal to the Legislative Assembly for an extended term. He was denied. After two more unsuccessful attempts in the assembly, Louis decided to take drastic measures. On December 2, 1851, Bonaparte dissolved the assembly and had his military occupy the building. He then installed a new governmental body that was already loyal to him. To get his propositions past he used something that he uncle had used during his reign, a plebiscite. With a plebiscite, a movement is proposed and the people simply vote yes or no. As part of the amending, his term was stretched to ten years and universal suffrage was established. .
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was initially supported overwhelmingly by the French people and for a while they enjoyed peace.
HISTORY: in its broadest sense, is the story of humanity's past. ... In writing the history of the Peloponnesian War he limited himself to matters of state and war; he tried to establish chronology and facts with some exactitude, avoiding the digressions of Herodotus; though his attempt at writing a factual and impartial history was not entirely successful, he wrote a grave work, conveying the lessons he drew from his story. ...