Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 2
MAIN IDEA
During the 1800s opposing groups in France struggled to determine what kind of
government France would have—a republic, a constitutional monarchy, or an
absolute monarchy.
Key Terms and People
Louis Philippe aristocrat called the “citizen king” whose reign was the result of the
Revolution of 1830
Louis Napoleon nephew of Napoleon, elected president of France at the start of the era
known as the Second Republic, later elected emperor Napoleon III
Dreyfus Affair court case in which a Jewish French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was
falsely accused and convicted of spying for Germany
anti-Semitism prejudice toward Jews
Zionism movement to create a Jewish state in the original homeland of the Jews
Taking Notes
As you read the summary, use a graphic organizer like the one below to
record details about the different eras in French history during the 1800s.
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 2
Section Summary
THE REVOLUTION OF 1830
In 1830, France’s King Charles X tried to rule as an
absolute monarch. The people of Paris revolted in an
uprising known as the Revolution of 1830. Within
days, Charles gave up the throne and fled to England.
Louis Philippe became the new king. He was an
aristocrat by birth but was popular with the middleclass. He dressed like them and appeared to live
simply. People called him the “citizen king,” but not
for long. During his reign, more men received the
right to vote, but voting was still limited to wealthy
landowners. Louis Philippe limited freedom of the
press. The gap between rich and poor grew deeper.
When an economic depression surfaced in 1848,
France faced another revolution.
BIRTH OF A REPUBLIC
During the Revolution of 1848, angry protesters built
barricades in the street. Louis Philippe stepped down
and protesters formed a new government. They called
the government a republic because it was to be led by
a president instead of a monarch. Voters elected Louis
Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon. The era that
followed was known as the Second Republic. The
First Republic had existed during the years between
the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon.
Effects of the Revolution of 1848 included permanent
suffrage for all men and the start of a new women’s
rights movement. The Revolution also inspired others
across Europe.
Not content with being president because he could
not run for re-election, Louis Napoleon in 1851 sent
his troops to Paris. They arrested National Assembly
members who opposed him. Then Louis Napoleon
called for a national vote to decide whether he should
be allowed to write a new constitution. Voters gave
him this power, and a year later elected him Emperor
Napoleon III.
Napoleon III’s rule ended in 1870 after he
surrendered to the Prussians during the FrancoPrussian War. Shamed, the French Assembly
overthrew the king and proclaimed the Third
Why did the French initially
call Louis Philippe the
“citizen king”?
_______________________
_______________________
Underline phrases that
explain how Louis
Napoleon gained control of
the French government.
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
Section 2
Republic. Despite the immediate crisis caused by the
Prussian siege of Paris, the Third Republic went on to
make important reforms. These included legalizing
trade unions, reducing working hours, and making
primary education available for children between the
ages of 6 and 13.
THE DREYFUS AFFAIR
The divisions that split France came to the surface
over a court case known as the Dreyfus Affair. A
French army officer named Alfred Dreyfus (DRAYfuhs) was falsely accused and convicted of spying for
Germany. Dreyfus was Jewish. After Dreyfus was
publicly humiliated, evidence revealed that another
officer was found not guilty even though that officer,
who was not Jewish, may have been the spy.
The incident sharply divided France into those who
sided with Dreyfus and those who did not. After
writer Émile Zola published a letter in which he
accused the French government of anti-Semitism, or
prejudice toward Jews, the courts reopened the
Dreyfus case. Anti-Semitic riots broke out around
France. Zola himself was convicted of libel.
An Austrian journalist named Theodor Herzl began
a movement called Zionism. This movement sought
to create a Jewish nation in the original homeland of
the Jews. Herzl believed that the root of the problem
of anti-Semitism was the lack of a Jewish homeland.
By the early 1900s, settlers had created a few Jewish
settlements in the eastern Mediterranean area known
as Palestine. Zionism was a growing movement.
What divisions in French
society were revealed by
the Dreyfus affair?
_______________________
_______________________
What problem did Theodor
Herzl believe Zionism
would solve?
_______________________
_______________________
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