Napoleon III is one of the most influential people in French history. From his rise to power through the Presidency to his military defeat against Prussia, Napoleon III shaped and influenced the scope of France. During the early years of his reign his economic policies brought about prosperity and...

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed... There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair... Like a boil that can never be...