Anceau, Éric

The plebiscite of 8 May 1870: a forgotten monument in the political history of France - 2022.


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In this study, Éric Anceau returns to the circumstances surrounding the plebiscite of 8 May 1870, the course of the vote and above all the result, that was in fact to act as the consecration of the liberal Empire desired by Napoleon III. The result was beyond all expectations: 82% in favour. Twenty-two years after being elected President of the Republic with 75 % of the votes, the second Emperor experienced a new electoral triumph: “My number’s back!” he exclaimed. But this vote, perfectly organized and democratic, also revealed contrasting tendencies within the electorate, varied according to the departments and the social classes. This article analyses vote. The following pages come in large part from his book L’Empire libéral published by Editions S.P.M. in 2017 in two volumes.