A second distant expedition was undertaken, but had not a like success. Toward the end of 1861 France, England and Spain agreed to dispatch a joint expedition to Mexico for the purpose of exacting redress of injuries of long continuance inflicted on the subjects of the re spective allies, and the enforcement of pecuni ary claims, which were obstinately contested by the Mexican government. The extravagant de mands of M. de Soligny induced the English and Spaniards to believe that Napoleon had some ulterior object in view, and they withdrew from further intervention (April 1862). The French army continued the quarrel alone. On 10 June General Bazaine led his troops into the Mexican capital amid many demonstrations of enthusi asm. An imperial form of government was ini tiated, and Maxmilian (q.v.), Archduke of Aus tria, was placed at its head with the title of emperor. The United States considered this a piece of treachery, and after the Civil War dispatched Sheridan with troops who speedily put an end to French aggression and Mexican instability. Maximilian s death caused Na poleon's policy to he viewed with suspicion in France. The emperor opened the Suez Canal, entertained Europe at the World's Exposition, rebuilt and greatly beautified Paris. But France lost slowly in prestige, and there was a decline of administrative integrity.
On the conclusion of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Napoleon, jealous of the growing power of Prussia, demanded a reconstruction of frontier, claiming, by way of compensation for his non-intervention in the quarrel, Prus sian territory on the Saar, a claim peremptorily refused. The ill-feeling between the two na tions was increased in 1867, when the king of Holland signified his intention to cede Luxem burg to France. The cession was strongly re sisted by Prussia, and at the London conference (7-11 May) the neutralization of the duchy was agreed to by treaty under the guarantee of the Great Powers. It could no longer be con cealed, however, that a rupture between France and Prussia was imminent, and in 1870, on the Spanish crown being offered to Leopold of Hohenzollern, Napoleon demanded that the king of Prussia should compel that prince to refuse it. Notwithstanding the subsequent renuncia
tion of the crown by Leopold, war was declared by France (19 July). (See FRANCO-GERMAN WAR). On the 28th Napoleon set out to take the chief command. After Sedan, he had a per sonal interview with King William, who as signed to him WilhelmshOhe, near Cassel, as a place of residence during his captivity One of the immediate consequences of this disaster was a revolution in Paris. Gambetta, Jules Ravre and several other members of the Corps Legis latif proclaimed a republic and the dethrone ment of the emperor (4 September). The em press and her son secretly quitted Paris and repaired to England, where they took up their residence at Camden House, Chiselhurst. Here they were rejoined by the emperor, when he regained his freedom in March 1871, and here he remained till his death.
Napoleon III was rather a student and lit terateur than a statesman. He was not an efficient administrator and was most unfor tunate in his advisers and subordinates. At the time of the Franco-German War he appears to have been quite deceived as to the military strength of France and its readiness for the conflict. Besides the literary works already mentioned, Napoleon III is the author of an uncompleted 'History of Julius Caesar' (1865 66), and various productions collected and pub lished in 1854-69 and 1873. (See FRANCE; His tory Since 1815). Consult Gottschalk (1871); von Sybel • (18r73), and Jerrold (1877) for biography; also Hugo, d'un Crime' (1877) and various standard histories of modern Europe; also De la Gorce, (Histoire du second empire' (4 vols., Paris_ 1885-98); Simson, die Beziehungen Napoleons III zu Preussen und Deutschland' (Freiburg 1882); Ebeling, 'Napoleon III und sein Hof' (Co logne• 1891-94); Imbert, A. L., 'The Court of the Second Empire' (Eng. trans., 1898) • Hugo, 'Napoleon the Little' (Eng. trans., 1909t.