Was Napoleon III the world's first populist leader?

Historian Edward Shawcross traces the strange path of Louis-Napoleon, from mocked pretender in exile to Emperor of the French

Published: September 11, 2026 at 11:20 AM

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Napoleon III's family was, in the words of historian Edward Shawcross, “the most cutthroat mafioso soap opera in the world”. Exiled to Switzerland as a boy and disowned by his own father, he spent years as a laughing stock of French politics, twice arrested trying to seize power.

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Here, in conversation with Danny Bird, Edward traces Louis-Napoleon's strange path from mocked pretender in exile to Emperor of the French, and explores whether Napoleon III can really be regarded as an early populist dictator.

Authors

Danny BirdContent producer

Danny Bird is a content producer at HistoryExtra

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