Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoléon I, had returned from British exile in September after having successfully stood for the constituent assembly in a by-election.

He had made a poor initial impression.

Some politicians, such as Thiers, back him for the presidency because they think him too stupid to rule and thus soon to be shunted aside for an Orléanist monarch.

What he possesses, however, is a name associated by many French citizens with glory, power, and public order.

The presidential elections on December 10 give him a landslide victory with 5,327,345 votes, as against 1,879,298 for his all opponents combined.

On December 20, Louis Napoleon takes the oath as President of the Second French Republic.

He promptly appoints a ministry of Orléanists headed by Barrot, despite republican domination of the National Assembly.