Louis-Philippe: King of the July Monarchy

The last French monarch with the royal title Louis-Philippe ruled the country from 1830 to 1848. He was the representative of one of the lateral branches of the Bourbons. His era is also known in history as the July Monarchy.

Childhood and youth

Born Louis Philippe in Paris in 1773. He received extensive education, as well as liberal habits and views. His youth fell on the beginning of the Great French Revolution. Like his father, the young man joined the ranks of the Jacobins. He joined the army and participated in several important battles, for example, at the Battle of Valmy in 1792.

Due to his noble lineage, Louis-Philippe was given the title of Duke at his birth. With the beginning of the revolution, he abandoned him, considering him a relic of the past, and became an ordinary citizen with the names of Egalite. This saved him from the disgrace of the republic when an edict was issued to expel all Bourbons from the territory of France. However, at the same time, General Charles Dumouriez changed the government. Under his superiors, Louis-Philippe fought, although he did not take part in the conspiracy. Nevertheless, he had to leave the country.

In the emigration

First he lived in Switzerland, where he became a teacher. Later he traveled the world: he visited Scandinavia and spent several years in the USA. In 1800, a runaway representative of the Orleans home settled in the UK, whose government appointed him a pension. This was a frequent occurrence in what was then Europe. All monarchies opposed the republican France and demonstratively hosted the disgraced citizens of this country.

Restoration of Bourbons

After the fall of Napoleon, the Bourbons were restored. King Louis XVIII returned his relative to the court. However, Louis-Philippe did not enjoy the confidence of monarchists. He was not forgotten by his liberal beliefs of youth, when he, together with his father, took the side of the republic. Nevertheless, the king returned to the family member the property of his family, which was confiscated during the revolution.

The return of Napoleon, who left Elba, caught the Bourbons by surprise. Louis-Philippe was appointed commander of the northern army, but he transferred his post to Mortier, and he went to the UK. When the Hundred Days were over, the aristocrat returned to Paris, where he was in the House of Peers. There he publicly opposed the reactionary policy of the king, for which he was expelled from the country for several years. Nevertheless, soon the exile soon returned to the country. Under Louis, he became considerably wealthy and became an influential political figure. Many dissatisfied with the then monarch oppositionists regarded him as a possible candidate for the throne.

Revolution in 1830

When the next wave of commotion started in the capital, related to the protest against the Bourbons, Louis-Philippe preferred to retire and not make any statements. Nevertheless, his numerous supporters did not sit idle. They organized widespread agitation for the Duke of Orleans. In the streets of Paris , colorful proclamations and pamphlets appeared that emphasized the merits of Louis-Philippe before the country. Deputies and the interim government declared him "governor of the kingdom."

Only after that did the duke appear in Paris. Learning about these events, even the legitimate King Charles X wrote a letter to Louis-Philippe, in which he agreed to abdicate if the throne passed to his son. The Duke reported this to Parliament, but did not mention the additional conditions of the Bourbon. August 9, 1830 Louis Philip 1 took the crown, which he proposed the Chamber of Deputies.

Citizen King

Thus began the reign of the "king-citizen". This nickname Louis-Philippe, whose biography was very different from the last monarchs, got quite deservedly. The main feature of the new political regime was the primacy of the bourgeoisie. This social stratum has received all the freedoms and opportunities for self-realization.

One of the most famous symbols of the government of Louis-Philippe was the slogan "Enrich!". This phrase in 1843, said Francois Guizot - French Foreign Minister. The appeal was directed to the bourgeoisie, which was now able to freely earn capital.

A brief biography of Louis-Philippe also contains numerous facts that he was very fond of money. In this he was like the middle class that brought him to power.

The state ceased to interfere in the market economy, which now prevailed throughout France. This policy was similar to the course adopted from the very beginning in the US (in general the American Revolution had a huge impact on the July monarchy). The principle of laissez-faire state laissez-faire on the economic agenda became a fundamental one for Louis-Philippe and his government.

Revolution in 1848

Every year, the popularity of Louis Philippe fell. This was due to the reactionary policy against the dissatisfied. Louis-Philippe, photo of which is in every textbook of the history of France, eventually abandoned liberal policies and began to infringe on civil rights and freedoms. In addition, corruption prevailed in the state apparatus. The foreign policy of the king became the last straw for the bourgeoisie. He joined the Sacred Union (it also included Prussia, Russia and Austria). His goal was the return to Europe of the old order that took place before the Great French Revolution in 1789.

Barricades appeared in Paris after the banquet was banished, at which the liberal public gathered to discuss the electoral reform. This happened in February 1848. Soon bloodshed began, the guards shot people.

Against this background, the government of the unpopular minister Guizot was the first to resign. On February 24, Louis-Philippe abdicated, not wanting to start a civil war. In France, the period of the Second Republic began. Already the former king emigrated to the UK, where he died in 1850.