Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, also known as Napoleon III, was the first President of France and later became its Emperor. Born on April 20, 1808, he was the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose to power after a coup in 1851 and established the Second French Empire in 1852, ruling until 1870. During his reign, Louis-Napoleon focused on modernization and industrialization, promoting infrastructure projects like the renovation of Paris. His foreign policy aimed to expand French influence, but it faced challenges, notably the disastrous Franco-Prussian War, which led to his capture and the fall of the empire.