The Coup d'État of 2 December 1851 was the coup d'état staged by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, President of the French Republic, who was successful by this means in dissolving the French National Assembly without having the constitutional right to do so. He thus became sole ruler of France, and re-established universal suffrage, previously abolished by the Assembly. His decisions and the extension of his mandate for 10 years were popularly endorsed by referendum, as was the re-establishment of the Empire from 2 December 1852. He thus became "Napoléon III, Emperor of the French". File links The following pages link to this file: Napoleon III of France ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government against the volonté générale formed by the majority of the citizen, usually done by a smaller supposedly weaker body that just replaces the top power figures. ... Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (Lodewijk Napoleon in Dutch) (September 2, 1778 - July 25, 1846) was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. ... The Palais Bourbon, front The French National Assembly (French: Assemblée nationale) is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. ... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of suffrage, or the right to vote, to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or social status. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...