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The French presidential election of 1848 elected the first-and only- President of the Second Republic. The election was held on December 10, 1848 and led to surprise victory of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte with 74% of the vote.
[edit] Election
The constitution only included provision for one round, and in the absence of a majority for any candidate, the National Assembly would have decided the victor. Louis-Eugène Cavaignac seemed certain to win, and the Assembly would have most certainly elected him in the absence of an absolute majority. Bonaparte's unanticipated victory, however, was largely attributed to the division of the left and the low level of education (certain peasants reportedly believed that they had voted for the late Napoleon I).
[edit] Results
