King Louis Philippe
Born in 1773, Louis
Philippe was the duc d'Orléans until he became the king of France in 1830.
Before his rise to power, joined the army of the French Revolution but deserted,
and was exiled from France for 20 years before he was reconciled with the Bourbon
Monarchs. He regained his wealth, and sensing the discontent of the bourgeoisie,
participated in the Revolution of 1830 and was made king of France. His rule,
known as the July Monarchy, was focused around his conservative attitude. He gained
much personal power for himself by appointing weak ministers until he helped François
Guizot come to power. Philippe let Guizot establish a stable government and handle
the concerns of the working class. Guizot established social workshops for the
lower class, but after their failure he attempted to remove them, agitating the
lower class and causing them to revolt. Philippe was also significant because
promoted Anglo-French relations and colonialism, conquering Algeria and cooperating
in the independence of Belgium in 1831. His Quadruple Alliance was broken in 1846
by Spanish marriages violating the French and British agreements. He became unpopular
and was abdicated during the Revolution of 1848, after which he fled to England
and died in 1850.
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