Restauration (Bourbon Restoration in France)

Political framework

At the center of the Restauration lay the Charter of 1814, a constitutional document that established a bicameral legislature, guaranteed certain civil liberties and property rights, and recognized the civil code and many administrative reforms of the Napoleonic period. Power remained largely in royal hands, however: kings appointed ministers, controlled foreign policy, and limited electoral participation through property-based suffrage that favored wealthier classes.

Society, law and economy

The period preserved many practical results of the Revolution and Empire—most notably the Napoleonic Civil Code, redistribution of land, and a centralized administration—while restoring the social prominence of former royalists and émigrés. Industry and commerce expanded unevenly; rural society adjusted to changes in land ownership and the return of aristocratic influence. Political life was shaped by tensions between conservatives (royalists and ultras) and liberals who sought broader representation and press freedoms.

Key events and developments

• 1814: Louis XVIII issues the Charter and takes the throne.
• 1815: Napoleon's return (the Hundred Days) and final defeat at Waterloo; brief reassertion of Bourbon rule.
• 1824–1830: Reign of Charles X, whose conservative policies and attempts at re-establishing traditional privileges provoked liberal opposition.
• 1830: The July Revolution ends the Restauration and brings a more liberal constitutional monarchy under Louis-Philippe.

The Restauration shaped 19th-century French politics by attempting a compromise between old-regime legitimacy and modern state institutions. Its legacy includes the endurance of Napoleonic legal and administrative reforms alongside intensifying debates over popular representation, civil liberties and the role of the monarchy in a changing society.