Cabinet of General Cavaignac
The French provisional cabinet led by General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac from June to December 1848.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Cabinet of General Cavaignac was the government of France during the critical transition between the February Revolution and the establishment of the Second Republic's elected presidency in late 1848. It governed from 28 June to 20 December 1848, succeeding the Executive Commission after the June Days Uprising, a violent insurrection in Paris from 23 to 26 June that followed the closure of the National Workshops. In the aftermath, the National Assembly concentrated executive authority in General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac, who became President of the Council of Ministers and effectively headed the republic's government. Cavaignac's administration represented an attempt to restore order and stabilize the institutions created by the February Revolution. Its authority rested primarily on the National Assembly, whose members were confronting severe political polarization, economic distress, and continuing conflict over the social direction of the new republic. The cabinet therefore combined administrative continuity with a firm law-and-order posture. Its formation marked the replacement of the short-lived collective Executive Commission by a more centralized executive structure. The ministry underwent several changes during its brief existence. On 5 July 1848, Achille Tenaille de Vaulabelle replaced Hippolyte Carnot as minister of Education. On 17 July, Pierre Marie de Saint-Georges replaced Eugène Bethmont at Justice; Raymond de Verninac Saint-Maur replaced Jules Bastide at the Navy; and Bastide moved from the Navy to Foreign Affairs, replacing Marie Alphonse Bedeau. On 13 October, Alexandre Pierre Freslon replaced Tenaille de Vaulabelle at Education, Jules Dufaure replaced Jules Sénard at the Interior, and Alexandre-François Vivien replaced Adrien Recurt at Public Works. On 25 October, Ariste Jacques Trouvé-Chauvel replaced Michel Goudchaux at Finance. The cabinet's tenure ended after Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was elected President of the French Republic. On 20 December 1848, the first cabinet of Odilon Barrot replaced Cavaignac's government. The cabinet was consequently a transitional administration rather than a continuing political organization: its historical importance lies in its management of the republic immediately after the June Days and in the transfer from assembly-backed executive authority to the newly elected presidency.
History
The cabinet emerged from the crisis caused by the June Days Uprising of 1848. The insurrection, which lasted from 23 to 26 June, exposed the instability of the French Republic established after the February Revolution. After the uprising, the National Assembly replaced the Executive Commission with a more concentrated executive arrangement and entrusted General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac with executive power. Cavaignac became President of the Council of Ministers and headed the government from 28 June. The administration's principal historical setting was the struggle to define the meaning of the new republic. Political leaders faced economic hardship, social conflict, and disagreement over the role of state-sponsored employment. The government's formation signaled a move away from the collective executive model used immediately after the February Revolution and toward stronger central direction. Cavaignac's position depended on the Assembly, but his military background and role in suppressing the June revolt gave the cabinet a pronounced emphasis on order and institutional control. The ministry was not static. On 5 July, Achille Tenaille de Vaulabelle took over Education from Hippolyte Carnot. On 17 July, Pierre Marie de Saint-Georges replaced Eugène Bethmont at Justice, Raymond de Verninac Saint-Maur replaced Jules Bastide at the Navy, and Bastide moved to Foreign Affairs in place of Marie Alphonse Bedeau. Further changes came on 13 October, when Alexandre Pierre Freslon replaced Tenaille de Vaulabelle at Education, Jules Dufaure replaced Jules Sénard at the Interior, and Alexandre-François Vivien replaced Adrien Recurt at Public Works. On 25 October, Ariste Jacques Trouvé-Chauvel replaced Michel Goudchaux at Finance. Cavaignac's government continued until the new constitutional order produced an elected president. Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte won the presidential election, and the first cabinet of Odilon Barrot replaced Cavaignac's ministry on 20 December 1848. The cabinet therefore lasted less than six months. Its significance derives less from long-term policy branding than from its role as the Assembly-backed executive that governed France between the June Days crisis and the rise of presidential government.
- 1848
Formation of the cabinet
[1]On 28 June, the National Assembly entrusted General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac with executive power after the June Days Uprising, replacing the Executive Commission.
- 1848
Education ministry changes
[1]Achille Tenaille de Vaulabelle replaced Hippolyte Carnot as Education Minister on 5 July.
- 1848
Multiple ministerial transfers
[1]On 17 July, the cabinet changed its Justice, Navy, and Foreign Affairs ministers through a series of substitutions and a transfer involving Jules Bastide.
- 1848
Autumn reshuffle
[1]On 13 October, changes were made at Education, the Interior, and Public Works.
- 1848
Finance ministry change
[1]Ariste Jacques Trouvé-Chauvel replaced Michel Goudchaux as Finance Minister on 25 October.
- 1848
End of the government
[1]The cabinet was replaced on 20 December by the first cabinet of Odilon Barrot after Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was elected President.
Products and positioning
A short-lived, assembly-backed French republican government focused on restoring executive authority and public order after the June Days Uprising.
Brand decisions
1848
Centralization of executive authority after the June DaysStrategyBackground
The Executive Commission was replaced after the June Days Uprising, amid a crisis of authority and severe political conflict.
Action taken
The National Assembly gave General Cavaignac executive power and installed him as head of the government.
Aftermath
The arrangement governed France until the presidential election brought Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte to power and led to the cabinet's replacement.
Recent events
- 1848
Cavaignac government formed after the June Days Uprising[1]
Leadership change · Other
The National Assembly gave General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac executive power, replacing the Executive Commission and creating the cabinet on 28 June 1848.
- 1848
Cabinet undergoes ministerial reshuffles[1]
Leadership change
The government changed ministers in Education, Justice, the Navy, Foreign Affairs, the Interior, Public Works, and Finance between July and October 1848.
- 1848
Odilon Barrot cabinet succeeds Cavaignac government[1]
Leadership change
Following Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's election as President, the first cabinet of Odilon Barrot replaced Cavaignac's government on 20 December 1848.
Sources1 sources
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