French presidential election 1848 Tags: Election.The first-ever French presidential election of 1848 elected the first and only president of the Second Republic. The election was held on 10 December 1848 and led to the surprise victory of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte with 74% of the vote. thumbnail affiliation Bonapartism start date 1848-12-10 title French presidential election 1848 Learn more... Loading...