Led by Émile Ollivier, a republican opponent of the Empire, it was initially composed of moderate bonapartists and orléanists.

However following the constitutional referendum on 8 May[1] liberal members of the cabinet resigned and were replaced with politicians of a more authoritarian type.

[2][3] It lasted from 2 January 1870 until 10 August 1870, on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, when it was replaced by the Cousin-Montauban ministry.

[4] It was often referred to at the time as the Ministry of 2 January (French: ministère du 2 janvier).

It was brought down by the legislature following the first defeats in the Franco-Prussian War, in the only unanimous vote of no confidence in French parliamentar history.