Synopses & Reviews
The Napoleonic period cannot be interpreted as a single historical 'block'. Bonaparte had many different persona: the Jacobin, the Republican, the reformer of the Consulate, the consolidator of the Empire and the 'liberal' of the Hundred Days. The emphasis here will be on Napoleon as the heir and executor of the French Revolution, rather than on his role as the liquidator of revolutionary ideals. Napoleon will be seen as part of the Revolution, preserving its social gains, and consecrating the triumph of the bourgeoisie. The book will steer away from the personal and heroic interpretation of the period. Instead of seeing the era in terms of a single man, the study will explore developments in French society and the economy, giving due weight to recent research on the demographic and social history of the period 1800-1815
Synopsis
This book is an engaging and up-to-date summary of the impact of the Napoleonic era of France and Europe. It interprets this fascinating period in the context of the legacy of the French Revolution, and examines the social forces on which Napoleonic power was based. Original documents give a fresh and unusual perspective on social and political trends. Napoleon emerges as the heir and executor of the French Revolution, preserving its social gains, and consecrating the triumph of the bourgeoisie.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 330-333) and index.
Table of Contents
List of Maps * List of Graphs and Tables * List of Illustrations * List of Documents * Abbreviations * Introduction * Bonaparte the Jacobin * Bonaparte the Republican * The Coup of Brumaire * France in 1800 * Republic of Notables: the Constitution of the Year 8 * The Concordat * Law Codes and Lycees * Dictatorship by Plebiscite * Opposition: the Politics of Nostalgia * The Empire in the Village * 'Masses of Granite': the Sociology of an Elite * Art, Propaganda and the Cult of Personality * The Unsheathed Sword: 1, War and International Relations, 1800*1810 * The Unsheathed Sword: 2, Britain, Spain, Russia * The Napoleonic Revolution in Europe * The Napoleonic Empire: Collaboration and Resistance * The Economy at War * Debacle and Resurrection, 1813*15: Napoleon the Liberal * Conclusion * Further Reading * Index