Napoleon

Napoleon

Impact on Europe

Broers (1996) distinguished the "inner" and "outer" empire. The "Inner" Empire included France itself and Belgium, the Netherlands, the Rhinelands, most of western Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy. These areas were integrated into an efficiently administered and largely obedient bloc. Napoleon sought to rally hostile political factions of both right and left to his rule (ralliement), as well as to fuse them into a loyal administrative class. In return for their services and obedience, Napoleon offered this new elite social order a coherent legal code and protection of their property.

The "outer" empire, comprised the German Hanseatic territories, former Papal States, Illyrian provinces, and the kingdom of Spain (ruled by brother Joseph Bonaparte). It displayed little enthusiasm for French occupation and resented the imposition of high taxes, enforcement of the Continental blockade against trade with England and America, application of the Concordat with the Pope to protect the Catholic Church, and, perhaps most importantly, conscription demands to supply troops for the Grande Armee. In the Outer Empire banditry flourished, elites declined to cooperate with the occupier, and the forces of counterrevolution remained active. Napoleonic rule rested on an insecure alliance of local collaborators and French administrators, both of whom were unpopular with their subjects. Grab (1996) shows heart of the French occupation of Europe was a combination of reform and exploitation designed to extract men and money more efficiently from the subject states.

Bibliography

Biographies

• Asprey, Robert. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. 2 vol well-written popular biography
• Barnett, Corelli. Bonaporte (1978), hostile
• Emsley, Clive. Napoleon 2003 142 pp, very succinct coverage of life, France and empire; little on warfare
• Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon (1971), favorable popular bio
• Ellis, Geoffry. Napoleon (1997)
• Englund, Steven. Napoleon: A Political Life. (2004). 575 pages; the best (and most advanced) biography
• Fisher, Herbert. Napoleon (1913) 256pp old classic online edition
• Fournier, August. Napoleon the First: A Biography (1903); 836 pages online edition
• Lefebvre, Georges: Napoleon, 1969, French perspective
• Markham, Felix. Napoleon 1963. 304pp online edition
• Schom, Alan. Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life popular
• Thompson, J. M. Napoleon (1954), famous classic

France

• Bergeron, Louis. France under Napoleon (1981), French viewpoint
• Goubert, Pierre. The Course of French History. 1991; French textbook; ch. 14 online edition
• Lyons, Martyn. Napoleon and the Legacy of the Revolution (1994)
• Sutherland, D.M.G. France 1789-1815 (1985)
• Cambridge Modern History, Vol. IX (1906). old and detailed

Europe

• Broers, Michael. Europe under Napoleon 1799-1815 (1996) 291pp, covers everything except the battles
• Bruun, Geoffrey. Europe and the French Imperium, 1799-1814 1938. excellent survey of all of Europe
• Ellis, Geoffrey. The Napoleonic Empire (1991)
• Grab, Alexander. Napoleon and the Transformation of Europe. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), pp. 249, maps; excellent synthesis
• Lyons, Martyn. Napoleon and the Legacy of the Revolution (1994)
• Woolf, Stuart. Napoleon's Integration of Europe (1991)
• Schroeder, Paul. The Transformation of European Politics, 1763-1848. 1996; Elaborate detail; advanced history; very hostile to Napoleon; online edition
• New Cambridge Modern History
• Cambridge Modern History, Vol. IX (1906). old and detailed

Military

• Adkin, Mark. The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History's Most Famous Land Battle (2002) 448pp
• Chandler, David. The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973), 1216pp; best military synthesis
• Dodge, Theodore Ayrault. Napoleon; A History of the Art of War (1904), old classic online edition
• Esdaile, Charles J. The Wars of Napoleon (1995)
• Gates, David. The Napoleonic Wars, 1803-1815 (1997)
• Goetz, Robert. 1805: Austerlitz; Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition (2005). 368pp
• Greiss, Thomas E. West Point Atlas for the Wars of Napoleon (1986) 70pp; all maps are online
• Rothenberg, Gunther. The Napoleonic Wars (2006) 240pp

Historiography

• Dunne, John. "Napoleon: For or against ... and Beyond." History Review. Issue: 27. 1997. pp 17+. online edition
• Geyl, Pieter. Napoleon: For and Aquinst (1949) online edition
• Pinkney, David. (ed.), Napoleon: Historical Enigma (1969)

Online resources

• Richard Jensen, ed. Web Sources for Military History (2006)
• War, terror and Resistance
• Napoleon Bonaparte: Internet Guide

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