Supervision 6- Napoleonic Empire - The literature on this topic has gone through a series of phases i.e. Sutherland o Started exclusively with him as a military leader or his love affairs, Stuart Woolf changed the scene in the 1990s o Since that- more continental focus o Further turn; linked to global history and development of understanding that imperial studies need a focus on the colonies o Even more recently- even countries that weren't in the empire i.e. Britain- i.e. Prussia terrified of Napoleon- idea of a French threat i.e. coalitions- GENERAL WORRY ABOUT THE NAPOLEONIC THREAT- RISE OF 'MONOMANIA'- affected the psyche, unification out of fear= his legacy and threat outlived him o Literature progressively moves outward from the Parisian account to the continent - We can't treat Europe as a single homogenous bloc= historical changes over time; implications of reflecting on histories from a vantage point - Whig history; coined by Herbert Butterfield- tended to write history theologically, find examples that explain the status quo, 'winners' history' - = issue with trying to identify a winner or loser= methodologically questionable outlook, invites a teleological outlook as you'll go on a path to identify a trajectory of wins/losses to reach your desired hypothesis - Good to always question the 'gains' - Make clear though it that you have an argument (good) - A dimension you could add o Broers- impact of legislation and reform varies dependent on geography, duration of rule o The Italian campaign was one of the earliest esp northern Italy- what we think of Italy as a nation was actually a conglomeration of states that were ruled by different rulers- very variegated o Napoleon does institute French rule over those institutes= not as much an invasion story- provinces o In Spain its different- there was opposition to the reigning monarch and opposition to the fact the Spanish crown brings in ottoman mercenaries to fight= some welcome Napoleonic rule and some resist it= less successful than Italy, they become part of the empire very late o Touch on it more in your essay !! - Situation of women o In the French revolution the Jacobin bring in divorce law and legislation that allows either spouse to divorce o Napoleon changes this= if you're a French woman in France this is a loss but if you're a woman in Austria etc this is a gain as you still at least had the power to divorce o Experience of being female and facing Napoleonic rule varies - Same for middle class o In Italy very few could get into official administration as German speaking were prioritised
o Napoleon= you can enter the civil administration = celebrated; people wrote to Paris on it saying it was wowowowow, also enthusiasm about fiscal and administrative modernity the empire entails o Pointfl you can bolt this onto your story= his empire had two faces - Hellenisticfl emulating Greek rule, physically and in depth= he was macron of sensible modern reforms- how he's seen