SER Hypothèses

New Outlooks on the Napoleonic Empire

Since the 1990s, the multifaceted political and social transformation started by the Napoleonic era (1799-1815) has gained increasing scholarly attention; even if these studies have, for the most part, focused on the changes that took place within the Napoleonic Europe, the scope continues to broaden toward a global-scale geography. The same is true for the angles of research from which the period can be examined: recently, historians have started to deal not only with such classic issues as military or political history, but also to address the diverse range of questions posed by the interdisciplinary study of empires. It is only fair that, as the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death (1769-1821) approaches, we seize the chance to showcase and discuss the research that young historians are pursuing on the Napoleonic legacy and its impact on the existing order.