Imperial diplomats: Exploitation, reform, and the role of the French Diplomatic Corps in managing the Napoleonic Empire
Item
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Title
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Imperial diplomats: Exploitation, reform, and the role of the French Diplomatic Corps in managing the Napoleonic Empire
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:77a6c2abe448:11824
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identifier
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12383
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Creator
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Stavropoulos, Alexander,
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Contributor
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Helena Rosenblatt
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Date
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2013
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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European history | Diplomacy | Diplomats | Exploitation | France | Napoleonic Empire | Reform
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Abstract
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"Imperial Diplomats: Exploitation, Reform, and the Role of the French Diplomatic Corps in the Napoleonic Empire, 1803-1813" explores, through the examples of two French ambassadors in the satellite states of Bavaria and Spain, how the French Diplomatic Corps used coercion and manipulation to govern the Napoleonic Empire from 1803 to 1813. Relying on the papers of their embassies, this dissertation delves into the role that the ambassadors assumed as the proconsuls of Napoleon's European empire, setting the parameters of the imperial relationship between Paris and the satellites they were stationed in. The ambassadors performed tasks that were central to the proper functioning of that empire, including the maintenance of an extensive series of exploitative measures that secured money and soldiers for France's many wars of conquest, and cajoling the satellites into remaining loyal allies despite the incredible financial burden such exploitation placed on them. The latter was accomplished by quiet coercion and an unspoken quid pro quo between the satellites and France, whereby the French supported local attempts to institute domestic reforms in exchange for the participation of the satellites in the empire. At the same time, the evidence shows that contrary to the assertions of many historians, the domestic reform of the satellites was a low priority for the Emperor's diplomats, with the important exception of admin-istrative and military reforms that strengthened the ability of the satellites to meet the demands of Napoleonic exploitation. The ambassadors, understanding local circumstances much better than the Emperor or the imperial bureaucracy in Paris, softened Napoleon's angry demands, and on occasion altered or disobeyed imperial orders to ensure the support of local collaborators for the Empire, making possible its expansion and maintenance. Moreover, the ambassadors implemented a series of imperial policies that were atypical of nineteenth century European diplomacy, ranging from the enforcement of the Continental System against imported British goods, to the transport of important works of art from the satellites to the Louvre.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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History
