From dictator to democrat? The ‘Black Legend’ of Louis-Napoleon and subsequent historical revisionism

Rhoden, W. J. (2023) From dictator to democrat? The ‘Black Legend’ of Louis-Napoleon and subsequent historical revisionism. In: The Routledge Handbook of French History. Routledge, pp. 415-426. ISBN 9780367406820

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Abstract

This chapter is a study of the major historiographical assessments of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte and the Second Empire. It begins with an analysis of the original 'Black Legend', first popularised by Victor Hugo who viewed Louis-Napoleon as a retrograde step, a dictatorial anomaly in the course of historical progress. The study looks at the development of this ‘Black Legend’ in nineteenth-century France, Britain and Germany before seeking to understand subsequent revisionism that focused on the economic policy, personality and ideology of Louis-Napoleon. It concludes with an overview of new scholarly interest in Louis-Napoleon and the Second Empire as a fundamental part of the histories of French imperialism and democratic practice.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	© 2023 All rights reserved. This is an author-accepted manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in 'The Routledge Handbook of French History'. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Divisions:	School of Humanities
Depositing User:	W. Jack Rhoden
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2024 13:48
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2024 13:48
URI:	https://bgro.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/1093

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