The Napoleonic Empire in Italy, 1796-1814

This book takes a close view of the development of French Imperialism in Italy 1796-1815. Using the vocabulary of extra-European imperialism, words such as cultural imperialism, acculturation, assimilation, integration, and pacification, Broers considers each region of Napoleonic Italy in turn, namely, Piedmont, Liguria, Parma/Piacenza, Tuscany and the Papal States. Always the overarching question is: how and why did the Italians reject the effectively Revolutionary program of “regeneration” pursued by the French in Italy. In the first part, Broers considers the French ‘invasions' of Italy, over the long period of 1796-1809. The second part deals with the problem of the new French regime in Italy and in particular the crucial interfaces where French and Italians came up close. It is entitled the “Phantom of integration”. Its central section is a detailed discussion (region by region) of Italian integrational difficulties with respect to the French imperial administration. The central discussion is related to the French policy of amalgame in Italy. The third part takes on the idea of cultural imperialism in a European context. It takes as it bedrock the change in imperial policy from the integration/amalgame of the earlier period to the assimilation (often enforced) of the latter. It also charts Italy's fundamental rejection of France's desires to “improve” Italy, and tries to plot the roots of Franco-Italian estrangement always with its attention firmly fixed on the problem as to why the Italians in the end rejected the French regime.

This book was awarded the 2006 Fondation Napoléon history prize for a work in a language other than French.
 
P.H.