Prof Emeritus Alan Forrest of the University of York, biographer of Napoleon, is back in conversation with Alex Stevenson to give his appraisal of imperial France as it was in 1804-05. Featuring -

• France’s shift from revolutionary chaos to Napoleonic stability in 1804-1805, with the rise of executive power and curtailment of parliamentary influence.

• Ongoing security threats and conspiracies from both Jacobins and royalists, including assassination plots and political purges.

• The challenges and social impact of conscription, causing widespread resentment, draft dodging, and community resistance.

• Transformation of the French economy and society under the pressures of renewed war, British blockade, and loss of overseas colonies.

• The emergence of new administrative strengths and legal reforms, alongside the growing reach of centralized state authority into everyday life.

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