A despot or a liberal close to the people?
A visionary or a poor strategist?
In his short biography, which came out two months after another excellent one by Thierry Lentz, Xavier Mauduit sheds light on the many paradoxes of this often caricatured Bonaparte, who had himself elected President of the Republic before restoring the Empire.
This fascinating destiny, the historian, also a producer on France Culture, tells it with a sober pen.
Louis-Napoleon was born on April 20, 1808. His parents, Louis and Hortense, reigned over Holland.
Their son knows a youth of royal recklessness, until the approach of the united forces.
To make him feel this change of atmosphere, his mother decides to deprive him of…dessert.
It should make you want revenge.
In exile, Louis-Napoleon walks in the Swiss meadows, but thinks above all of the Empire.
And to France.
There, Louis-Philippe d'Orléans has just replaced Charles X. His fellow citizens do not like the monarchy, but still fear...
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