War, occupation, and entanglements: German perspectives on the napoleonic era

Abstract

When did the nineteenth century begin? Did it begin with Napoleon? This chapter considers Franco-German history around 1800. While briefly referring to aspects of that history before the French Revolution and also after the Napoleonic era, the main focus is on the Napoleonic Wars, on perceptions and experiences of them. The Franco-German relationship between 1800 and 1815 was largely asymmetrical due to Napoleon’s military victories, the annexation of German territories to France, and the transfer of French administrative, legal, and constitutional systems to parts of Germany. Thus, the focus here is on "Germanies and Napoleonic France" rather than "France and Germany" so as to stress French domination over the German territories.