Napoleon may have won and lost his empire on the battlefield, but for 15 years he sought to build a new state from territories across Western Europe, ruled by a new dynasty.
This talk will explore how the Napoleonic regime made use of historical narratives and symbolism to solidify its power, and in doing so consider the role of history in public and political contexts.
About the speaker
Dr Stewart McCain is Senior Lecturer in History at St Mary’s University, and Subject Lead for Postgraduate Taught Programmes in the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts.
He is the author of The Language Question under Napoleon (Palgrave, 2018) and has published work on the Napoleonic Empire in French History, The European Review of History and History Today.