Political Historiography in Restoration France

Abstract

The publication in 1814 of De la monarchie franpaise, by M. le Comte de Montlosier, was to inaugurate a debate over the development of French history which made the period of the Bourbon Restoration, and especially the first six years of it, one of the most seminal in French historiography. The history of the writing and publication of the book are in themselves illustrations of the turbulent course of French affairs during the early nineteenth century. At the beginning of his consulship, Napoleon was eager to have a national history which would integrate the ancien regime, the Revolution, and the re-establishment of order by himself into a single narrative framework, so as to provide a perspective on history which could be shared by all the rival factions in the nation. Not expecting much assistance in this matter from the members of the Institut, he turned to the party of counter-revolutionaries, in the hope of finding there an historian capable of linking the old and new regimes in comprehensive unity. In this search, he hit upon the Comte de Montlosier, an ex-emigre, an ex-deputy of the Second Estate in the StatesGeneral, a violent defender of privilege, and a noted anti-revolutionary. That Napoleon could expect a conciliatory history from the pen of such a staunch reactionary is indeed surprising; nevertheless, in 1804 Montlosier was directed to compose a history describing, first, the ancient state of France and its institutions; second, the manner in which the revolution had arisen from this state of affairs; third, the tentative efforts made to combat it; and fourth, the success obtained by the first consul in this respect. The book was to be completed in a few months' time, in order to celebrate the final triumph of Napoleon the re-establishment of the hereditary monarchy. Montlosier applied himself to the task, but his labors took considerably more than the allotted time. In fact, Napoleon had to celebrate the next stage of his restoration without the publication of the national history which was designed to justify it. Eventually, in 1807, the work was finished and submitted to the examining commission. The work must have brought great disappointment to the Emperor, for there was no element of reconciliation in it. Montlosier expressed in no uncertain terms his unshakable convic-