Napoléon et l’Empire de l’opinion : acteurs et enjeux du contrôle de l’opinion publique sous le Premier Empire

Abstract

This article outlines the history of the administration in charge of the regulation and control of public opinion during the French Empire. The context of this regulation is delineated by examining how Napoleon intended, as early as the Consulate, to merge the Ancien Regime traditions with the new values of the Revolution. This project acknowledges innovative developments in public opinion management, in the shaping of political legitimacy after 1789. I will examine three unpublished manuscripts produced by this administration in order to illustrate the administrative and political implications of the imperial control of public opinion. In addition, I will analyze the historical issues at stake determined by different figures who played a role in this administration.