Histoire du Consulat et de l'Empire, (Vol. 05 / 20) / faisant suite à l'Histoire de la Révolution Française

The narrative examines European shock after the execution of a royal duke and the diplomatic upheaval that followed: Prussia oscillates between alliance with France and ties to Russia, Austria exploits disorder within the German Empire, and Russia issues imprudent protests to the Diet. France answers with energetic, sometimes harsh, diplomacy while Talleyrand and other ministers pursue tactical solutions. Domestic crises, high-profile trials, and a notable suicide intensify public alarm and push opinion toward hereditary succession; debates in the Tribunate and Senate, resistance from some conservatives, and solicitations of foreign recognition culminate in constitutional reforms that establish imperial institutions and convert the republican regime into a military monarchy.