William Doyle, "Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution" (Reaktion Books, 2022)

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Books Network – William Doyle, "Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution" (Reaktion Books, 2022)
Original air date: October 19, 2025
Host: Dr. Charles Cottillo
Guest: Professor William Doyle (University of Bristol, Emeritus)

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Episode Overview

This episode of the New Books Network explores Professor William Doyle’s latest work, Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution. Through an in-depth interview, Doyle and host Dr. Charles Cottillo examine Napoleon Bonaparte’s role in concluding the turbulence of the French Revolution, focusing on how he overcame the period’s core crises—monarchy, religion, and war—to bring France a measure of stability. The discussion also addresses the complexity of Napoleon’s character, his diplomatic and domestic maneuvers, and the enduring impact of his leadership style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Thesis of Napoleon at Peace

[02:08]

• Doyle: “The subtitle gives you the idea—how to end a revolution.…that instability is caused by three great problems. The problem of monarchy, the problem of religion, and the problem of war. And Napoleon’s great achievement is actually to confront and solve those problems and thereby bring the revolution to an end.”
• Napoleon as the agent who resolved the instability of the Revolution by tackling these persistent issues.

2. Napoleon's Escape from Egypt

[03:01]

• British Admiral Sir Sidney Smith’s ambiguous role in allowing Napoleon’s return from Egypt.
  • “It’s always said that Smith wanted to simply crow to Napoleon... But there is some thought that Sydney Smith quite encouraged Napoleon to leave because he thought that would make things difficult for France generally.…” (Doyle)
• Napoleon’s motivation: Recognized that France had lost his earlier gains and only he could recover them.

3. Rise to Power: Autonomy in Italy

[04:45]

• Napoleon became the Directory’s indispensable general due to successive victories.
  • “He turned...a subsidiary front...into the main theater of the war.…they realized they were in the hands of this winner.” (Doyle)
• The Directory’s attempts to restrain him failed, paving the way for his autonomy and eventual dominance.

4. Napoleon as a “World Historical Figure”

[05:58]

• This self-image emerged during the Italian campaigns.
  • “When he began to win battles...he said, I began to think of myself as something special.” (Doyle)

5. Political Alliances & Sieyès’ Calculus

[06:35]

• Sieyès sought military support to reform the Directory, cycled through potential generals until Napoleon’s timely return.
  • “Morrow said, ‘this isn’t my job. There is your man.’ And that’s how Sieyès got Napoleon.” (Doyle)
• Despite personal differences, their collaboration was tactical.

6. The Necessity of Peace

[07:55]

• Napoleon sought peace not merely as respite, but as confirmation of his regime’s legitimacy and strength.
  • “It has got to be...peace with victory. It’s no use making some sort of compromise peace…” (Doyle)

7. The Treaty of Amiens (1802)

[08:33]

• Contextualized as a British surrender after Continental defeat and Pitt’s resignation.
  • “When you look at the Peace of Amiens, it’s pretty well a British surrender.” (Doyle)

8. Peace: Temporary or Long-Term?

[09:59]

• Napoleon saw the peace as likely temporary, anticipating further conflict. “He doesn't expect it to last forever...he just loves fighting.” (Doyle)

9. The Concordat with the Vatican

[10:28]

• A pivotal act to stabilize France by reconciling with the Catholic Church.
  • “Apart from winning the war, [the Concordat] is quite the most important thing he actually did...because if we don’t solve this, there will be endless unrest and uncertainty.” (Doyle)

10. Transition to Empire

[11:42]

• The move toward hereditary power solidified amidst external threats and assassination plots.
  • The decision was crystallized with the resumption of hostilities with Britain in 1803.

11. Domestic Stabilization Measures

[13:05]

• Alongside the Concordat, Napoleon built a strong paramilitary (the gendarmerie) to enforce order.
  • “He said the real key...is setting up the gendarmerie, is setting up this paramilitary police which is uniformly organized throughout the country to crack down on lawlessness…” (Doyle)

12. Impressions of British Visitors

[14:28]

• British visitors to post-Revolutionary France were struck by visible order and discipline—many left impressed by Napoleon’s authority.
  • British reaction: “By God, this man should rule the world.” (Doyle quoting a British visitor)

13. Breakdown of Peace and the Role of Malta

[15:41]

• The Peace of Amiens broke because of tensions over Malta and perceived French expansionism.
  • “Napoleon wants the British to get out of Malta...Malta is a key to naval control of the whole Mediterranean.” (Doyle)
  • British suspicions about Napoleon’s intentions informed their refusal to evacuate Malta.

14. Core Takeaway about Napoleon

[17:24]

• Despite off-putting traits, Napoleon’s effectiveness is remarkable.
  • “You have to be impressed by his sheer ability to get things done, his sheer ability of keeping so many balls in the air...dealing simultaneously with these three great problems.” (Doyle)
  • His failure to address colonial challenges foreshadowed later defeats.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ending the Revolution: “Napoleon’s great achievement is actually to confront and solve those problems [monarchy, religion, war] and thereby bring the revolution to an end.” (Doyle, [02:10])
• On Napoleon’s drive for peace: “It has got to be...peace with victory. It’s no use making some sort of compromise peace…” (Doyle, [07:55])
• On the Concordat: “[The Concordat] is quite the most important thing he actually did...because if we don’t solve this, there will be endless unrest and uncertainty.” (Doyle, [10:28])
• On Napoleon’s competency: “You have to be impressed by his sheer ability to get things done...keeping so many balls in the air and dealing simultaneously with these three great problems.” (Doyle, [17:24])
• British awe: “By God, this man should rule the world.” (British visitor quoted by Doyle, [15:14])

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:08] – Book’s thesis and Napoleon’s challenge
• [03:01] – Escape from Egypt/Sidney Smith’s motives
• [05:58] – Napoleon’s self-image as world figure
• [06:35] – Sieyès and the coup
• [07:55] – Napoleon’s attitude toward peace
• [08:33] – Treaty of Amiens & its context
• [10:28] – The Concordat: Religion and state
• [13:05] – Policing and domestic stability
• [14:28] – British impressions in Paris
• [15:41] – Malta and peace breakdown
• [17:24] – Doyle’s central takeaway on Napoleon

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Summary in the Original Tone

Professor Doyle, in an eloquent yet candid style, emphasizes both Napoleon’s impressive achievements in stabilizing France and his more troubling personal characteristics. The discussion, punctuated by anecdotes and vivid observations, provides both a scholarly and accessible window into this intense period of French—and European—history.

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For listeners new to the topic, this episode offers a coherent narrative of how Napoleon channeled the chaos of the Revolution into a new form of order, balancing ruthlessness, pragmatism, and visionary leadership—leaving a legacy still debated today.

Transcript

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[D]

Welcome to the New Books Network.

[C]

Good day. Welcome to New Books in History, a podcast channel on the New Books Network. My name is Dr. Charles Cottillo of the Royal Historical Society. I'm a host on the channel. And today we are pleased and indeed honored to have with us Professor William Doyle. Professor Doyle is professor Emeritus of history at the University of Bristol. He is without a doubt one of the leading historians dealing with the subject of the French Revolution. And today we're discussing his newest book, Napoleon at How to End a Revolution, published by Reaction Books. Welcome, Professor Doyle.

[D]

Glad to be with you.

[C]

Professor, what is the thesis of your book?

[D]

It's. Well, the subtitle gives you the idea how to end a revolution. It depends upon a definition of the revolution, which is a period of uncertainty, a period of upheaval, a period of instability. And that instability is caused by three great problems. The problem of monarchy, the problem of religion, and the problem of war. And Napoleon's great achievement is actually to confront and solve those problems and thereby bring the revolution to an end.

[C]

Why did Admiral Sir Sidney Smith allow and or assist Bonaparte to escape Egypt? And why did Bonaparte wish to escape Egypt in the first place?

[D]

Well, the book starts with a chapter on the escape from Egypt, because that's what gets Napoleon to France to actually take power. The interesting thing about Smith is it's always said that Smith wanted to simply crow to Napoleon about the losses that France had had while he was away in Egypt. But there is some thought that Sydney Smith quite encouraged Napoleon to leave because he thought that would make things difficult for France generally, we can never quite know, but Sidney Smith was a speaker of French, of native standard. He loved France. He really retired to France after the wars were over and is buried in Paris, in fact. So there's an ambiguity about Sidney Smith, I think. But what we do know is that Sidney Smith's absence from the mouth of the Nile in The summer of 1799 enabled Napoleon to make that dash back to France and take power. I think as regards Napoleon's motivation in doing that, it's simply that he could see that all the gains that largely he had made in the years before going to Egypt had been lost. And he felt this had got to be recovered. And the only way to recover it was for him to go back. I mean, he never intended to stay in Egypt permanently anyway.

[C]

Why did the Directory allow Bonaparte to become an autonomous actor in Italy in 1796, 1797?

[D]

Well, he was a winner, and that was the most important thing. I mean, he turned what they had envisaged as a subsidiary front to the campaign that was mainly being waged in Germany. He had turned that whole thing round and made Italy the main theater of the war. And he's a winning general. And at one point they did actually try to. To split the command in Italy. And he said, no, if you can't do this, I'm not doing it. And they realized that they were in the hands of this winner. And the result of that was that he ended up calling the shots completely, more or less independently, making peace with the Austrians and dictating terms there, terms which the Directory had not really liked, but they didn't really have much point, much power to stop him by that time.

[C]

When did Bonaparte see himself as a sort of Hegelian world historical figure?

[D]

It's during the Italian campaign, according to his reminiscences and so on, when he began to win battles and win them apparently quite easily, he said, I began to think of myself as something special, as someone, as a person who could really take power. But I don't think he, he thought of it much before he began to win battles in northern Italy.

[C]

When did Abbe Siez, forgive my pronunciation, decide to promote and use Bonaparte to overthrow the Directory?

[D]

Well, Sies thought the Directory did need to be Reformed, it did need to have a constitution which increased the central power, which increased the power of the executive and so on. And he realized by that time that he couldn't do anything without military support. And he was looking around over the summer of 1799 for a general. He settled initially on General Joubert, but Joubert was actually killed in battle in northern Italy and began to look around for other people. He turned his attention to Moreau, who was also a successful general. But Morrow, he's talking to Morrow at the very moment the news arrives that Napoleon has landed in the south of France. And Moro said, this isn't my job. There is your man. And that's how CS got Napoleon. I mean, the two of them didn't really get on terribly well, but they knew they needed each other to do what they wanted to do.

[C]

When, after the coup d', etat, did Bonaparte see that France needed peace?

[D]

Oh, I think he saw it straight away, you know, but the point about peace is it has got to be, as far as he's concerned, peace with victory. It's no use making some sort of compromise peace of any sort, because he didn't think that was really going to last and it wasn't going to redound to the glory of his government. It's got to be peace with victory. And he's aiming at that right away from the moment he's in power.

[C]

Why did the British and the French agree to the treaty of 1802 establishing peace between themselves?

[D]

Well, the French are in a very strong position by the beginning of 1802 because they've defeated all their enemies on the continent. And then the British, you've got to look at that one and say, look, here we are, we're isolated, we're fighting on alone because we have no friends, no allies on the continent. They've all been defeated by the French. And we're also in trouble at home. There's war weariness and so on. But above all, there is a striking coincidence which has nothing to do with Napoleon or anything else like that, and that's the fall of Pitt. And Pitt falls because he feels he's honor bound to a commitment he made to favor the Irish Catholics and give them political power or access to political power, and the King vetoes it. And Pitt feels, well, in that case, I have no alternative but to resign once Pitt has gone. The man who had run the war right from the beginning. From the British point of view, the way is open for someone else to actually do a deal with the French. But when you look at the Peace of Amiens, it's pretty well a British surrender.

[C]

Did Bonaparte view the Peace of 1802 as a short term expedient or something much more long term?

[D]

It's hard to tell. I think he does say at one point that he doesn't expect it to last forever, but he knows that sooner or later his various enemies and opponents will give him a pretext, will give him an excuse to fight again, because, you know, he just loves fighting.

[C]

Why did Bonaparte agree to the Concordat with the Vatican?

[D]

Now that, I think is apart from winning the war, is quite the most important thing he actually did, because he saw very clearly that so long as the French state was. Because they're at war with the Catholic Church, which they were, then there was going to be no possibility of peace because the Catholic Church supported the Bourbon royalist cause and also was fermenting all the time unrest among a population which by and large regretted the marginalization of the Catholic Church that the successive revolutionary regimes tried to bring about. So it's his incredible realism. He said, look, this is the problem, the most important problem we've got to solve, because if we don't solve this, there will be endless unrest and uncertainty and hostility to the regime.

[C]

Do we know exactly when Bonaparte first contemplated becoming Emperor?

[D]

That's extremely difficult. I think he clearly aims at absolute power for himself, and that is pretty clear right from the start. And he gradually begins to realize that the only way to perpetuate the sort of regime he wants to set up would be some sort of hereditary authority. And they realize also, you know, he's also subject to threats of assassination, assassination plots and so on. And when war resumes with the British in 1803, the British actively support insurgents and subversives who would like to assassinate Napoleon. And he feels the only way to perpetuate the sort of regime he's setting up is for it to be a hereditary regime. So the real point comes, I think, once war resumes in 1803, aside from.

[C]

The Concordat, how and why was Bonaparte so successful in stabilizing France domestically?

[D]

Well, the Concorda is fundamental in all sorts of ways because it undercuts resistance to the authority of the state and so on. But also he realizes that he has got to reinforce the policing power that the state has. And when he looks back at the end of his period of power and so on, he said the real key to this is setting up the gendarmerie, is setting up this paramilitary police which is uniformly organized throughout the country to crack down on lawlessness and brigandage and so on. A ruthless regime of policing really is what he is setting up. It's not fully established by the time he becomes emperor, but it's in the course of establishing itself. And already the unrest and uncertainty and brigandage and lawlessness that have characterized the revolutionary years are diminishing quite fast.

[C]

What were the impressions, favorable or unfavorable, of British visitors to France in 1802, 1803?

[D]

Well, they're fascinated, obviously they've not been able, most of them have not been able to go to France for a decade and so on. And it's always been a place that they wanted to go to. They are looking out for evidence of revolutionary depredations and they can see that in burnt out chateaus and in pillaged churches and so on. But they are a lot of them quite. When they get to Paris, they're really quite impressed by the way authority has been imposed on the capital and the way that military parades are there all the time. And there's one occasion which I do mention in the book, where one British visitor watching a parade with Napoleon inspecting the troops outside the Tuileries palace, and by God, this man should rule the world. They're so impressed by that.

[C]

Why did the peace of 1802 break down so quickly? And who would you say was primarily responsible?

[D]

Well, the issue on which he breaks down is Malta. Basically. Malta, which had been a sort of semi independent state ruled by the Knights of Malta, is taken by Napoleon when he's on his way to Egypt and the French hold it, but then the British capture it while he's marooned there in Egypt and the British sit there and when they're negotiate, trying to negotiate a deal, Napoleon wants the British to get out of Malta because he realizes that Malta is a key to naval control of the whole Mediterranean, really. And although the British have agreed to evacuate Malta in the Peace of the Amiens, they see that in fact Napoleon is not just using the peace to try and have amicable relations with everybody, he actually is using it to try and extend French influence in the Netherlands, in Switzerland, in Italy and so on. And they say, well, we better hang on to Malta because otherwise the French will probably try and take Malta as well. And that will rebuild the whole situation of them trying to take Egypt, which is also something Napoleon made little secret of hoping to do.

[C]

If you wanted people to take one thing away from your book, professor, what would it be?

[D]

I think it will be the thing that's impressed me with Napoleon. I mean, Napoleon is in many ways a really repellent character. I mean, all sorts of character traits are really quite nasty. But you have to be impressed by his sheer ability to get things done, his sheer ability of keeping so many balls in the air at the time and dealing simultaneously with these three great problems. Well, more than three in one sense. I emphasize that internal disorder is something as well, which is a product of all those things and also the colonial issue as well, which is his first great defeat, in fact, because the first thing that really goes wrong for him and that points the way to further defeats later on. But it's the sheer ability of the man, I think has always impressed me.

[C]

On that observation, I would like to thank you very much, Professor Doyle, for being so kind as speak with us today. You've been listening to. Thank you, Professor. You've been listening to New Books in History, a podcast channel, the New Books Network. Thank you, Professor Doyle, very much.

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