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Welcome to the Age of Napoleon.

Episode 58, stalemate.

Thanks for joining me.

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We left off last time in late 1800. Napoleon was consolidating his power over France, while his secret police fought a shadow

war with violent dissidents from the far left and the far right.

Even as his regime resorted to authoritarian measures, Bonaparte had never been more popular.

The French public cared about peace and stability above all else.

And besides, the regime was comparatively liberal and tolerant to

average people. It was only the radicals whose rights were being violated.

Perhaps that's nothing more than an excuse to bury one's head in the sand and ignore government abuses of civil liberties.

But it was enough for most people.

It's hard to imagine the citizens of modern democracies tolerating the suspension of habeas corpus,

special military tribunals, and guilt by association. But after over a decade of political instability

and violent civil conflict, who knows what people might be willing to tolerate to make it stop.

Bonaparte was acutely aware of how closely his popularity was tied to the restoration of peace and order.

Order was slowly returning through a combination of heavy-handed policing and genuine political

reconciliation.

We discussed the security measures in Paris last episode,

but Bonaparte also ordered similarly draconian measures

in the countryside.

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