Research Guides: French Revolution & Napoleon Collections: The Napoleonic Period

What was the Napoleonic Period?

The Napoleonic Period, generally ranging from 1800 to 1815, saw Napoleon Bonaparte lead France as the First Consul and later the Emperor of the First French Empire. Besides the Napoleonic Wars across Europe and other parts of the world, many social and political changes occurred during Napoleon's Tenure with the Civil Code.

Manuscript Collections

Donald D. Horward Papers
Primary Sources
In Manuscript Collections

Donald D. Horward Papers

Identifier: 01-MSS 2011-0415
Date: 1961-2011

The Donald D. Horward Papers not only document his tenure as a professor at FSU and the beginnings of the Institute on the French Revolution & Napoleon, they also include some of Dr. Horward's research on the Napoleonic Period. Microfilm, research notes, and archival primary source materials comprise some exciting additions to this collection.

Below are some examples from this collection:

Masséna Family Archives (Restricted to on-site use)
- Copies of Marshall André Masséna's correspondence from 1810-1811.
General Jean Raymond Charles Bourke Dossier
- Contains records from General Bourke's service in Spain and Wesel, Germany from 1813-1814.

General Jean-Jacques-Germain Pelet-Clozeau Papers
While General Pelet began his military service in 1799, his papers include observations he made about the French Revolution as a student at college in Toulon as well as narratives about Napoleon's early military career and the Siege of Toulon.

In the Catalog

Catalog searching: You can search our library catalog online. Under the advanced search, you can narrow down the body of materials by choosing Strozier Library, Special Collections or Strozier, Napoleon Collection as a filter.

Some helpful search terms in English or French for the Napoleonic Period may include:

Napoleonic Wars
Civil Code
French Empire
Names of Marshals and Generals

Almanach impérial (1805)
Call Number: FSU Special Collections and Archives, Napoleon JN2597 .A44
Publication Date: 1805-1813
The Almanach royal had its beginnings in 1683 when Laurent d'Houry envisioned a calendar. In 1700 it became a royally sponsored publication that instead listed members of the royal family and the different administrators and incomes of the kingdom including clergy, bankers, military officers, and consuls. Its name changed throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period but documented similar institutional information.
Journal militaire
Call Number: FSU Special Collections and Archives, Napoleon 355.05 J863
Publication Date: 1790-1813
The Journal militaire devoted itself to reporting military laws, current developments, rules and regulations, official circulars, officer promotions, and the movements of different army corps.
Description de l'Égypte, ou, Recueil de observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'éxpédition de l'armée française
Call Number: FSU Special Collections and Archives, Napoleon (Double Oversize) DT46 .F8
Publication Date: 1809-28
This serial publication was an attempt by Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition force in Egypt to catalog and compile the natural history of and knowledge about ancient and modern Egypt.

In the Digital Library

Gazette Nationale, ou Le Moniteur Universel
Founded in Paris in 1789 by Charles-Joseph Panckoucke under the title Gazette Nationale, ou Le Moniteur Universel, this publication was the main French newspaper during the French Revolution and was the long time official journal for the French government.

In designing his newspaper, Panckoucke followed the format of English papers at the time and divided his paper into five main sections: The National Assembly, Domestic and Foreign Policy, Administration, Literature, Science and Arts, and General Announcements and Notes. The paper would become less political over time, publishing more articles on literature, science and art by 1811. It also dropped Gazette Nationale from its title in January of 1811 and became simply Le Moniteur Universel.

Our collection of Le Moniteur Universel starts with the 1789 issues and goes through the end of 1830. It includes the published indices from 1815-1829.
Petit almanach de la Cour de France: [1811]
This almanac contains a calendar, important persons in the French Empire ranging from nobles to military officers, politicians, and judges, as well as economic conversions, rentes, and information on the royals of Europe.