Revolutionary Europe: 1783 – 1815

This is a new edition of a book widely regarded as a classic in the field. Written by one of the leading authorities on the social history of Europe′s revolutionary age, George Rude′s beautifully written masterpiece provides an account of Europe before the great upheaval, outlining both the course of the Revolution in France and Napoleon′s rule, and tracing their impact and influence on Europe. Highlighting the social and economic aspects of this exciting period, Rude vividly brings to life many of the key issues that have fascinated historians since the fall of the Bastille. George Rude died in 1993 and for this edition his literary executor, the renowned historiographer Harvey J. Kaye, has written an extensive introduction examining Rude′s life and works. Now revised and with an updated list of additional readings, this new edition of Revolutionary Europe will continue to be welcomed and enjoyed by a new generation of historians.

Introduction by Harvey J. Kaye. Preface. Part I: Europe on the Event of the French Revolution: . 1. The Social Pattern. 2. Governments and the Conflicts within States. 3. The Conflicts between States. Part II: The French Revolution: . 4. Why was there a Revolution in France?. 5. 1789. 6. The Reconstruction of France. 7. The Struggle for Power. 8. Robespierre. 9. The Bourgeouis Republic. Part III: Revolutionary France: . 10. Europe and the French Revolution. 11. Revolutionary War. Part IV: The Napoleonic Era: . 12. Napoleon and France. 13. The Napoleonic Empire. 14. The Fall of Napoleon. 15. Perspectives. Maps. Further Reading. Additional Readings by Harvey J. Kaye. Glossary. Index.

At the time of his death in 1993, George Rude was Emeritus Professor of History at Concordia University, Montreal where he had worked since 1970. Previously he had taught at various schools in England and had been Professor of History at the University of Adelaide and at Flinders University. His publications include The Crowd in the French Revolution (1959), Hanoverian London 1714–1808 (1972), Europe in the Eighteenth Century (1972), Debate on Europe 1815–1850 (1972), Ideology and Popular Protest (1980), The French Revolution (1994), and The Crowd in History (1995). Harvey J. Kaye is Ben and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Social Change and Development, Director of the Center for History and Social Change at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, and executor of the George RudÚ Literary Estate. His previous books include Why Do Ruling Classes Fear History? and Other Questions (1996), The Powers of the Past (1992) and The British Marxist Historians (1995).