This work examines how Napoleon Bonaparte acted as a catalyst for the modernization of European political, legal, and social structures. Felix M. Markham, a noted historian of the Napoleonic era, utilizes primary source documents and historical analysis to argue that Napoleon's conquests inadvertently spread the ideals of the French Revolution. The text explores the tension between Napoleon's authoritarian rule and the liberal reforms he imposed upon occupied territories, ultimately shaping the trajectory of the nineteenth century.

Historians frequently cite this work as a concise and insightful synthesis of Napoleon's complex legacy in European state-building. Readers often note the clarity of the prose, which makes dense political history accessible to both students and general readers.