The Duchy of Warsaw, 1807-1815 - (Bloomsbury Studies in Central and East European History) by Jaroslaw Czubaty (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Duchy of Warsaw, 1807-1815 is the first academic history of the state established by Napoleon in pre-partitioned Poland at the turn of the 19th century. The book examines the political, social and cultural dynamics of the Duchy and considers its role in Napoleon's wider empire and the politics he engaged in across the European continent during the period. Czubaty explores the history of the Duchy to reveal how political and social ideas, systems and mechanisms from France, Italy and Germany began permeating Central Eastern Europe at this time and goes on to consider how this impacted on the changing political mentalities of the Polish people.

Review Quotes

A read that is as absorbing as it is informative: in this exceptionally fair-minded study, Jaroslaw Czubaty takes us deep into the history and experience of Poland in the Napoleonic era, and argues that, notwithstanding Napoleon's cynical exploitation of the Poles for his own ends, this period played a crucial role in the eventual rebirth of a Polish state. Highly recommended!
Charles J. Esdaile, University of Liverpool, UK

Jaroslaw Czubaty has made a seminal contribution to Napoleonic studies in this rich, comprehensive and judicious overview of the Duchy of Warsaw. Czubaty's study stands out in a field that is growing in distinction almost yearly, across Europe, for its sweep and thoughtful approach to one of the most complex, important and hitherto understudied components of Napoleon's hegemony. The task of presenting an Anglophone readership with so complete a history of Napoleonic Poland requires a singular ability to handle a wide range of historical skills - political, economic, social, cultural - all of which Czubaty posses in abundance.
Michael Broers, University of Oxford, UK

With this judicious and highly readable study of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, Jaroslaw Czubaty has made a substantial contribution to our knowledge of the workings of Napoleon's Empire.
European History Quarterly

About the Author

Jaroslaw Czubaty is Professor at the Institute of History at the University of Warsaw, Poland.

Ursula Phillips is a translator of Polish literary and academic works and Honorary Research Associate of the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UK.