However, the northern periphery of the Napoleonic Empire is not yet fully explored. Recent research shows that in newly acquired lands, officials often had to proceed differently. It was assumed French reforms were accepted unconditionally by local populations. Nationalistic tendencies long obstructed a neutral view of Napoleon’s treatment of conquered Europe, certainly when it came to the Dutch and Northwest German regions.
Traditionally, little attention was given to the dynamics of French rule in conquered Europe. This process of running the Empire is referred to as Napoleonic governance. This study is concerned with the ways in which the present-day Netherlands and Northwest Germany were integrated into the Napoleonic Empire, by replacing local institutions and traditional governing practices with French ones.
