The Napoleonic Quarterly6 Dec 2025

The Empire’s last act: Ritual, rivalry, and the end of old Germany (w/ Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger)

A conversation with Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, Professor Emerita of Early Modern History at the University of Munster and Rector of the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. Germany is becoming increasingly important to this podcast, which is why we're digging into another aspect of this fascinating part of Europe. Dualism and dissolution; between fealty and federation; the unravelling of the Holy Roman Empire and a tumultuous period. All setting the stage for Napoleon Bonaparte...

This discussion:

- Explores the complexities and contradictions of the Holy Roman Empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including its structure, political dynamics, and the concept of legitimacy.

- Discusses the dualism and rivalry between Austria and Prussia, and how their ambitions and actions contributed to the fragmentation and eventual dissolution of the Empire.

- Examines the significance of symbolism, rituals, and ceremonies in sustaining imperial power—and the ways these traditional forms were both maintained and undermined in practice.

- Looks at cultural and intellectual responses to the era’s upheavals, including the reactions of figures like Goethe, Schiller, and Hegel to the French Revolution and emerging German nationalism.

- Considers the impact of Napoleon and the mediatisation of the Empire, questioning whether Napoleon was the executioner of the Holy Roman Empire or if its internal weaknesses had already sealed its fate.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(193)

1804 recap: Imperial tensions

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1804 - the year in which France gets an emperor once again, and Europe gets an imperial-sized pro...

7 Sep 53min

Scenes from a Napoleon movie (screenplay wrap-up, pt2/2)

It is with a mixture of great embarrassment at my own over-acting and guilt at such outrageous self-indulgence that I, Alex Stevenson, presenter of the Napoleonic Quarterly, provide you, the poor suff...

29 Aug 1h 20min

We wrote a Napoleon movie! (screenplay wrap-up pt1/2)

This mini-episode unveils the end product from our Napoleon movie discussions: an actual first draft of a screenplay which tells the story of Bonaparte's rise to power. It's now available on Patreon, ...

22 Aug 14min

1803 recap: Against the odds

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1803 - a year in which peace between France and Britain collapses, and the cause of Haitian indep...

12 Aug 53min

1802 recap: Haiti's fight for freedom

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1802 - a year in which the French mission to recapture Saint-Domingue combines deception and brut...

6 Aug 59min

1801 recap: Making war and making peace

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1801 - a year in which Britain and France make peace, despite a widening canvas of war spreading ...

30 Juli 48min

Power without dignity: Napoleon's Brumaire sacrifice (screenplay plotting, mins 105-120)

In the eighth and final 15 minutes of our screenplay treatment, Napoleon really is trying to get this one last job done by completing the Brumaire coup. But his bid for his ultimate goal requires an u...

22 Juli 1h 1min

1800 recap: From Marengo to Moreau

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1800 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte achieves one of his greatest victories to consolidate h...

18 Juli 38min