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Publishers cannot have enough of books from serious historians aboutthe “whys” of war. Why do they start? Why do they last? What makes a peacefragile? The past is one place to look for answers. Charles Esdaile, a lecturerat the University of Liverpool, is too gooda scholar to make easy comparisons between then and now. But the “whys” of warrun through his masterly account of the Napoleonic wars, a 12-year conflictbetweenFranceand Europe's other powers that killed almost 2m soldiers. Mr Esdaile, in apolitico-military survey of extraordinary scope and detail, tells us what hebelieves caused the conflict, what it was about and why it lasted so longdespite, as it seemed, frequent chances for peace. Neither battlefieldchronicle nor biography in disguise, “Napoleon's Wars” is explanatory historyof high order.
Historians date the Napoleonic wars from 1803, whenBritaindeclared war onFranceafterthe brief Peace of Amiens. Mr Esdaile recounts how Napoleon came to power in1799, masteringFranceandthen Europe.Britaincommanded the seas afterTrafalgar in 1805. ButFranceheld the continent thanks to victories on land against the Austrians, Prussiansand Russians. Setbacks inSpain,which Napoleon's troops entered in 1807, and disaster inRussiain 1812, led to eventual defeat at Waterloo.
Mr Esdaile makes that familiar story fresh in three connected ways. Heshows how marginal-looking conflicts—for example over the Romanian lands,Sweden,Portugal,Canada—ignitedlarger ones or divided potential allies. He reminds us that defeating Napoleonwas never sure. Europe's armies had first tolearn from their own failures and their rulers had to make common cause. Boththings happened, but late in the day. Above all, he stresses that the conflictwas not ideological but geopolitical. It was about the balance of power,disturbed for a century by Ottoman decline, Russian and Prussian growth andFranco-British rivalries.
Few if any ofFrance'sfoes were fighting for regime change in Paris.At many times they would have settled with Napoleon—had he settled with them.But they could never trust him to settle, and the wars went on. His twostrongest opponents,BritainandRussia,resisted him, in Mr Esdaile's view, not because he was a revolutionary, arepublican or the head of an upstart dynasty. They fought him because aslong as he controlledFrance,there was no telling whereFrancewould stop.
At this point Napoleon's character enters Mr Esdaile's intricategeopolitical equations. Without accepting a great-man theory of history, hethinks the Napoleonic wars deserve their name. Europe'spowers would have fought over their differences without Napoleon. But the scaleand ferocity of conflict was due in large part to the emperor's“aggression, egomania and lust for power”.
Mr Esdaile's book reflects a vast and varied range of recentscholarship. But he never leaves his geopolitical story for long. War started,he believes, because Europe was not inbalance. It dragged on because Napoleon could not be trusted. Peace came—andlasted until later generations forgot the horror of the alternative.
1.Mr. Esdaile’s book can be best described as_____
[A] a politico-military survery of the Napoleonic wars.
[B] an account of the Napoleonic wars in extrodinary scope and detail.
[C] a historical chronicle of the Napoleonic wars with comparisons of the past and the present.
[D] an exploration of the deep-rooted reason that led to the long war.
2. Mr. Esdaile’s novelty in recounting the conflict in _____
[A] that he dates from 1799 when Napoleon came to power in France.
[B] that he explains Napoleon’s character and history in detailed and vivid account.
[C] that he reminds us the importance of some marginal-looking conflicts.
[D] that he thinks the war was indeed started due to geopolitical factors.
3. Mr Esdaile holds the view that the Napoleonic wars are originated by _____
[A] marginal conflicts.
[B] imbalance of power in Europe.
[C] Napoleon’s aggressive ambition.
[D] Franco-British rivalries.
4. France’s rivals fought against Napoleon despite chances for peace because_____
[A] the political imbalance of Europe stimulated inevitable hatred and conflict between the countries and Napoleon.
[B] they were alert to the possible aggression by Napoleon.
[C] they attempted to settle with Napoleon but in vain.
[D] Napoleon was too ambitious to be trusted by them.
5. According to the passage, which one of the following statements is NOT true of the Napoleonic wars?
[A] The wars would not have been fought without Napoleon.
[B] The wars were due to the emperor’s aggression, egomania and lust for power.
[C] The wars lasted for so long time because France’s rivals could not trust Napoleon.
[D] The wars were fought over the difference of the Europe’s powers.
[答案]
1. D
2. D
3. B
4. B
5. B
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