Choice Review

While much analysis has been given to the Congress of Vienna during the immediate post-Napoleonic era, what has received less attention is the novel way the allies imposed peace on France. Drawing on a host of archival and printed sources, Haynes (UNC Charlotte) provides a well-written, accessible accounting of the peace-making efforts of the allies through the occupation of France, which "played no small part in the reconstruction of the economy and government of France--and, by extension, the rest of Europe" (p. 5). The process of building the peace was not easy, as her numerous anecdotes demonstrate. Initially, resentment dominated the early relations between the former combatants--particularly the Prussians, who sought vengeance for the years of maltreatment by Napoleon. Through their concerted efforts, however, French and allied authorities curbed local excesses and established rules that proved to be mutually beneficial. Occupying soldiers, for example, assisted in harvests, which in turn eased the burden of provisioning the allied armies. Even more effective in establishing the peace were the myriad cultural exchanges that, as Haynes demonstrates, humanized the former enemies to each other and laid the foundation for a lasting peace. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Wayne Hanley, West Chester University