Napoleon the Little

Before the French National Assembly, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte swears loyalty to the republic and its constitution. Victor Hugo opens his political argument by recalling this public ceremony in 1848, which he says he witnessed as a representative. The solemn promises establish the standard against which he judges the seizure of power in 1851. His concern is the breach of public trust and the loss of constitutional government.

The book examines political institutions, press freedom, parliamentary speech and the meaning of official oaths. Its account of repression follows people punished for opposing Bonaparte or helping those sought by the authorities, including a working man whose early support turns to resistance. Hugo writes with open indignation rather than detached neutrality. For readers of French political history, the work shows how one opponent builds a case against concentrated power through remembered speeches, legal principles and individual experiences.