Napoleon's Police

In this book, De Polnay attempts to demonstrate how Napoleon's police, the strongest power in the land, were the forerunners of such modern phenomena as the Gestapo or the STASI. Fouche's tentacles spread all over France and as police minister he used ruthless methods untried before, perfecting all manner of spying and counter-spying, forcing servants to spy on their masters and masters on their servants. This police-state was not without reason, however and this book shows how the English, The emigres, the Jocobins and the Chouans all plotted to rid France of Napoleon. This book shows a sordid France, one where betrayal and treason were the order of the day - where the police reached the height of their power, a power they did not relinquish after the return of the Bourbons. As the author says, "What the police learnt, the police did not forget"