Gendarmes and the State in Nineteenth-Century Europe

The history of police and policing have been the subject of much interest and research in recent years, but this book provides the first serious academic exploration of the origins and development of the role of soldier-policemen: the gendarmeries of nineteenth-century Europe. The author presents a detailed account of the French Gendarmeries from the old regime up to the First World War, and looks at the reasons for how and why this modelcame to be exported across continental Europe in the wake of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic armies. In particular their role is examined within the differing national contexts of Italy, Germany and theHabsburg Empire. The gendarmeries, it is argued, played a significant role in establishing the state, particularly in rural areas. As the physical manifestation of the state, gendarmes carried the state's law and a promise of protection, whilst at the same time ensuring in turn that the state received its annual levies of conscripts and taxes This account fully explores how the organisation and style of nineteenth-century soldier-policing inFrance developed in such a way that it brought the idea of the state and the state's law to much of twentieth-century continental Europe.

“'This remarkable book is the fruit of extensive research in French, German, Italian and Austrian archives ... Thanks to its superb sholarship and graceful style, Emsley's book will be read for decades.'S. Bailey, Choice, Jun 00.”

this is an excellent introduction to a little-studied aspect of police history which, quite apart from its intrinsic interest, illuminates the history of the modern European state from an unusual angle and from a comparative perspective.'Continuity and Change, 16exciting and innovative'Continuity and Change, 16Emsley's sixteen-page synthetic conclusion is so well done that the reader wishes it were longer.'Journal of Modern History, vol. 73, no. 3succinct ... vivid and engagingly written'Journal of Modern History, vol. 73, no. 3splendid work ... His command of a European-wide perspective and his detailed research into so many different forms of gendarmerie will force historians to confront the importance of this institution'American Historical ReviewEmsley's book is a significant contribution to the study of the development of the state and the rule of the law in nineteenth-century Europe. It will be of interest to all students of the period.'Joachim Whaley, Journal of European Studies, 2000surprisingly little serious scholarly work has been devoted to the study of this key institution ... Clive Emsley's excellent survey is the first comprehensive study of the gendarmeries of Europe.'Joachim Whaley, Journal of European Studies, 2000his compendius survey affords engaging glimpses of a small force that has had broad effects.'Eugen Weber, Times Literary Supplement, 24th March 2000.`This remarkable book is the fruit of extensive research in French, German, Italian and Austrian archives ... Thanks to its superb sholarship and graceful style, Emsley's book will be read for decades.'S. Bailey, Choice, Jun 00.

CLIVE EMSLEY is Professor of History and co-director of the European Centre for the Study of Policing at the Open University, Milton Keynes, England.

The history of police and policing have been the subject of much interest and research in recent years, but this book provides the first serious academic exploration of the origins and development of the role of soldier-policemen: the gendarmeries of nineteenth-century Europe. The author presents a detailed account of the French Gendarmeries from the old regime up to the First World War, and looks at the reasons for how and why this model came to be exported across continental Europe in the wake of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic armies. In particular their role is examined within the differing national contexts of Italy, Germany and the Habsburg Empire. The gendarmeries, it is argued, played a significant role in establishing the state, particularly in rural areas. As the physical manifestation of the state, gendarmes carried the state's law and a promise of protection, whilst at the same time ensuring in turn that the state received its annual levies of conscripts and taxes This account fully explores how the organisation and style of nineteenth-century soldier-policing in France developed in such a way that it brought the idea of the state and the state's law to much of twentieth-century continental Europe.

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