Do you Recommend me the 18th of Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx?
So knowing I am very passionate about both Marx and Napoleon and history and politics in general I was curious to read this essay. As far as I know there Marx criticizes Napoleon III rise and describes him as a demagogue that appears to be a defender of the masses but actually still helps more the ruling class copying the mechanisms of his uncle. If I remember correctly he also, despite not supporting him due to him being a demagogue and dictator, still understood more Napoleon (I) because he saw him as the instrument that ultimately abandoned feudalism in order to consolidate capitalism, like with the legal reforms and the creation of French central bank, so a modernizer for his time I guess. I know this essay as also inspired future authors like Gramsci to understand the popularity of fascism and populism using the same arguments Marx used regarding Bonapartism. Let me know!
Posted Aug 1, 2025, 12:02 PM UTC