Napoleon the Little

Napoleon the Little is a book by Victor Hugo, first published in 1852. Written in the aftermath of the rise of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who became Emperor Napoleon III, this fierce political work is both a historical commentary and a powerful act of protest against authoritarian rule in nineteenth-century France.

Composed during Hugo’s exile, the book is a scathing critique of Napoleon III and the political upheaval that followed the collapse of the French Second Republic. Through sharp satire, passionate rhetoric, and detailed political argument, Hugo contrasts the legendary reputation of Napoleon Bonaparte with what he saw as the mediocrity and tyranny of his nephew. The work examines the events surrounding the coup d’état of 1851 and denounces the growing repression, censorship, and manipulation of public power that characterized the early years of the Second French Empire.

The text quickly became one of the most famous political pamphlets of the nineteenth century. Because of its uncompromising criticism of the regime, copies were banned in France and circulated secretly, sometimes smuggled across borders and copied by hand so that readers could share the work in private gatherings. Its bold tone and moral outrage reflect Hugo’s wider political commitments and his belief that literature could serve as a weapon against injustice and dictatorship.

Today, Napoleon the Little remains an important document of European political history and a striking example of Victor Hugo’s role not only as a celebrated literary figure but also as a passionate defender of liberty, democracy, and the rights of citizens during a turbulent period in France.

This translation was published in 1909 by Little, Brown, and Company.