Napoleon III and Europe investigates, outside the field of France’s own political development, those positive changes in the organization of Europe and the world which Napoleon III effected. It examines Napoleon III’s attitude towards the so-called nationality principle with regards to the Balkans, and the attention he gave to the fate of the Christian nations in European Turkey. Napoleon’s role in the unification of Italy is also discussed. Comprised of 10 chapters, this book begins with an analysis of Napoleon’s Balkan policy in relation to the Ottoman Empire, as well as his attitude towards the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The two areas of Europe in which the problem of nationality was most acute and complex are considered, namely, the empires of the Hapsburgs and the Turks. Attention then turns to Napoleon’s policy towards Italy and its unification. The process of Italian unification is discussed in relation to European politics during Napoleon III’s reign. Napoleon’s foreign policy on Europe and the diplomatic actions of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck are also examined, along with his contributions to the development of European politics and culture. The final chapter is a selective bibliography of Europe between 1852 and 1890. This monograph will appeal to historians and political scientists.