This second volume begins with the refashioning of French laws and institutions under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 and ends with the Commune of Paris in 1871. While there is an ample supply of "facts", this book devotes more attention to the great turning-points of the period aiming not to force agreement wih his own interpretation but rather to stimulate readers to ask their own questions and formulate their own judgements.

A History of Modern France. Volume 3: 1871-1962 France of the Republics