Histoire de l'Émigration pendant la Révolution Française. Tome 3 Du 18 Brumaire à la Restauration

This third volume follows the French émigrés from the coup of 18 Brumaire through the early years of the Restoration, centering on the modest court that Louis XVIII built in Mitau under the protection of Tsar Paul I. It paints a vivid picture of an ex‑royal household sustained by a generous Russian stipend, an eclectic entourage of former nobles, clerics and loyal servants, and the lingering hope of a return to France.

The narrative walks listeners through the day‑to‑day rhythm of the Mitau court: morning audiences held behind the guard of Saint‑Louis knights, lavish meals where the king’s blue coat with a red collar contrasts with the cardinals’ quiet appetites, and evening card‑games that echo Versailles’ lingering etiquette. Visits from foreign diplomats, Russian princes and curious adventurers add a diplomatic sparkle to an otherwise isolated exile.

Beyond the ceremonial details, the work shows how the comforts of wealth could not erase the anxieties of displacement. It captures the tension between the safety provided by the tsar’s generosity and the growing uncertainty that would soon confront the ex‑king and his loyal circle.