A French Imperial Meridian, 1814–1870*.

In this article the author examines the global ambitions of France between the restoration of Louis XVIII in 1814 and the fall of Napoleon III in 1870. The author characterizes this period as a high point in French imperialism. A number of topics are addressed including an examination of the formal and informal power of France between the fall of the house of Bourbon and the rise of the Third Republic, French imperialism between the 18th and 20th centuries, and the extent of French foreign trade and overseas investment.