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Napoleon's Population Control in 1812
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    Posted: 08-Nov-2006 at 12:11
Most estimates I have seen for Napoleon's peak of population control are at 40-50 million people in the year 1812. The most common estimate is 50 million.

I was perfectly content to settle on 50 million until I read the following from the Atlas of World Population History:

"The French Revolution was followed by the incorporation of Belgium into France. Then followed the dizzying series of Napoleonic annexations which brought the population of the Empire (not including satellites) to near 50m by 1812."

Again, we see the 50 million estimate, but this book adds that this figure is "not including satellites".

In 1812, Napoleon's satellites included:

  • Kingdom of Prussia - 9,000,000
  • Austrian Empire - 3,000,000
  • Kingdom of Italy - 19,000,000
  • Spain  - 11,500,000
  • Denmark  - 1,000,000
  • Switzerland - 1,750,000

The population estimates for each satellite are taken from the Atlas of World Population History just to remain consistent for this thread.

When we add these satellites into Napoleon's 50 million, we get a new figure of 95,250,000 people.

My current problem is determining if any of these sattelities could be considered so strongly influenced by Napoleon that they could be added to his overall empire total in 1812.

Thoughts? Opinions? Insights?

Details on book: McEvedy, Colin & Jones, Richard (1978). Atlas of world population history. Middlesex, England: Penguin.
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Decebal View Drop Down
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Posts: 1791 		  Quote Decebal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Nov-2006 at 15:51
That figure for the Austrian Empire seems awfully low. I know that by 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had a population of over 55 million (this includes Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Vojvodina, Transylvania, Bant, Galicia, Slovakia and parts of Poland and Italy). The boundaries of Austria had not changed much from 1815 to 1914, so such a populaiton increase would be on the order of the fantastic. Also, compare this with the kingdom of Italy. Perhaps a better estimate would be 30 million?

Edited by Decebal - 08-Nov-2006 at 15:53
What is history but a fable agreed upon?
Napoleon Bonaparte

Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.- Mohandas Gandhi

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Posts: 1108 		  Quote ataman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Nov-2006 at 22:43
Population of countries in 1800 (according to Paul Kennedy's 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers'):
 
France 28 mln, Habsburg Empire 28 mln, Prussia 9,5 mln, Russia 37 mln, Spain 11mln, GB 16mln, USA 4 mln, Netherlands 2mln.
 
scottmanning13 , your list doesn't include Warsaw Dutchy - by no means the sattelite of France. Warsaw Dutchy had 4,3mln people in 1812 and was able to mobilised about 120 000 soldiers (110.700 of them participated in Napoleon's Great Army in the Russian campaign)
 
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