In the first half of the 19th century, France was still characterized by extraordinary regional and linguistic diversity. However, during this period the state increasingly became a central force in the life of French men and women. This book examines the role of municipal policemen (commissaires de police) in this evolution, during which time the police developed into a modern profession. It describes the careers of policemen, how they were hired, the daunting challenges they faced, and the successes they enjoyed, as well as their failures. The chapters describe how the dramatic political iss ... More

In the first half of the 19th century, France was still characterized by extraordinary regional and linguistic diversity. However, during this period the state increasingly became a central force in the life of French men and women. This book examines the role of municipal policemen (commissaires de police) in this evolution, during which time the police developed into a modern profession. It describes the careers of policemen, how they were hired, the daunting challenges they faced, and the successes they enjoyed, as well as their failures. The chapters describe how the dramatic political issues of the day — including two more revolutions — could bring a sudden, inglorious end to their careers in the police. The study underscores how the police helped the state affirm its primacy, and win the allegiance, or at least the obedience, of most ordinary people. At the same time, it shows how more and more it was the state, and its administrative representatives in each department — the prefects — who called the shots, and not the mayors, further confirming the reach of the French central government. Based on research in the Archives Nationales of France and many departmental archives (archives départementales), this book chronicles the street life of France's growing cities and towns in a time of rapid urbanization as seen through the prism of the men who enforced laws and maintained the peace.