Napoleonic wars

The article deals with the process of exiting of Austria from the war with Napoleon. Up to 1813, Austria lost one battle after another, probably experiencing the greatest humiliation in its history at the Battles of Austerlitz and Wagram. It had to abandon the so-called Holy Roman Empire; and eventually, if unwillingly, became an ally of Napoleon's France; Francis II had to marry his own daughter to Napoleon. As the ally of Bonaparte, he was threatened by unpleasant defeat in the war with Russia.

In the three sections of her article the author ruminates on the exiting of the Napoleonic Wars, which, through their geographic dimension, length, the use of new military technology and ideological content, brought important structural changes, and not only to French society. In the first section we learn about the diplomatic-military level of activity at exiting the War in 1814–1818, when France returned from the position of outcast to move back into the community of European states.

This article is an introduction to the thematic issue of Forum Historiae 2/2018 dedicated to the subject of exiting wars in France and Central European countries in 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to introducing the main research questions and hypotheses, which the authors of the issue worked with, and to the outline of their main conclusions, the editors also provide a brief comparison of exiting wars in East-Central Europe in 20th century.