Victor Hugo

History of a Crime Victor Hugo

Published in 1877, long after it was written, it is an account of the 1852 coup d'état that brought Napoleon into power and forced Hugo into an exile of eighteen years. The work covers those momentous early days of Napoleon rule that changed the course of French history. The deepest feelings and patriotic emotions of the author are reflected in these pages that chronicle the rise of Napoleon. On December 1, 1851, Charras[1] shrugged his shoulder and unloaded his pistols. In truth, the belief in the possibility of a coup d'état had become humiliating. The supposition of such illegal violence on the part of M. Louis Bonaparte vanished upon serious consideration. The great question of the day was manifestly the Devincq election; it was clear that the Government was only thinking of that matter. As to a conspiracy against the Republic and against the People, how could any one premeditate such a plot? Where was the man capable of entertaining such a dream? For a tragedy there must be an actor,