Maximilien Novak

Maximilien Novak is a Lecturer in French and History at Dartmouth College, concurrently serving as Special Advisor to the Vice-Provost for Academic and International Affairs. His primary affiliation is with the Department of French and Italian. He holds dual Ph.D.s in French Literature (University of Chicago) and History (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris), alongside advanced degrees in French Literature, Musicology, and Comparative Literature from prestigious institutions in France, including the École Normale Supérieure and the Sorbonne.

Novak's research focuses on three interconnected domains: (1) French language pedagogy and acquisition methods, (2) nationalism and propaganda dynamics in 18th-19th century France and Germany, and (3) the intersection of musicology and translation studies. His work on the Napoleonic era explores cultural imperialism, public opinion mechanics, and the interplay between political power and artistic production.

Recent scholarship highlights include Napoléon et l'Empire des Lettres (2023), examining Napoleon's cultural policies, and edited volumes such as Power on Trial (2024), which investigates Enlightenment-to-Napoleonic era political legitimacy. His 2025 analysis of German intellectual elites under French occupation (1806–1814) offers groundbreaking insights into cross-cultural resistance mechanisms.

Novak's research methodology combines textual analysis with archival scrutiny, evident in his meticulous examination of Napoleonic-era档案 in Les sources archivistiques et historiques du Premier Empire (2019 review). His work frequently bridges historical narrative and cultural critique, positioning him as a leading scholar in transnational intellectual history.