This article deals with the « Empire Libéral » chrononym. The latter displays a twofold defining feature : on the one hand, it was still being elaborated during the period of time it describes, and on the other hand, it began to be commonly used during that same period. The « Empire Libéral », which brought discredit upon itself after its failure, could have simply sunk into oblivion. However, it was not the case thanks to its main stakeholder, Émile Ollivier, who is the author of an eponymous written work, a monument of international literature with a view to justify the « Empire Libéral » retrospectively.