[screcth]

Life as a rich person in the capital city of an Empire is great.

I doubt that people in conquered territories felt the same way about the Empire.

[0rzech]

And your doubts are well founded. The Polish have been liking it so much, that "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" (the Polish anthem) has references to Bonaparte (perhaps not exactly deservingly) and Italy because of the Partitions of Poland and currently Poland issues passports with jubilee cover due to 100th anniversary of regaining independence after its Partitions.

[tasuki]

We in Bohemia and Moravia, despite being conquered, relatively prospered and were allowed significant freedoms by the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Much more so than under the occupation of the Soviets...