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A RETURN TO THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
This week's letter returns to the Iberian Peninsula to catch up on the events of the Portuguese campaign of 1810 and 1811. For all the details of Masséna's bid to drive the British forces, under Wellington, from the country and seize back Lisbon, napoleon.org has prepared a new timeline, taking you through the key points of the campaign, including the sieges of Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo, the lines of Torres Vedras and the French retreat back into Spain in March 1811. And with the new issue of Napoleonica. La Revue out this week, we have the taken the opportunity to highlight Marc Gerstein's article, "'Nous avons des outrages à venger': Napoleonic Medals of the War in Spain", which also looks at affairs in the Iberian Peninsula. Proceed southwards through the letter and you will also find information on the commemorative events in Elvas, Portugal, which are getting set to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Albuera. And for those looking for more details of this bloody and indecisive battle, 200 years ago offers the perfect introduction to Soult's clash with Sir William Beresford near the Portuguese-Spanish border. Elsewhere, our new article of the month is Peter Friedman's detailed study of Napoleon's medical history, with particular focus on his years of exile and death on the island of St Helena. It is this death, on 5 May 1821, that was commemorated with last week's inauguration of a new statue on Plac Powstańców, in central Warsaw. Finally, we return to the American situation in 150 years ago, with a look at the British declaration of neutrality.
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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
"Another Napoleonic Mystery - Napoleon's death", by Peter Friedman
In an article that first appeared in the magazine First Empire, Peter Friedman takes a thorough look at Napoleon's medical history, exploring his various ailments and complaints from cradle to grave. As well as the much discussed arsenic issue, Friedman also discusses the stomach cancer diagnosis, the French emperor's changing appearance, and the various "cures" - including calomel and mercury - administered by the different doctors who attended Napoleon. Of particular interest is the in-depth summary of the day-to-day occurrences relating to Napoleon's health in the months leading up to his death.
The article on the French side is "Les ennemies frères: Fraternisation Franco-Anglaise pendant la guerre de la Péninsule", by Natalia Griffon de Pleinville.
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NAPOLEON.ORG
Timeline: the Portuguese campaign, 1810-1811
Begun in April 1810, the Portuguese campaign saw French general André Masséna, Prince d'Essling and maréchal d'empire, lead a force of about 65,000 imperial troops into the Peninsular cauldron with the goal of seizing Lisbon and driving the British from Portugal. Initially successful in capturing the fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida, the French came up against the Duke of Wellington, a combined Anglo-Portuguese force, and the Lines of Torres Vedras, the allied secret lines of defence to the north of Lisbon. What followed was a fascinating tactical battle as Masséna sought to manoeuvre the allies out from behind the lines, whilst Wellington banked on a strategy of attrition. Find out what happened in our timeline covering the Portuguese campaign of 1810 and 1811.
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NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
Issue n° 10 now out
Issue n° 10 of Napoleonica. La Revue is now available via Cairn.info. In amongst the three English-language articles, two French-language articles and one book review on offer this time around, we have selected (given this week's letter's particularly Peninsular orientation) Marc Gerstein's "'Nous avons des outrages à venger': Napoleonic Medals of the War in Spain" as our proposal of the week. Examining the significance of the two medals issued after the campaign between November 1808 and January 1809 - led by the French emperor himself - this article throws light on these little-studied medals, and offers an analysis of their immediate and specific historical contexts.
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WHAT'S ON
Friends of the British Cemetery May 2011 bicentenary ceremonies, Elvas, Portugal
With 2011, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Albuera, the ceremony in Elvas will be larger and grander than in previous years. The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment (PWRR) is coordinating a large group of about one hundred, principally retired, members of that regiment and the Royal and Welch Fusiliers. The majority will attend the ceremony and the unveiling of a memorial plaque in the British Cemetery. The full programme for 14 May, which will include a visit to the military museum at the monastery of São Domingos and a talk on the Battle of Albuera from Mark Thompson (author of The Fatal Hill), can be found in our What's on file.
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NAPOLEONIC NEWS
When Napoleon returned to Warsaw: inauguration of statue on Plac Powstańców
As announced in October of last year, the Polish branch of the Société d'entraide des membres de la Légion d'honneur, after a request presented by its members, undertook to reconstruct the monument to Napoleon I on what used to be Plac Napoleona, in Warsaw (today known as Plac Powstańców, "Uprising Square", where the 1944 insurrection began). A plan was drawn up to create a synthesis of two previous statues, both erected during the 1920s. On 26 August, 2010, the project was unanimously approved by Warsaw's city council. The ceremony, attended by Francois Barry Delongchamps, French Ambassador to Poland, took place on 5 May, 2011, marking the 190th anniversary of the emperor's death and the 90th anniversary of the inauguration of the first monument.
200 YEARS AGO
The Battle of Albuera
With the Armée de Portugal in retreat by early March, Wellington dispatched an Anglo-Portuguese force under by Sir William Beresford to the south and into Estremadura to guard against any sort of advance from the Armée d'Andalousie, under the French maréchal, Soult, Duc de Dalmatie. Soult had recaptured Badajoz - an important fortress on the Portuguese-Spanish border - and left a strong French garrison in place. However, by April Beresford had cut off French communication with the fortress and was intent on leading a new siege on the city. Soult began marching north from Seville just before 1am on 10 May, set on driving Beresford from the area. The advance - Seville to Albuera is a distance of about 115 miles - was rapid and on 16 May, 1811, the two commanders met at the village of Albuera. Another of the Peninsular campaign's bloody battles, Beresford was almost forced to withdraw as Soult's superior tactics - a feint attack on the allied forces stationed around the village of Albuera followed by a heavier assault on the allied right-wing - saw the French maréchal gain the upper hand. A brigade under John Colborne sent to reinforce the wing was massacred by Latour-Maubourg's Polish lancers. The allies were only spared defeat by an offensive assault led by Lowry Cole and Henry Hardinge who - acting without orders from Beresford - succeeded in breaking the French left-wing, leading to Soult's retreat. Both sides suffered heavy losses (4,000 dead, wounded or missing for the allies, 7,000-odd for the French), and Wellington was moved to comment to his brother, "Another such battle would ruin us". The allied siege of Badajoz was abandoned, to be attempted at a later date (March 1812, to be exact).
150 YEARS AGO
American Civil War: Britain issues a proclamation of neutrality
On 13 May, 1861, Queen Victoria issued a proclamation confirming Britain's neutrality in the rapidly escalating conflict between the northern and southern American states. In a long and legally-worded address, the queen made it clear that any British subject enrolled in the army or navy - on either side, confederate or unionist –, that any individual attempting to circumvent the blockade in place, and that anyone serving on a privateer bearing letters of marque would be subject to prosecution, a fine and imprisonment. The text finished with a serious warning, informing any individual considering service or involvement in the war that "all our subjects, and persons entitled to our protection, who may misconduct themselves in the premises, will do so at their peril and of their own wrong, and that they will in nowise obtain any protection from us against any liabilities or penal consequences, but will, on the contrary, incur our high displeasure by such misconduct."
The Moniteur Universel, reporting on the proclamation a few days later on 18 May, noted somewhat self-righteously that "This ban [from serving on any privateer bearing letters of marque] would have been superfluous if the Congress of Paris' decision, which abolished such armament, had been adopted by the United States, and the Union government has only itself to blame if the southern states use against them [the Union government] this barbaric arm which they refused to give up."
A few weeks later (11 June, 1861), Napoleon III, once convinced of the seriousness of the conflict, would himself come out in favour of France's "strict neutrality regarding the struggle between the Union government and the confederate states" (Moniteur Universel, 11 June, 1861).
A few weeks later (11 June, 1861), Napoleon III, once assured of the seriousness of the conflict, would himself come out in favour of France's "strict neutrality regarding the struggle between the Union government and the confederate states". However, privately the French emperor was said to have remarked "If the north is victorious, I shall be pleased, but if the south prevails, I shall be delighted!"
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 584, 13 – 19 MAY, 2011
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OPERATION ST HELENA
The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced an international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon.org.
FONDATION NAPOLEON ON THE WEB
Each week we offer you a "mystery" link to somewhere on napoleon.org. Click on the link to discover a part of the website you might not have visited before...
EVENTS
On now and coming up
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
Commemorations
- Friends of the British Cemetery May 2011 bicentenary ceremonies, Elvas, Portugal [14/05/2011 - 14/05/2011]
Full details
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