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In this week's letter, you will find much of present interest. There are first details on an important change in the composition of the Fondation's board of trustees. Next we bring sad news of the death of the significant French history publisher and historian himself, Anthony Rowley. This month's object is linked to the Paris Musée de l'Armée's currently running great exhibition on Napoleon III and the Risorgimento - namely, the uniform emperor Napoleon III wore at the battle of Solferino. Next we bring you a web article on the important first-empire-period British diplomat, Castlereagh, followed by worrying news of threats to Napoleonic museums on France's côte d'azur, underlining the surprisingly sometimes tenuous position Napoleon I occupies in French national culture. If St Helena's your thing, then you mustn't miss Chantal Prévot's remarkable and massive bibliography of all things helenian, high-lighted this week from the most recent issue of Napoleonic La Revue. And finally the weekly First and Second Empire history snapshots focus on Napoleon I disgusted with Sweden and Napoleon III seizing the opportunity of the American Civil war to drive some regime-change south of the border... Enjoy.
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FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
A new administrator is appointed
Owing to personal reasons, Prince Murat has decided to step down from his role as an administrator of the Fondation Napoléon. As a result, the Souvenir Napoléonien has nominated Jacques Macé as one of its representatives on the board of trustees. Jacques Macé is a renowned historian of the period, and is particularly well-known for his work on Napoleon's exile on St Helena. He will assume his seat on the board at the next session, which is scheduled for 13 December.
STOP PRESS
Anthony Rowley: 1952-2011
Anthony Rowley, fifty-nine years old, passed away suddenly this week. A well-known historian and publisher, Rowley took over from Denis Maraval as head of Fayard's history department, publishers of the General Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte. We are all shocked by this sudden and terrible news. The Fondation Napoléon offers its most sincere and heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and his colleagues at Fayard.
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OBJET D'ART OF THE MONTH
Napoleon III's undress tunic and trousers, worn at the Battle of Solferino
When it came to his official portraiture, Napoleon III displayed a fondness for military uniforms. This preference, although entirely typical of a period during which uniforms were de rigueur at balls and on afternoon strolls, took on a particular significance for the emperor. Once dressed in his uniform, the French sovereign – who, it should be noted, was not an officer in the French army – evinced a very specific imperial quality, the embodiment of an empire whose very name evoked victory and whose history was founded at least in part on the strategic genius of its famous architect. This uniform is currently on display as part of the "Napoleon III and Italy" exhibition, which is being held at the Musée de l'Armée, in Paris.
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PRESS REVIEW
History Today online: "Castlereagh: Enlightened Conservative", by John Bew
One of the free to read articles from the latest edition of History Today is John Bew's text on the British politician and diplomat, Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, whose decisions and enterprise as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies and Minister for Foreign Affairs during the early nineteenth century were key to the continued war effort in Britain's struggle with Napoleon and France. The November 2011 printed edition also features a short article on John Bright, liberal politician and leading radical during the Victorian period, which can be found in Richard Cavendish's Months Past section.
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NAPOLEONIC NEWS
Napoleonica under threat on the Côte d'Azur
Renovated at great (public) expense, the Musée Masséna in Nice - whose beautiful Napoleonic collection includes most notably items relating to the man who was victorious at Zurich - is, if rumours in the local press are to be believed, under threat of closure. The mayor of the coastal city is reported to be planning to renovate the prestigious building and create in the museum's place a number of offices. Questioned on these plans at a recent city council meeting, Christian Estrosi denied the rumours, declaring ambiguously - an approach much-loved by politicians - that "the Musée Masséna [is] an integral part of Niçois heritage". In other words, these rumours will be addressed "at the right time and in the right manner".
Something to keep an eye on then, all the more so with all things Napoleon increasingly shut out on the Côte d'Azur. The Musée naval et napoléonien d'Antibes has been replaced by an environmental museum, the Napoleonic museum in Monaco also appears set to close its doors, and the Golfe Juan demonstration marking the emperor's return from the island of Elba, which traditionally takes place every year in March, has just been cancelled for 2012.
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NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
Issue n° 11 now online
As well as furthering the study of Napoleonic history through articles and book reviews, Napoleonica. La Revue is also dedicated to facilitating research into the two empires. This week, we bring you the fruits of Chantal Prévot's trawl through the rich bibliography relating to St Helena and Napoleon I's exile on the island. Part one covers the exile period itself.
200 YEARS AGO
No horses for Sweden
Napoleon was becoming more and more frustrated by the Swedish authorities' behaviour in the Baltic, particularly in reference to the circumvention of the continental blockade (see bulletin n° 594). In one day, 3 November 1811, he dispatched three letters outlining his displeasure. He began by ordering Cambacérès to in turn instruct the Queen of Spain (Julie Bonaparte, née Clary) to encourage her sister, the Princess of Sweden (Désirée Bernadotte) to leave Paris as "measures taken by the Swedish government will [probably] lead to war between Sweden and [France]". Next he wrote to Hugues-Bernard Maret, Duc de Bassano and Minister of Foreign Affairs, informing him that if the Swedish government persisted in its recent activity - particularly its collusion in escorting British trade ships flying under the cover of the American flag (a recurring gripe of Napoleon) - the likely result would be a withdrawal of French diplomats in the country, noting ominously "I would rather be at war than in such a state of peace". Finally, Jerome, King of Westphalia, came in for harsh criticism for having dared to send some horses to Bernadotte, the Swedish prince royal, as a gift:
"I am informed that you are giving some horses to the crown prince of Sweden. I want you to countermand this shipment. Sweden is behaving badly, and at some point it is possible that we will be at war. These gifts are thus not appropriate at this time. You do not know the man to whom you are giving these gifts. In any case, sending horses always seems more of an act of homage. Nothing could displease me more than this shipment of horses."
This escalation in diplomacy was to be followed by the French annexation of Swedish Pomerania in January 1812, as Napoleon sought to secure his left-flank in preparation for the coming conflict with Russia.
150 YEARS AGO
Tripartite treaty signed
On 31 October 1861, France, UK, and Spain signed a tripartite treaty in London, resolving to compel Mexico to honour the loans that the struggling country had taken out. The European powers also undertook to send a combined navy and army to Mexico, with the aim of seizing key military positions, and ensuring the safety of foreign residents in case of hostilities. Although the treaty stipulated that no territorial gains would be sought or made, and no attempts to intervene in Mexican domestic policies would be countenanced, French machinations behind the scenes envisaged an entirely different affair.
Find out how the expedition panned out in our close-up on: the Mexican campaign, 1862-1867.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 601, 28 OCTOBER – 3 NOVEMBER, 2011
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© This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
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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.
Exhibitions
- "Napoleon III and Italy: birth of a nation 1848-1870", Paris, France [06/10/2011 - 06/10/2011]
Full details
- "Napoleone entra a New Jork. Chaim Koppelman e l'Imperatore", Rome, Italy [14/10/2011 - 08/01/2012]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
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NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
Available free on Cairn.info
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