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WE TURN OUR GAZE...
... back across the Atlantic this week as we look to the upcoming Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850, now into its 42nd edition, which is set to take place next week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Representatives of the Fondation Napoléon will be joining various other academics, professors, and experts in Napoleonic and Revolutionary history for the three-day event, which is set to feature a keynote address from Alison Frank of Harvard University. With this in mind, our first selection from the latest issue of Napoleonica. La Revue is Thierry Lentz's paper on Napoleon and Hitler, which was presented at last year's consortium in Tallahassee, Florida. We also have further event news of our own, with the announcement that registration for the 1812 international conference, to be held in Paris, France, is now open. The French capital also plays, or rather played, a key role in our article of the month for it was a trip to Paris in December 1851 that encouraged Walter Bagehot, one of the foremost commentators and journalists of his day, to write one of his first articles on Louis-Napoleon. This article, written nearly fifteen years later, takes a look at Caesarism and the imperial regime. Further down the letter is a press release on Yves Jégo's plans for Napoleonland, which are starting to garner interest on both sides of the Channel, plus a reminder (and response from the Napoleonic community) of the recent documentary on Napoleon's logistical issues in Russia. We round off the letter with a brief look at the life of Sir Charles Cotton - the man behind the Coruña evacuation - and the Prince Napoleon's incendiary speech to the Senate in February 1862.
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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
"Caesarism after thirteen years", by Walter Bagehot
The Englishman Walter Bagehot, a journalist, political commentator and economist, was at the height of his career considered "the Greatest Victorian". Whilst on holiday in Paris in December 1851, he was witness to Louis-Napoleon's coup d'état: this was to be the start of his admiration and respect for the man who would become Napoleon III. His lack of sympathy for what he saw as the emperor's Caesarism however led to a slight cooling of this ardour in later years. This article, published in The Economist just after the release of Napoleon III's History of Julius Caesar (external link), takes a look at the political nature of imperial France, the effects that the regime was having on the country, and the future that lay in store after Napoleon III.
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NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
Issue n° 12 out now
Issue n° 12 of Napoleonica. La Revue is now out. Last week we offered an overview of the latest release, so this week we will be taking a closer look at one of the articles. With the 2012 Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850 set for next week, what better time to catch up on Thierry Lentz's 2011 paper, delivered at the previous edition of the event which took place in Tallahassee? Taking an historical misconception that has in recent years proved more enduring than you might initially think - the so-called parallels to be drawn between the figures of Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler - the Fondation Napoléon's director takes apart the perceived similarities and limited arguments and presents them for what they are: inaccurate and anachronistic. "Napoleon – Hitler, the improbable comparison" is our first selection from number 12; don't forget however that all of the articles from every issue of Napoleonica. La Revue can be read and downloaded free of charge from Cairn.info.
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WHAT'S ON
2012 Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850, Baton Rouge, USA
The 42nd annual conference of the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850 will be held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, between 23 and 25 February 2012. The keynote address on Thursday evening comes from Alison Frank of Harvard University, who will be delivering a paper on "Slavery and Conversion in the Revolutionary Era". The three-day event will also feature contributions from a great many historians and scholars working in the field of Napoleon history, including Michael Bonura, Tim Fitzpatrick and Patricia Perrella, as well as the Fondation Napoléon's delegation of Patrice Gueniffey, Thierry Lentz and Peter Hicks.
International conference: "1812, la campagne de Russie: Regards croisés sur une guerre européenne", Paris, France
Slightly later than initially anticipated (unforeseen circumstance rearing its ugly head again), the registration form for the 1812 conference, organised by the Fondation Napoléon and its partners, is now available to download and complete.
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PRESS REVIEW
Plans for Napoleonland
Over the last couple of weeks, Yves Jégo's project to create Napoleonland, a theme park dedicated to Napoleonic history, has been receiving a fair amount of media attention. The plan is to build the park on the site of the Battle of Montereau, which saw Napoleon defeat the Austrian Field Marshal Schwarzenberg and Frederick I of Württemberg in February 1814. The project for the moment remains in the very early proposal stages, but there is talk of constructing a conference centre and various "family-orientated" activities and holding historical re-enactments. A run-down of the project can be found on napoleon.org.
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SEEN ON THE WEB
BBC4 documentary: "Napoleon's failure: For the want of a winter horseshoe"
Those with access to the BBC iPlayer service can still catch up on the recent episode of Bullets, Boots and Bandages: How to Really Win at War (external link), which takes a look at troop movement and logistics during the Russian campaign of 1812. Take a look at our Facebook page for Alexander Mikaberidze's remarks on the programme and in particular the issue of horse shoes and its impact on the campaign.
200 YEARS AGO
Death of Sir Charles Cotton
On 23 February 1812, Sir Charles Cotton, a British naval officer, passed away suddenly of apoplexy. He was perhaps best known for his organisation of the Coruña evacuation, which saw about 30,000 troops under the command of Sir John Moore - who perished during the operation - evacuated whilst under attack from advancing French forces. Described by the Naval Chronicle of January-July 1812 - which can be found here (external link) - as a "gallant, persevering, humane, and excellent commander", Cotton took command of a squadron off the Tagus in December 1807, and strongly opposed the Convention of Cintra, which allowed the French army to evacuate its troops from Portugal, and was considered a disgrace once news of its signature reached Britain. His final post, held for just a few months before his death, was Commander of the Channel fleet.
150 YEARS AGO
Plon-Plon in the senate
On 22 February 1862, just a few weeks into the new Senate session, Plon-Plon's Republican beliefs and facility for causing controversy resurfaced in dramatic fashion. Taking to the floor in response to speeches from Ségur d'Aguesseau and La Rochejacquelein which defended monarchist and papist values and defended the divine right espoused by Royalists (the latter describing the French constitution as "monarchique et héréditaire"), he proceeded to launch a virulent defence of Revolutionary values.
"I consider the honourable M. de La Rochejaquelein's speech to be a programme of the counter-revolution. [...] Gentlemen, seeing how the Revolution has been attacked, I should like to defend it here with all my conviction. I consider the establishment of the empire as being founded on the application of the agreed principles of the Revolution. [...] France's government is hereditary. Why? In order to establish, to practise, to apply the great principles of the Revolution. It is not hereditary by divine right, [the form] that some of you loved in your childhood, that you venerated until 1852, the era in which you joined this assembly.
The Prince Napoleon proceeded to inflame the room further by proclaiming:
"Do you know what cries accompanied Napoleon I from the Golfe de Juan to the Tuileries, as he was raised aloft by popular support and the arms of the people and the army? They were cries of 'Down with the nobility! down with émigrés! down with the traitors!", at which point he was drowned out by indignant senators. Anarchy swept through the room, with many believing that Plon-Plon had cried out "Down with priests!" (the words "prêtres" and "traîtres" sounding very similar; the former is actually what Thiers recorded, on page 143 of his Histoire du Consulat et de l'Empire, as being heard when Napoleon landed in March 1815).
Despite managing to calm the situation down, Plon-Plon was, on 23 February, the recipient of an admonishing letter from Napoleon III:
"I cannot help regretting keenly your speech of yesterday. Moderation and calmness are the first requisites in anyone wishing to persuade. [...] Your speech will do harm to my Government and to yourself."
A second letter followed, on 24 February, as the affair escalated and Plon-Plon found himself shut out:
"Since I last saw you I have found the Empress so much up in arms against you, because people have made her feel that the words you spoke about heredity are an attack on the rights of her son, that I must request you not to come this evening because an explanation in public would be very disagreeable."
The prince had some explaining to do.
For more on Plon-Plon and his exploits in the Senate, take a look at Francis Choisel's article on the subject, which was originally published in the Revue du Souvenir Napoléonien (external link in French).
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 615, 17 - 23 FEBRUARY 2012
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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...
MAGAZINE
Just published
- Elysium, by Diane Scott Lewis
Press review
- Book review: Albert. A Life, by Jules Stewart
- Book review: What it Means to be Human: Reflections from 1791 to the Present, by Joanna Bourke
- "Napoleon's" bottle of Brugerolle Cognac from 1795 up for sale
- The Guardian: further details on Napoleonland
- Agnès Poirier: "Why not have a Napoleon theme park? He did more for the world than Disney"
Seen on the web (external links)
- History of Julius Caesar, by Napoleon III
- "Le Sénat du Second Empire: le roi Jérôme et le prince Napoléon", by Francis Choisel
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.
Conferences
- 2012 Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850, Baton Rouge, USA [23/02/2012 - 25/02/2012]
Full details
- "1812, la campagne de Russie: Regards croisés sur une guerre européenne", Paris, France [04/04/2012 - 05/04/2012]
Full details
Seminars
- UCL research seminar: "'Jeunes femmes à la mode': Anatomies of Sociability, 1794-1815", presented by Dr Jann Matlock, London, UK [22/02/2012]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
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