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In this week's letter...
we have a new painting of the month for you: Bouguereau's depiction of Napoleon III visitng flood victims in Tarascon. We also focus on the war of 1812 and bring you a selection of multimedia coverage of the bicentenary of Britain's final conflict with America.'200 years ago' focusses on Napoleon's entry into Smolensk and what that portended for the now flagging campaign, whilst in '150 years ago' we take a look at plans for a grandiose monument to Napoleon III's military campaigns and Imperial plans for intervention in the American Civil War. Then there are details of a conference about women and Napoleon at Reuil-Malmaison, and news from volunteers who are restoring monuments on the Waterloo battlefield. On the right hand side, you'll find details of recently published books, one of which is a new study of the War of 1812. If that weren't enough to get stuck into, there are also details of an exhibition in Lisbon (Portugal) about the Russian campaign which ends on Saturday, as well as upcoming talks at the National Army Museul in London (UK).
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Painting of the Month
The Emperor Visiting the Flood Victims in Tarascon
Praise of the magnanimity and virtues of the sovereign has always been the mission of official art, and the under Napoleon III the state ministry acted accordingly, perfectly in tune with the rules of propaganda art, commissioning several artists to provide works celebrating the Emperor's paternal generosity. William Bouguereau's contribution was this representation of the emperor visiting the flood victims in Tarascon.
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In the news...
This year marks the bicentenary of the War of 1812, the last war fought between Britain and America. British impressment of American citizens has generally been seen as the primary cause, but a tentative American desire to annex Canada and America's continuing trade relations with France during the Napoleonic wars were also decisive factors. Lasting two and a half years, the war was marked by skirmish-style defeats and victories; the Americans won a series of naval battles, but were less successful in land battles with the aggressive British forces. Even so, at the war's closure it remained unclear who had really “won”. Nevertheless, the outcome of the war has been seen as decisive for the self-identity of the nascent United States, in that Britain's withdrawal tacitly acknowledged American sovereignty, as well as furnishing the Americans with their instantly recognisable national anthem, penned at the Battle of Fort McHenry. The war was equally significant for Canadian history; its boundaries were defended against American attack and consequently British influence and ties between the two countries were strengthened. The bicentenary is attracting media attention, both in Canada and America. Last month, the New Yorker published an illuminating article about the causes of the war. In October in Lewiston, New York, there was a re-enactment of the battle of Queenston Heights. In Canada, the government has invested $28 million in commemorating the events of 200 years ago, and the Prime Minister recently met with First Nations' representatives to acknowledge their role in the conflict.
You can read more about the war of 1812 in the following 2-part article (follow the internal link to get to part 2).
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Upcoming event... On 1 December, 2012 there will be an all-day conference (in French) on 'Napoléon et les Femmes' at the Mediatheque Baumel in the Imperial town of Reuil-Malmaison. The conference will focus on women's experience in the First Empire, from those women closest to Napoleon to a wider look at the treatment of women in the civil code and in literature and art, presented by eminent academics in the field. This is part of the Jubilé Impériale and is one of a number of events the town has hosted this year. For more details, click here.
Seen on the web...
A team of volunteers has undertaken a clean up of the monuments on the Waterloo battlefield. The monuments to fallen British and French soldiers had been badly weathered and moss covered, and their restoration is part of a larger project run by the Association pour la Conservation des Monuments Napoloniens, which is based in Lille. You can see pictures and video of the monuments before and after restoration here. (external link)
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200 Years Ago
On 9 November, 1812, Napoleon re-entered the town of Smolensk, where he garrisoned his ailing army until 14 November. It was believed the city would offer ample food and warmth for the retreating troops, but Marechal Victor's 30,000 strong corps had just been in the city and had decimated supply levels. It was at Smolensk that Napoleon also learned of the setbacks suffered by Augereau and the Viceroy Eugene, the latter arriving in Smolensk on 12 November. The Emperor went about reorganising the remaining troops and stragglers into temporary units and trying to get the army back into a semblance of order. Nevertheless, the lack of supplies and number of stragglers without officers saw a breakdown in order; the store houses were unguarded and looting and excess ensued - it is estimated that supplies which theoretically could have lasted a week were consumed within a day, and 300 service-worthy horses were slaughtered in the streets for the meat. With Kutuzov gaining ground, there was no choice but for the Emperor to press on. Despite the attempts at restoring order, which were largely successful, this was yet another blow for the the Grand Armée, which was now beginning to feel the full force of Russian winter, with temperatures already reaching below -20°C.
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150 Years Ago
On 14 and 15 November, 1862, Henri d'Escamps published an enthusiastic column about the rebuilding of the "Great Throne Gate"in Le Moniteur, after attending the public presentation of the project by Haussmann. He described the project as monumental double arch, fountain and a row of porticoes encircled by a wide street. The first arch was to bear the inscription: “Napoléon III/Empereur des Français/Aux armées victorieuses de Crimée, d'Italie, de Chine, de Cochinchine, d'Algérie/1852-1862”, in honour of the first decade of Napoleon III's campaigns. In keeping with contemporary style, the new structure was classical, but there was a new desire not to denigrate the enemy in depiction. The endeavour was to "only have as its equal St. Peter's Square in Rome" and, according to d'Escamps, filled much of Parisian society with excitement. Only a scale model of one of the arches was actually ever completed and inaugurated on December 7, 1862 on the ground which later would become the Place de la Nation.
On November 15, 1862 a letter sent by the Foreign Minister of Drouyn Lhuys in the name of Napoleon III was published. It was a proposal from the Emperor to the British and Russian ambassadors that suggested the three countries, as ‘maritime powers', act as joint mediation in the American Civil War, which had begun a year before. Specifically, it proposed an armistice of six months without fighting, either on land or at sea. Arguments in favour of an intervention were threefold: firstly, the letter reported the suffering of the American people who were savagely fighting one another; secondly, the letter stressed the harmful economic impact in Europe: the French press used the example of the British textile crisis which was directly related to the interruption of U.S. cotton exports; thirdly, it forewarned that Napoleon III considered an end to the conflict in the short term impossible and justified the intervention of the three European powers: the French sovereign predicted a long war. He was right; the war would last another three years.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks and Andrew Miles
Historians and web editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 638, 26 OCTOBER - 1 NOVEMBER 2012
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MAGAZINE
Just published
-The Weight of Vengeance by Troy Bickham.
-Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Howard.
Seen on the web (external links)
- Did Napoleon's army suffer the greatest wardrobe malfunction in history?
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.
Exhibition
-Exhibition on the Russian Campaign at the Portuguese National Library in Lisbon, Portugal. Closes on Saturday [10/11/2012], so do have a look if you're in the vicinity!
Talks
-Dr Alastair Massie Written in Blood: Archives for the Napoleonic Wars at the National Army Museum, 15/11/2012, National Army Museum, London, UK. Click here for more details.
-Carole Divall, 'Wellington's Worst Scrape': The Failure at Burgos and the Retreat to Portugal 15/11/2012, National Army Museum, London, UK. Click here for more details.
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