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In this week's letter...
we bring you a new object of the month, the magnificent Imperial Eagle of the 6th regiment of the Chasseurs à Cheval. And since the 21st of November saw the Parisian premier of the film The Lines of Wellington, we bring you a review of the film by Director of the Fondation, Thierry Lentz. Then, rather fittingly, there's a selection of books about Wellington that will be of particular interest. This week's '200 Years Ago' is a look at the crossing of the Berezina and the progress of the French retreat, whilst 150 Years Ago focusses on some unforgettable elephants of the Second Empire. Don't forget to check out the right-hand side of the letter, where you'll find details of an upcoming talk on Napoleon and his relationship with the Jews and David Markham, president of the International Napoleonic Society, discussing Napoleon on Russian TV.
Anniversary of 2 December
If you happen to be in Paris this 2 December, why not pop down to the Arc de Triomphe to watch the relighting of the eternal flame on Paris's tomb of the unknown soldier in commemoration of the Napoleon's coronation and the Battle of Austerlitz? 2 December, 2012, 6-10pm. Details here.
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Fondation Napoléon/Histoire partnership
The Fondation Napoléon's 2012 Grand Prix History Prizes awards ceremony will take place in the context of a partnership with the French cable channel "Histoire" (part of the France's first national tv channel TF1 group). This year the winners (whose names will be revealed on 2 December - watch this space...) will receive their prizes at "Histoire's" headquarters, also the home of TF1, in the presence of Nonce Paolini, the President of TF1 and Patrick Buisson, President of "Histoire". In addition, Michael Field's weekly history programme, "Historiquement Show", will be devoted entirely to the Fondation Napoléon, its story and its work. Finally, a schedule of Napoleonic programming will be offered to the public in the first fortnight of December. Details to follow.
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Object of the Month
The Cent-Jours Standard Eagle of the 6th Regiment des Chasseurs à Cheval
A traditional heraldic symbol, the eagle was adopted in the decree of 10 July, 1804, which stipulated that the seal and arms of the Empire should be: "azure with an antique-style eagle in gold bearing a thunderbolt in its claws, also gold". Associated since the earliest antiquity with military victory, the eagle, the bird of Jupiter (King of the Olympian gods) was the symbol of Imperial Rome. It was also that of the First French Empire. Just like on Roman standards, a bronze eagle was placed at the top of the staff bearing the regimental colours. The distribution of these 'aigles', as they became known, took place during an imposing ceremony on the Champ-de-Mars, 5 December, 1804, three days after the coronation of Napoleon. At this presentation on the Champs-de-Mars, Napoleon spoke as follows: "Soldiers, here are your colours! These 'eagles' will always serve you as a rallying point; they will be sent wherever the emperor thinks fit in the defence of his throne and his people. You have sworn to sacrifice your lives to protect them and to keep them always, through your courage, on the road to victory".
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In Cinemas...
The Lines of Wellington
There have been few films about the Napoleonic period in recent years. The Lines of Wellington (Linhas de Wellington) directed by Valeria Sarmiento is thus a rare and beautiful bird. At the centre of a strong cast is John Malkovich in the role of Duke and Melvil Poupaud in that of Massena. The film takes its name from the lines of rough defensive forts built at Torres Vedras, which stopped the French army marching on Lisbon in the autumn of 1810. Definitely worth watching (even if a little long (2h30), the film offers pretext for wider reflection on violence, death and war.
Read the full review.
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From the Publishers...
Keeping a Wellingtonian tenor, we have three recent publications about Wellington to draw your attention.
The first is Portugal to Waterloo with Wellington, a first-hand account of British Commissariat officer John Edgcombe Daniel during the Peninsular War and the Campaign of 1815, recounting his experiences from the front line of action, spanning 7 years of the Napoleonic Wars. The second is also autobiographical -From Corunna to Waterloo: The Letters and Journals of Two Napoleonic Hussars, 1801-1816. It's the collected letters and diary entries of two hussars who accompanied Wellington from for 15 years, edited by Gareth Glover. These accounts also offer a valuable addition to the first-hand accounts of the battle. The third, Waterloo: The Battle That Brought Napoleon Down, is a specific historical study of the battle of Waterloo by historian Jeremy Black, using recent scholarship and a wide-range of sources, he aims to re-contextualise the battle.
200 Years Ago
Napoleon arrived in Orcha on 20 November and for safety's sake burnt all his papers regardless of the fact that he was now reassured regarding the safety of Marshal Ney. Lacking horses to draw the artillery, he was furthermore obliged to burn his entire pontoon train. The Emperor arrived at Borissov on 25 November, to find that the bridge had been destroyed by the Russians the day before. After reconnoitring the Berezina river, general Eblé's sappers set about building bridges on stilts near the ford close to Studienka. On 27 November, two bridges were ready for use, and Napoleon crossed the river just as huge mass of soldiers and camp followers began to gather at the crossing points. Not far from Borissov, Partounneax's division (which had acted as a decoy for Russian forces under Chichagov and Wittgenstein) was captured. The two Russian generals then planned a joint action for the following day. On the morning of the 28th, a violent battle arose on both sides of the river. The Grande Armée resisted heroically all day long, though heavily outnumbered, and managed to prevent the bridges from being destroyed. When evening came, the French victory assured, the remaining French troops crossed to the right bank of the Berezina and what remained of the Grande Armée was saved.
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150 Years Ago
Le Moniteur of 23 November, 1862 reports the acquisition, among other animals, of two new Asian elephants as part of the ‘generous gift' of the king of Siam, whose ambassadors had just arrived at the French court (see This Month's Article and This Month's Painting). The animals were sent to the menagerie of the Museum d'histoire naturelle in the Jardin des Plantes (just round the corner from our offices here in Paris) which had been founded as a new menagerie during the Revolution, when the royal collection of animals was moved from the menagerie at Versailles into the city. The Moniteur mentions two previous elephant residents, Roger the Asian elephant and Chevrette the African elephant, whose characteristics and physiognomic differences are described in great detail. The latter was known for her sweet temperament and her love of pain de seigle, as well as her ability to charm ‘hearts of stone' by imploring them with her trunk.
The two new elephants from Siam were named Jussia and Bangkok, and they lived until 1888 and 1882 respectively. Another gift from the King of Siam, a white elephant of good omen, (Siam's fabled national animal) died on the voyage. The elephants were unusually taken to the menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes; they ought to have been brought to the Jardin d'acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne. Although this in the end was fortunate for the siamese pair; since the dates of their death indicate that they must have escaped the sorry fate of their Jardin d'acclimatation counterparts, Castor and Pollux, who were eaten by Parisians during the siege of 1870. The English politician and writer, Henry Labouchère, was in Paris at the time of the siege and details the prices fetched by this unusual charcuterie: ‘Castor and Pollux's trunks sold for 45fr.a lb, the other parts of the interesting twins fetched about 10fr. a lb.' Labouchère also ate at one of the restaurants which served up the unfortunate animals. He described having ‘a slice of Pollux for dinner', which was ‘tough, coarse, and oily', and he didn't ‘recommend English families to eat elephant as long as they can get beef or mutton'. There is still an extant menu from the restaurant Chez Voisin from December 1870, which details elephant soup as a starter.
Another pachyderm resident of the Jardin des Plantes at this time was the enormous African elephant Jumbo. He was born in French Sudan and had been sent to Paris in 1861, though he was to be transferred to London Zoo in 1865. In 1881, he was sold for the princely sum of $10,000 to the Barnum and Bailey circus. By the time of his death, Jumbo measured a majestic 4 metres in height, and his name - derived from a Swahili word meaning ‘chief' - has since become synonymous with something gigantic.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks and Andrew Miles
Historians and web editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N0 642, 19 - 25 OCTOBER 2012
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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.
You can still donate online to the project via the Friends of the Fondation de France in the US here.
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MAGAZINE
Seen on the web (external links)
-Historian David Markham on Russian TV discussing whether Napoleon was a hero or villain.
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.
Talks
-Napoleon and his Complex Relationship with the Jews by Rabbi Lance Sussman, Keneseth Israel Synagogue, Elkins Park, PA (USA). 30/11/2012 8pm
Exhibitions
-The Eye of Napoleon at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada) 10/11/2012 - 5/5/2013
NAPOLEON.ORG
The best of the month:
- Book of the month
- Painting of the month
- Objet d'Art of the month
- Article of the month
NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
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THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
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Wednesday closed.
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