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THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN n° 704, 7-13 MARCH, 2014
Uno, nessuno, centomila…
Pirandello's meditation on one's own knowledge of oneself and others' knowledge of ourselves comes to mind as I reflect upon two books either side of the linguistic divide this week.
The socialist (ex-Trotskyist) candidate for the French presidency Lionel Jospin has just published a book on Napoleon called the ‘mal napoléonien' or the ‘Napoleon blight', a blight which for him retarded the glorious advance of progress and revolutionary Republicanism in France from the French Revolution to this day.
Michael Broers has just brought out volume one of his remarkable biography of the First Emperor, and in it he picks out strands of continuity and traces of change in the great man's character.
In Pirandello's novel the anti-hero gazes in the mirror wondering whether his nose hangs to the right, or whether he thinks his nose hangs to the right, or whether his wife agrees, or not… The point is: can we ever know ourselves, let alone others. Michael Broers maintains that this is precisely why there will never be an end to biographies of Napoleon. That being said – and to out-Pirandello Pirandello by being relative about relativism – we can perhaps be cautiously confident that the French book is a little reductivist. And we can also stick our necks out and say that Michael Broers really has found a key string to pluck when he highlights the specific nature of Napoleon's ‘coastal' Corsican nature (compared to the Anglo-Irish of ‘the Pale') and continues to see how it resonates as Napoleon's character and career develops and changes. So is it one Napoleon, no Napoleons, or one hundred thousand Napoleons? Probably all three, thank heavens…
Peter Hicks
Historian and International Relations Manager at the Fondation Napoléon
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BOOK OF THE MONTH > MICHAEL BROERS: NAPOLEON, SOLDIER OF DESTINY, Volume 1.
This first part of Oxford academic Michael Broers' life of Napoleon is a fascinating new account of the early years of Napoleon's life and political career. As Broers himself notes on the back jacket, “Napoleon's life is a remarkable story, and its wonder of endless possibility emerges from the telling.” This is not just another run-of-the-mill life. It's a whole new vision of the minor Corsican noble turned master of Europe. A must read!
Our French Book of the Month is Un Tsar à Paris, 1814 by Marie-Pierre Rey.
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ESSAY > LE MAL NAPOLÉONIEN by Lionel JOSPIN (in French)
The former French Prime Minister has published a book on what he calls the 'Napoleonic blight'. Read the review by Pierre Branda here, Historian and Head of the Department of Heritage at the Fondation Napoléon.
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SUEZ CANAL COUNTDOWN: TWO YEARS TO GO...
On 10 March, 1864, almost half of that day's edition of the Moniteur Universel was taken up with crucial developments and full report on construction work in what was to be the downhill slope for the opening of one of the largest pieces of civil engineering of the whole of the 19th century, namely the digging of the Suez Canal. For the full story of this extraordinary human and technological adventure, visit our mini-website.
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200 YEARS AGO > CRAONNE, LAON AND SOISSONS
With Napoleon on his heels, Blücher halted at Oulchy-le-Château, in the hope of being able to take a stand there once he had received reinforcements from Bülow and Wintzingerode. This plan however came to nothing and he was forced to retreat because both Bülow and Wintzingerode, in spite of his orders to join the Silesian army, had begun the siege of Soissons. To everyone's surprise, the city capitulated almost immediately, on 5 March, allowing the allies to free passage across the river Aisne. Napoleon, furious at the loss of Soissons, nevertheless continued military operations and forced his way over the bridge of Berry-au-Bac (also on 5 March). Blücher then managed to reorganise his army and let it rest, making it possible for him to retake the offensive. The confrontation at Craonne took place on 7 March. In the end, it was only at nightfall, and after severe losses on both sides, that the allies abandoned the field, leaving Napoleon sole master of it. On 9 March, before Laon, the French Emperor came up against the allies who had adopted an extremely strong position, and he was forced into retreat towards Soissons to reorganise his army and to attempt to make up for his recent losses, which had been particularly severe for the men under Marmont after their attempt to take Athies. These successive defeats demoralised part of the army and caused a new wave of desertions from French ranks.
154 YEARS AGO > ULTIMATUM TO THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
On 8 March, 1860, France and the United Kingdom sent an ultimatum to the Emperor of China. Read more in our Close-up on the Franco-British Expedition to China.
150 YEARS AGO > LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE MEXICAN EMPIRE
The Catholic prince chosen by Napoleon III to be Emperor of Mexico, the new French satellite in South America, Ferdinand-Maximilian, and his bride (who had been imposed upon him), Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (of Belgium), came to Paris to consult with the French Emperor before setting sail for their Mexican Empire. The French official organ, the Moniteur of the 6 March, 1864, gave details concerning the French figures who would receive the couple, (notably vice-admiral Jurien de la Gravière, Emperor's ADC, M. de Grammont, Emperor's equerry and the Countess de la Poëze, lady in waiting). The Mexican Imperial couple visited Fontainebleau on 10 March, and then left for England, arriving on 13 March, 1864. Their voyage for Mexico would begin from Trieste in April.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks and Lucie Louvrier
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 704, 7-14 MARCH, 2014
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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 the prolongation of its 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
RECENTLY PUBLISHED
- PHELPS Nicole M., U.S.-Habsburg Relations from 1815 to the Paris Peace Conference: Sovereignty Transformed, Cambridge: CUP, 2013
- KELLY Debra (ed.), CORNICK Martyn (ed.), A history of the French in London: liberty, equality, opportunity, London: Institute of Historical Research, 2013
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.
WHAT'S ON
- Exhibition "Joséphine" at the Luxembourg Museum in Paris [12/03/2014 - 29/06/2014]
PRESS REVIEW
- "The Dutch Experience and Memory of the Campaign of 1812", by Mark Edward Hay
- Review of Nicole Phelps' book: Sovereignty Transformed: U.S.-Habsburg Relations from 1815 to the Paris Peace Conference
- "C.P. Champion: A ‘year of peace,' interrupted", on the commemorations of the War of 1812 one hundred years ago, and the outbreak of the First World War
- Recent review of the famous Napoleonic video game: "State of the Mod: Napoleon: Total War"
SEEN ON THE WEB
-Relics From Napoleon's Deathbed To Be Auctioned In France (with video)
- The Crimean war: The key to conflict (The Economist)
- Could Napoleon have been poisoned by the arsenic in his wallpaper? An old story made new by an auction reported in the Daily Mail
- A Napoleonic anecdote involving a monkey landing on an English beach in a French sailor's uniform. Read on...
- War of 1812 (USA) - Battle of North Point (Maryland) painting donated to school (with video)
- War of 1812 - Region's War of 1812 grave sites to be marked
- War of 1812 - War ship replica docked in St. Petersburg
- War of 1812 - Longwood soldiers to rest in peace - Re-enactment on Saturday 8 March
- Letter to the editor in The Telegraph (UK) - Honouring ancient mariners with monuments - War memorials should not play host to parties
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