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HERE'S TO SEPTEMBER
Books, articles, exhibitions, days out, and already an action-packed calendar for the autumn: our last newsletter before our team takes a few days off for the summer presents only the tip of the iceberg that is napoleon.org. We've been bringing you the very best Napoleonic scholarship and content since 1996, and it's all available online for your perusal… which is to say, there's lots to (re-)discover this summer!
Over the summer break, you can keep in contact with us via our Facebook page, our Twitter account, and the napoleon.org homepage, with which we'll keep you up date with the latest First and Second Empire news and suggest all manner of books, articles, interviews, images and games. We'll be back on 5th September, with a rich autumn programme: in that month alone, there's the publication of Emmanuel de Waresquiel's long-awaited biography, Fouché, and let's not forget the Atlas of Paris in the Time of Napoleon by our very own Irène Delage and Chantal Prévot, while in October François Houdecek will be bringing us volume 10 of the Correspondance de Napoléon. There's the second “Imperial Jubilee” at Rueil-Malmaison in September, while October brings conferences on the architect Viollet-le-Duc and the French Campaign (featuring Thierry Lentz, Pierre Branda, and Peter Hicks inter alios). And the Fondation Napoléon's “Cercle d'Etudes” gets underway again from 17th September: we're particularly looking forward to November, when Archbishop Minnerath of Dijon will speak on the past and present history of the Concordat. The full programme will be rolled out in the autumn.
But until then, we the napoleon.org team wish you a wonderful Napoleonic summer!
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A BOOK > THE FRENCH-PIEDMONTESE CAMPAIGN OF 1859, BY FREDERICK C. SCHNEID
The Second War of Italian Independence is known in the countries that fought in it - Italy, France, and Austria - and little known or completely ignored in others. Yet, as Frederick Schneid points out, this was the first war to make strategic and operational use of railroads, steamships, rifled muskets and artillery: it was the last European war in which cavalary played a notable role, and involved the largest armies since the Napoleonic Wars. This fantastically illustrated, bilingual book (English and Italian) both literally and figuratively puts the War of 1859 on the map. Read more about how to order it here.
> And don't forget out French book of the month, prize-winning author Jean-Paul Bertraud's Napoléon et les Français.
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AN ARTICLE > “AFTER THE ABDICATION: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN 1814?”
Over the last few weeks, the "200 Years Ago" section of our newsletter has been following the trials and tribulations faced by the Imperial family in the aftermath of Napoleon's abdication. So much of the narrative around 1814 involves the events of the French Campaign, the Adieux de Fontainebleau, the first abdication, Napoleon's exile... but what happened to those who were at the very heart of the French Empire? What happened to the Imperial family when the Emperor fell? We've brought this body of original research together to bring you a new perspective on 1814 - an article that explores what key members of Napoleon's family did before, during and after his defeat.
> And if you're on the hunt for other Napoleonic articles this summer, remember that you can access all the issues of Napoleonica.La Revue online, for free!
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A DAY OUT > THE CHATEAU DE MALMAISON
If your travels bring you to the Île-de-France region this summer, the Château de Malmaison gets our vote for a Napoleonic day out. Explore the Château and its extraordinary Napoleonic collections, wander through Josephine's world-famous rose garden, or stroll around Rueil-Malmaison with our descriptive itinerary of sites relating to the former Empress. And if you can't make it to Malmaison in person, you can enjoy a virtual visit with their stunning online tour (external link).
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A WEBSITE > "WATERLOO: L'ULTIME BATAILLE"
The website for the film Waterloo: L'Utlime Bataille was picked this week as the Site of the Day at Awwwards.com, the awards for design, creativity and innovation on the internet. It's a stunning creation, with some brilliant interactive pages about the history of the battle. Click through to discover more about the two opposing armies - their leaders, their forces, their supplies, their munitions, their injuries... If this beautiful and informative site is the future for history on the web, we're very excited for it!
200 YEARS AGO > CAROLINE BONAPARTE AND JOACHIM MURAT AFTER THE ABDICATION
Since late 1813, Murat had sided with the Austrians, hoping to keep hold of his kingdom of Naples or even to stir up a revolutionary movement in Italy of which he could be the head, to the detriment of both Eugène and Napoleon's son, the Roi de Rome. Encouraged down this path by his wife Caroline Bonaparte, Murat tried to consolidate the treaty that had been laid out with the Austrian Empire on 11 January 1814: it, at least on paper, guaranteed him his throne, some 400,000 subjects, and sums of money, though these agreements, which were also sent to his former enemies and their intemediaries (Fouché, Talleyrand, and the future Louis XVIII), were to in fact remain a dead letter. Supporting her husband in every way, Caroline also tried a little “damage control” to limit the effects of the fall of her family on her own future with various delaying tactics: she sent 30,000 francs to Cardinal Fesch, reprimanded Lucien for the appearance of his Charlemagne and its charges against Napoleon, and tried to reconcile with Madame Mère by sending her horses. It was a different story with the new occupant of Elba, with whom contact was officially cut: Napoleon's request to the Kingdom of Naples for a chef and a decorator was refused, and the Neapolitan consul in Portoferraio was recalled. All too aware that he was being watched by the Austrians, who only wanted one false move on his part to renege on the entire treaty, Murat denied in the official press on 27 August the existence of any secret talks between Naples and Elba. In fact, by September the situation showed a real ambivalence on the part of the Murats towards Napoleon: on 9 September, Napoleon received birthday wishes from the King of Naples, but on 15 September, Murat confiscated the allowances he was paying to the Dukes of Reggio, Gaète and Otrante, as well as those for the Comte Régnier and Alexandre Walewski (Murat would restore Walewski's payments a few weeks later when Maria Walewska arrived in Naples). Could Pauline Bonaparte, who was going back and forth between the two kingdoms, have served as an oral intermediary between Napoleon and Murat? The British and the Austrians who were spying on both were absolutely convinced of it, and so was d'Anglès, Louis XVIII's Chief of Police. On Saint Helena, Napoleon was to deny all secret relations, though as history has now shown us, this was being slightly economical with the truth. In his memoirs, Napoleon “denied all communication with the King of Naples […] Leaving for France, he wrote that, on retaking his throne, he was delighted to declare that he would let bygones be bygones, and that he would pardon [Murat's] previous conduct, offering him his goodwill, and to send someone to sign a guarantee for his states, and he recommended to him above all to remain on good terms with the Austrians, and to maintain these good relations in the case that the Austrians were to march on France.” This retrospective presentation of the facts was evidently made in full knowledge of the very different destiny that awaited Murat in 1815…
150 YEARS AGO > JULY AND AUGUST 1864
6 June – 6 August 1864 > Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie in Fontainebleau for the summer
6 August > The Emperor leaves Fontainebleau for Vichy, Eugénie heads to Saint Cloud
10, 20, 29 August 1864 > French forces engage in battle in Mexico (battles of Nanahuatipam and Majoma, fall of Monterrey)
13 August 1864 > Victor Duruy, Minister of Education, launches a scheme of regional competitions (external link, in French) to inspire teachers and school children to higher academic standards
21 August 1864 > Napoleon III receives the King of Spain in honour of the opening of the first rail connection between France and Spain – a huge light and water display is held at Versailles in the King's honour (external links, in French)
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" summer,
Peter Hicks and Francesca Whitlum-Cooper
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 724, 25 JULY-4 SEPTEMBER, 2014
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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 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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EVENTS
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
WHAT'S ON
- Niagara 1812 Legacy Council Programme of Commemorative Events [14/04/2014 - 19/10/2014]
- Germany: The House of Hanover on the British throne 1714-1837 [17/05/2014 - 05/10/2014]
- Napoléon Who?! Prince, Prisoner, President, Emperor. Louis Napoléon (1808-1873) [10/06/2014 - 10/10/2014]
- Models of the Imperial Navy: the collections of the Musée de la Marine at the Château de Versailles [17/06/2014 - 14/09/2014]
- The Mound of Vendôme at the Canadian Centre for Architecture [19/06/2014 - 14/09/2014]
- Carpeaux (1827-1875), a Sculptor for the Empire at the Musée d'Orsay [24/06/2014 - 28/09/2014]
- Napoleon's Bivouac: Imperial Luxury in the Countryside [28/06/2014 - 15/10/2014]
- The Conversazione in Lucca, Napoleon and his Times: From Dogs to International Relations [18/08/2014 - 20/08/2014]
- Regency Weekend at Apsley House [24/08/2014 - 25/08/2014]
JUST PUBLISHED
- ADKIN, Mark, The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History's Most Famous Land Battle (London, 2014)
- LIPSCOMBE, Nick, ed., Waterloo: The Decisive Victory (Oxford, 2014)
PRESS REVIEW
- "Washington is Burning," by Graeme Garrard in History Today
SEEN ON THE WEB
- The New Waterloo Despatch
- Army of Tiny Soldiers Replicates Battle of Waterloo
- Napoleon Misquoted - Ten Famous Things Bonaparte Never Actually Said
- Sarkozy in the doghouse after pets chewed Napoleon's chair
- Caroline Bonaparte Murat, Napoleon's Treasonous Sister
- Campaigns of the British Army in Portugal, under the command of general the Earl of Wellington - digitized by the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
- This week in history: Wellington is triumphant at Salamanca
- The Duke of Wellington monument has met its Waterloo
- Scots' bravery at Waterloo battle
- Family history buff finds Waterloo link
WAR OF 1812
- 1812 war exhibit at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic teaches unique lessons
- Battle of Prairie du Chien marks 200 years with record numbers
- Future site of the War of 1812 monument dedicated with historic soil and waters
- Tours, open houses and family events celebrate the War of 1812
- Today in History - the Battle of Lundy's Lane
- Some federal help for old American battlefields
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
Between 30 June and 29 August, the library will operate its summer opening hours: Mondays and Tuesdays between 1pm-5pm and Thursdays 10am-3pm.
Online database catalogue
Digital Library
Contact
NAPOLEONICA LES ARCHIVES
Site of digitised Napoleonic archival material:
The working papers or 'imprimés' of the Napoleonic Conseil d'Etat, the correspondence of Vivant Denon, etc.
http://www.napoleonica.org
Contact: napoleonica@napoleon.org
NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
International peer-review interdisciplinary e-review on the history of the two Empires, bilingual French-English, 3 issues per year, free access.
Read the review on Cairn.info
Contact: napoleonicalarevue@napoleon.org
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