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THE BARON GOURGAUD RE-ELECTED AT THE HEAD OF THE FONDATION NAPOLEON
The board of trustees of the Fondation Napoléon met twice this week (11 and 14 January) with the aim of in order to vote in the new board of trustees.
After having settled the designation of the two new delegates from the Souvenir Napoléonien (Messieurs Gérard Moyaux and Dr Catinat, the latter being a renewal), two 'highly qualified personalities' were co-opted, in the meeting of 11 January presided over by interim president, Bernard Chevallier. The Baron Gourgaud and Victor-André Masséna, Prince d'Essling, were both re-co-opted for six years.
On 14 January, the board proceeded to elect a new standing committee, with a mandate for three years. The Baron Gourgaud was re-elected president. Victor-André Masséna was elected vice-president. The Baron de Méneval remains secretary. The Comte Nicolas Walewski was elected treasurer. Paul-Marc Seta will assist him in this role as deputy-treasurer.
THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
Avoiding a Napoleonic Ulcer: Bridging the Gap of Cultural Intelligence (Or, Have We Focused on the Wrong Transformation?), Lieutenant-Colonel G. W. Smith jr
Nearly two centuries ago, Napoleon pre-emptively occupied Portugal and Spain and ousted the Spanish royal family. The Spanish replied with the introduction of the “guerrilla war”, a mode of conflict incomprehensible within Napoleon's conventional military mindset. The parallels between Napoleon's challenges in Spain and contemporary challenges for coalition forces in Iraq are striking. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith brings us fascinating insight into the new (and indeed old) challenges for 'intelligence gathering'.
150 YEARS AGO
Ernest Chausson was born on 20 Janaury, 1855, in Paris. After studying law and becoming a barrister at the Paris Cour d'appel, Chausson decided to dedicate himself to music and became a pupil of Massenet's at the Paris Conservatoire in October 1879. His principle works, greatly influenced by César Franck and then later Wagner, are Poem for violin and orchestra (1896), Poem of love and the sea for voice and orchestra (1882-1887, revised 1893), Landscape (work for piano, 1895), Serres chaudes (Greenhouses), on poems by Maeterlinck (1896), Quartet with piano (1897), Chanson perpétuelle for voice, quartet for strings and piano (1898). He died in a bicycle accident on 10 June, 1899.
21 January, 1855, France and Britain signed an treaty of alliance with the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, which contained a clause obliging the kingdom to mobilise its armed forces against Russia.
An imperial decree of 22 January, 1855, was passed creating the Compagnie Générale des Omnibus (General Bus Company), itself in fact an umbrella organisation including all the earlier transport organisation in Paris.
In the night of 25/26 January, 1855, the 'mystical' poet, Gérard de Nerval (penname of Gérard Labrunie), was found hanged from a railings in Rue de la Vieille-Lanterne, Paris. His principle works are 'Sylvie' in Filles du feu (Daughters of fire) (1854), Aurelia (1855), Les chimères (Chimaeras, twelve poems appended to the Filles du feu and published in 1854). Voyage en Orient (1851) is an account of a year spent in 1843 on a journey from Cairo to Constantinople.
For a page on Gerard de Nerval's life, click here.
For further details, see here.
And a fascinating article on the problems of translating Nerval.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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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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THIS WEEK
Snippets
Spain to honour Thomas Cochrane, 10th earl of Dundonald
Press review
- History Today, February 2005, articles on Palmerston and Mary Seacole
Web sites
- Britain's National Archives' web presentation of Trafalgar
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select 'History' in the web sites scroll bar menu.
- Web site on Edward Pellew, viscount Exmouth
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select 'History' in the web sites scroll bar menu.
- Biography of Thomas Cochrane's online
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select 'History' in the web sites scroll bar menu.
What's on
- Celebration: A festival of light and magic: Elisa Bonaparte, her palace, her fêtes, Lucca, Italy
- Fair: The International Napoleonic Fair, St Albans, UK
- Exhibition: James Gillray, New York Public Library, US
- Exhibition: Decoration in the Age of Napoleon: Empire Elegance Versus Regency Refinement, New York Public Library, US
Exhibition: The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon, Paris, France
The monthly titles
- This month's book: The Legend of Napoleon, by Sudhir Hazareesingh
- This month's painting: The arrival of Marie-Louise in Compiègne, by J.B. Isabey
- This month's article: Avoiding a Napoleonic Ulcer: Bridging the Gap of Cultural Intelligence (Or, Have We Focused on the Wrong Transformation?), Lieutenant-Colonel G. W. Smith jr
- In the Collectors Corner, Revolutionary-period skeleton clock
Got a problem with a link in the letter? Try the homepage http://www.napoleon.org
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