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February's Book of the Month
Luigi Mascilli Migliorini's excellent biography of Napoleon
LEADER
The 'bald' imperial eagle
The walls of Paris and the metro tunnels are at present covered with posters announcing Robert Hossein's upcoming show, "C'était Bonaparte", opening next autumn at the Palais des sports. A very sharp-eyed recipient of the letter pointed out that the 'aigle' on the poster (almost the only thing on it) was not in the least 'impériale' - drawing a veil over the fact the Bonaparte of the title was pre-empire - but was rather a white-headed, bald eagle, the official emblem of the USA. An unfortunate error on the part of the promoters of the show, who claim the support of the Academician Alain Decaux, unless it's another case of that other cultural imperialism so often cited by French journalists... Is there really any reason why history for all should be less rigorous in its sources?
Thierry Lentz
Director of the Fondation Napoléon
lentz@napoleon.org
TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO...
In February 1802, the 'Richard et Lenoir' material manufactory, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris, continued to grow and was at that time producing between 700 and 800 pieces of material every month. On the other hand, commerce in jewellery was slowing down, probably because of the post-Christmas lull: companies were forced to lay off workers.
Having left Brest on 14 December 1801 (23 Frimaire, An X), and having landed on Sainte-Domingue on 29 January, 1802 (9 Pluviôse, An X), general Victoire-Emmanuel Leclerc (1772-1802) launched his first attack on Toussaint-Louverture on 6 February 1802 (17 Pluviôse, An X).
Reminder
9 May, 1801 (19 Floréal, An IX), the Assemblée Constituante of Saint-Domingue (inaugurated 4 February, 1801), formed by general Pierre-Dominique Toussaint-Louverture (1743-1803), presented the text of the constitution to the general. The island was placed under an autonomous military dictatorship but remained a French colony in which they declared that 'slavery is abolished. Men who are born here live and die free Frenchmen' (Titre II, art. 3). Catholicism was declared the official religion (Title III, art. 6). The proclamation of the Consitution by Toussaint-Louverture on 3 July, 1801 (14 Messidor, An IX) was seen by France however as an affront to its authority and Bonaparte sent general Leclerc and some troops who landed on 29 January, 1802. In view of the fact that Toussaint-Louverture had been fighting against slavery and for self-rule for the island, the French declared him an outlaw on 17 February, 1802 and he was arrested on 7 June of the same year. Imprisoned in France (in the Jura region) and despite pleas for clemency, he died there on 7 April, 1803.
Wishing you a very enjoyable, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Web editor
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THIS WEEK:
- our Press Review bringing you information about articles published, snippets of information:
- Politically incorrect, Rue Richepance (Paris) has been renamed Rue du Chevalier-de-Saint-Georges
- Hachette's archives preserved for the nation
- recent publications, in Just published:
- D. Smith: The Prisoners of Cabrera: Napoleon's Forgotten soldiers, 1809-1814
- M. Crook, Revolutionary France
AGENDA
- Exhibition on the Duc d'Enghien
- Europe at the Château de Compiègne
The monthly titles: in January,
-- In Pictures, the Portrait of Madame Récamier by Jacques-Louis David
-- in the Reading Room, an article by Arie Ribon on the death of Napoleon
-- In the Collectors Corner, the Franc: an 1806 five-franc piece
February's Book of the Month: Napoleone by Luigi Mascilli Migliorini
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