| |
| |
EDITORIAL
Welcome back to the newsletter - and we've plenty of new things in store - there are two new exhibitions (one in the north of England and the other in north eastern US), THE trafalgar conference, a Napoleonic event in Pennsylvania, the NSA grand tour of northern Italy, the epoch-making Sandler auction, and then of course the huge shindig on the Pratzen Heights in December... Happy we to be born in these times!
|
|
|
| |
AWARD
In addition to prizes from Institut de France in 1997 and a Grand Prix from the Fondation Napoléon, Thierry Lentz was awarded the Prix du Mémorial - literary Grand Prix of the Ville d'Ajaccio. At a ceremony on 5 August, Mr Lentz succeeded the eminent French scholar and author Marc Fumaroli as the 28th recipient of Prix du Mémorial for the the ensemble of his work on the First Empire. The president of the jury, Jean-Claude Casanova, member of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, voiced the opinion of the selection committee when he praised the "the qualities of this prolific, precise, accomplished and respected historian".
The Prix du Mémorial was founded by the town of Ajaccio and the Association du Mémorial in 1977. It is awarded by a jury comprising eminent Frenchmen of letters and of history, including inter alia, Marc Fumaroli (his first year), François-Jérôme Gambarelli, Président of the Association culturelle du Mémorial, Emmanuel Leroy-Ladurie, member of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, Jean-François Revel of the Académie française.
Specialist in law and lecturer in constitutional law, Thierry Lentz was for twelve years Director of external relations for a large international group, before becoming director of the Fondation Napoléon in June 2000. He has published many books on Napoleon, but most notably Le Grand Consulat (Fayard 1999), the Nouvelle histoire du Premier Empire (2 vols.) (Fayard 2002 et 2004), Napoléon et l'Europe (edited book, Fayard 2005), Le sacre de Napoléon (edited book, Nouveau Monde Editions 2003), Autour de l'empoisonnement de Napoléon (edited book, Nouveau Monde Editions 2001).
The jury also wish to express its congratulations for the project led by Thierry Lentz to publish an edition of Napoleon's letters entitled Correspondance générale de Napoléon, launched by the Fondation Napoléon with the support of the Archives de France and the Fondation La Poste.
The trustees and administrative team at the Fondation Napoléon send their warmest congratulations.
I. D. trans. P.H.
Photo: Jean-Claude Casanova and Thierry Lentz © Service Communication - Mairie d'Ajaccio, 2005
|
|
|
| |
THIS MONTH'S BOOK
GOETZ, Robert, 1805: Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition
Tracing the historical route from Amiens to Pressburg, Robert Goetz gives even non-military historians a clear and measured view of the battle. His bibliography is detailed in French, German- and Russian- language source material (as befits a specialist of the Russian Army. Includes orders of battle, detailed maps, tables and many illustrations.
|
|
|
| |
NAPOLEONIC PAGES
In this new section which began before the summer, every month we will present to you a book published in the 19th or early 20th century on the history of the First or Second Empires which can be consulted at the Bibliothèque M. Lapeyre – Fondation Napoléon.
After Histoire de l'Empereur Napoléon by Laurent de l'Ardèche, we bring you La fête impériale by Frédéric Loliée, published in 1907 in which the author draws vivid portraits of Parisian beauties of the Second Empire.
|
|
|
| |
200 YEARS AGO
With admiral Villeneuve trapped by the British fleet (under Collingwood) in the port of Cadiz, Napoleon performed his famous 'pirouette', deciding on 25 August, 1805 to turn the Boulogne army around (now called the Grand Army, of more than 200,000 men) to face it away from the British isles and to march it as fast as possible to face the Austrian troops poised to enter southern Germany. The day before the emperor had signed a treaty of alliance with Bavaria. On 29 August, Napoleon gave his troops their marching orders. The following day, Massena relpaced Jourdan at the head of the Armée d'Italie.
On 14 Fructidor, An XIII (1 September, 1805), Napoleon wrote to Cambacérès: "My Cousin, I tell you in the strictest confidence that there is not a single man left in Boulogne, apart that is from those deemed necessary for the defence of the garrison and the port. A few days from now we shall see who will have the last laugh, the court of Vienna or me." Correspondance, n° 9172
He then worked out a plan for getting intelligence regarding the Austrian army, entrusting its execution to Berthier on 7 September: "My Cousin, please let me know whether you have ordered a german speaker to follow the Austrian regiments as they march, and to position the regiments in the pigeon-holes of a box which you have prepared. You should mark the name or number of each regiment on a playing card and move each card as that regiment changes position. The Austrian regiments have set off for Italy, the Tyrol (to the camp at Wels), and for Bohemia. Write to my ministers in Vienna, Munich, Salzburg, Dresden, Ratisbon and Berne, and have the person you have chosen for this mission receive the German newspapers in those towns. All the German papers speak only of the names and the route marches of the Austrian regiments. [...] Please present the box (which I am to keep) to me on Monday - the arrangement of the regiments must be exact."
On 3 September, Napoleon was once again back in Malmaison after having spent the whole of the month of August at the Boulogne camp. A council of ministers was held at Saint-Cloud on the following day.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation.
© 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THIS WEEK
RESEARCH GRANTS!!!
Every year the Fondation Napoléon awards research grants for PhD students with theses on the First and Second Empires. Application deadline: 30 September!
For further details
DID YOU KNOW?
The memoirs of Prince Eugène, a selection of documents collected by the historian Albert du Casse, can now be read online (in French).
See here volume 1
WHAT'S ON
- Auction: The Napoleonic Library of the late John Sandler (1930-2004)
- Exhibition: Napoleon: Art and Empire in the age of Trafalgar, Barnard Castle, UK
- Exhibition: The Empress Josephine: Art and Royal Identity, Amherst, MA, USA
- Tour: Napoleonic Society of America, Imperial tour of Italy
- Exhibition: Nelson and Napoleon, National Maritime Museum, London, UK
- Conference: The Battle of Trafalgar Conference, at Action Stations, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, UK
THE MONTHLY TITLES
- This month's book: GOETZ, Robert, 1805: Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition
- This month's painting: Reception of the Ambassadors from Siam at the Château de Fontainebleau, by Gerome
- This month's article: O'Meara's account of Napoleon on the invasion of the England
- In the Collectors Corner, The Cent-Jours standard Eagle of the 6e Régiment des Chasseurs à Cheval
Got a problem with a link in the letter? Try the homepage - http://www.napoleon.org
<<
|
|
