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THIS MONTH'S BOOK
The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson, Roger Knight
This is the latest and most important addition to the Nelson canon. Since it includes two chronologies, a biographical directory of Nelson's colleagues and contemporaries, details of the ships in which he served, a glossary and a bibliography, it is also one of the most complete. Knight claims to have returned to the sources and produced a study of Nelson which strips away the myths.
Photo (c) Allen Lane
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HOMAGE TO THE EMPERORS
According to a French AP wire, as part of the celebrations for the bi-centenary of the Battle of Austerlitz (1805-2005), a commemorative monument has been erected by the Czech Napoleonic Society in Zbysov, a small site close to Slavkov, better known by its old name, Austerlitz.
Apparently inaugurated on 15 September this month, the monument is dedicated to the three emperors who fought on that 2 December, 1805, at Austerlitz. Resolutely modern in style, the monument is said to comprise three granite columns, one in light-grey French granite to represent Napoleon I, another in brown Russian granite to represent Alexander I, and the third dark-grey granite from Germany to represent Francis I (II). Each column is 3.6m tall.
Watch this space...
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200 YEARS AGO
On 9 Vendémiaire, An XIV (1 October, 1805), Napoleon left Strasbourg at 3pm and reached Ettlingen where he received the Duc de Bade in the evening. On the following day he left for Ludwigsburg where he lodged in the Elector of Wurttemberg's palace.
Three days later, 13 Vendémiaire (5 October), he signed a treaty of alliance with the Frederick, Elector of Wurttemberg: the presence of Ney's troops at the gates of Stuttgart forced Frederick to re-think his initial desire to remain neutral in the conflict between Napoleon and the Third Coalition.
On 14 Vendémiaire (6 October), Napoleon reached Nordlingen and reconnoitred Donauwerth where he wanted to have the rest of the Grande Armée cross the Danube, planned for the following day.
On 30 September, 1805, Napoleon had addressed the soldiers of the Grande Armée in a proclamation:
"Soldiers, the war of the Third Coalition has begun. The Austrian Army has crossed the Inn, violated the treaties, attacked our ally [Bavaria, ed.] and driven him from his capital [Munich, ed.]... You yourselves have had to make forced marches to defend our frontiers. But you have already crossed the Rhine. We shall not stop until we have ensured the independence of the body of Germany, aided our allies and beaten down the pride of unjust aggressors. Never again shall we make peace without guarantees. Never again shall we allow our generosity to mislead our policies.
Soldiers, your Emperor is here amongst you; you are simply the vanguard of the 'Grand Peuple'. If necessary, that 'peuple' will rise up en masse at the sound of my voice to confound and break up this new league cemented by English hate and gold. However, Soldiers, there will be forced marches, there will be labours, there will be privations of all sorts to be endured. Whatever obstacles they put before us, we will break them down, we shall not rest until we have planted our eagle standards upon the land of our enemies."
On the same day, he addressed another proclamation to the Army of Italy, in almost identical terms:
"Soldiers of Italy, the war of the Third Coalition has begun. The Austrian Army has crossed the Inn, invaded Munich and driven the Elector of Bavaria, our ally, out of his capital. You yourselves have had to make forced marches to defend the Adige.
Soldiers of Italy, it was on your fields of battle that - even though there were very few of you - the Austrian eagle was humiliated and descried. One against three, we were always victorious. You will be worthy of the First Army of Italy. Never again shall we make peace without guarantees. Never again shall we allow our generosity to mislead our policies. Your Emperor is in Germany, with the army of which you form the right wing. The general who commands you has my entire confidence; surround him with yours. [...]."
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
SEARCH FOR DOCUMENTS ON AUSTERLITZ
Jean-François Coulomb, journalist and talented documentary director with several Napoleonic videos to his credit, is looking for descendants of soldiers who participated in the Battle of Austerlitz, and is particularly interested in any documents they may possess which recount their experience of the battle.
Contact us
PRESS REVIEW
- Online review in the Times Literary Supplement, by N. A. M. Rodger
WHAT'S ON
- Exhibition: Napoleon: An intimate portrait, Washington, USA
- Nelson and Nevis, Nelson Week, Nevis, West Indies
- Exhibition: Napoleone e il Piemonte. Capolavori ritrovati, Alba, Italy
- 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: KNIGHT, Roger The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson
- This month's painting: "Atala au tombeau" (The entombment of Atala) also known as "Les funérailles d'Atala" (Atala's funeral), by Girodet
- This month's article: Napoleon and the Corsican Dilemma - part 1, by Barbara Krajeswka
- In the Collectors Corner, Napoleon's camp bed
Got a problem with a link in the letter? Try the homepage http://www.napoleon.org
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