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THIS MONTH'S BOOK
Napoleon's Polish Gamble, by Christopher Summerville
Written in a racy, journalistic style, this chronicle of the Prussian and Polish campaigns of 1806 is a informative and very readable. Always very "military history" in style, it depends heavily on memoir accounts, giving a very appealing 'eye-witness' quality to the writing. For further details, read on.
© Fondation Napoléon
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EXHIBITION UNDER THE INVALIDES DOME
"The trace of the eagle", starting on 1 March
In order to compensate for the closure of the Napoleonic galleries during the ATHENA modernisation project, the Paris Musée de l'Armée is to open a temporary exhibition under the Invalides dome, running from 1 March to the end of 2007, entitled "L'empreinte de l'aigle" (The trace of the eagle). Installed in one of the side chapels in the church of the dome, near Napoleon's tomb, it will consist of twenty or so prestigious, symbolic objects which once belonged to the emperor. Objects on display include the grey great coat, the hat (key elements of the unmistakeable silhouette), some arms once used by the emperor and some objects related to his daily life...
© Fondation Napoléon
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PHD VIVA FOR J.-F. DELOUSTAL, WINNER OF A FONDATION NAPOLEON RESEARCH GRANT
On 24 January, 2006, in the Salle Louis Liard, at the Sorbonne, Jean-François Deloustal, winner of a 2001 research grant defended his thesis before a packed audience including several members of parliament. The thesis was on the subject of "Napoleonic centralisation in the Lozère during the Consulate and the First Empire", supervised by by Professor Jacques-Olivier Boudon at the university of the Sorbonne (Paris IV). The jury, of which Jean Tulard, member of the Institut was president, awarded the degress with the distinction "très honorable avec ses félicitations" (summa cum laude). At the end of the viva, the Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, came to congratulate the happy graduate, himself a parliamentary attaché, and make several remarks regarding the remarkable nature of the innovations and reforms of the Napoleonic period.
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200 YEARS AGO
On 5 February, 1806, a decree (resulting from the Treaty of Pressburg) was published describing the division of the previously Austrian territory of Venetia into 7 provinces (Moniteur universel, 11 February, 1806). These provinces, from which Masséna had driven the Austrian troops after the Battle of Caldiero (29-30 October), officially became part of the Kingdom of Italy on 1 May, 1806. And twelve grand fiefs were to be created in these territories, called (all except for one one) after Venetian localities, namely, Bassano, Bellune (Belluno), Cadore, Conegliano, Dalmatie (Dalmatia), Feltre, Frioul (Friuli), Istrie (Istria), Padoue (Padua), Trévise (Treviso), Vicence (Vicenza), and Rovigo (the exception).
On 8 February, 1806, Division General Gazan, who had distinguished himself during the Battle at Dürrenstein (1805) was appointed Grand officier of the Légion d'honneur. As a result of an error, he had not been included in the first lot of nominations made at Schoenbrunn (Correspondance n°9762)
And also:
6 February, 1806, the pornographer Rétif de la Bretonne «one of the least-known French authors in Paris and one of the best known in Germany» (Gazette de France, 9 February, 1806), the exceedingly prolific, libertine author and inventor of the genre of the 'personal novel' died in wretched poverty in Paris. For a brief life and bibliography of Rétif de la Bretonne, click here.
The Moniteur Universel for 8 February, 1806, noted the first performance of Gaspare Spontini's cantata L'Eccelsa gara per il ritorno trionfale del gran Napoleone (The Illustrious Competition for the triumphal return of the great Napoleon), set to words by Balocchi, which took place in the Théâtre de l'Impératrice (the Théâtre de Louvois). Spontini had been appointed the empress's private composer in 1805 and here composed a cantata in Italian to glory of the emperor who had returned victorious from Austerlitz. And the plot was no small eulogy. Homer, Virgil and Torquato Tasso compete for the honour of singing the praises of the ‘hero of the century'. Apollo and Minerva, acting as arbiters, decide that all the heroes of Parnassus must unite to perform so august a task. On opening the door to the temple of immortality they see a bust of Napoleon. The greatest heroes and legislators of antiquity enter and crown the head with the laurels which public acclaim had decked them in their times. Even at the time, this grandiloquent persiflage must have more than a little 'over the top'.
150 YEARS AGO
7 February, 1856, saw the death of Sister Rosalie, Mother Superieur of the Convent of Sisters of Saint-Vincent de Paul. Highly appreciated by the imperial couple, she "received funeral honours of unusual pomp" (Moniteur Universel, 10 February, 1856).
On 9 February, 1856, Joseph Bosquet, who had distinguished himself during the taking of Sébastopol as commander of the 2e corps of the Armée d'Orient, was appointed senator.
On 9 February, 1856, the Moniteur Universel announced the appearance amongst the cattle of Poland and Russia of contagious typhoid or bovine plague. Up to that point it had only been present in the region surrounding Pressburg (modern Bratislava), at that time in Hungary. A similar epizootic (an epidemic amongst animals) had already occurred in 1844.
And also:
On 3 February, 1856, the Belgian artist, Félicien Rops founded the review «Uylenspiegel, review of artistic and literary high spirits», named after Till Eulenspiegel, the cheeky mythical Belgian figure, symbolic of a desire for freedom and justice. It was only to last 7 years.
For a cyber visit to the Félcien Rops Museum in Namur (n.b., the English is very poor), click here.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 358, 3 - 9 February, 2006
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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 in the MAGAZINE
JUST PUBLISHED
BARRELL John, The Spirit of Despotism: Invasions of Privacy in the 1790s
MARKHAM David, Napoleon for Dummies
WHAT'S ON
- Re-enactments:
Napoleon at Golfe-Juan 2006: 11th re-enactment of the emperor's landing
- Fairs:
The 13th International Napoleonic Fair, St Albans, UK
National Living History Fayre, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, near Royal Leamington Spa, UK
- Conferences and Talks
International conference, Delft, Netherlands
Naples, Napoleon and Europe, Naples, Italy
- Exhibitions:
Napoléon an intimate portrait, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Napoleone and Bodoni, Parma, Italy
"Battle in a sittingroom." The Austerlitz wallpaper, Museo Napoleonico, Rome, Italy
In the Service of Napoleon. The Dutch in time of War 1792-1815, Delft, Netherlands
Napoleon on Campaign, the emperor's bivouac, at the Arc de triomphe de l'Etoile, Paris, France
Napoleone e il Piemonte. Capolavori ritrovati, Alba, Italy
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