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EDITORIAL
One hundred and fifty years ago, on 16 March, 1856, the Prince Impérial was born. And this happened right in the middle of the Paris Congress, an international conference which was restoring to France its place in Europe. The Second Empire was four years old and seemed firmly established.
Anniversaries such as these bring Napoleon III back to the forefront of historical research. Hence the French ministry of Foreign Affairs, through an initiative launched by the directress of the ministry archives, Mireille Musso, and in association with the Amis de Napoléon III, is proposing an international conference, and the French Foreign ministry building, the famous Quai d'Orsay (which is also 150 years old), is to open its doors to the public. An exhibition on the Congress of Paris is planned by the Musée de l'Armée for the autumn of this year. Little by little, as a result of initiatives of this sort, the Second Empire is gradually regaining its rightful place in the History of France.
But there is still much to do, despite the efforts of historians such as Pierre Milza, Eric Anceau and Jean-Claude Yon, those who have followed on from and continued the work of William Smith, Philippe Séguin and the many others who in their time have felt so isolated.
The Fondation Napoléon hopes to participate in this effort by celebrating in 2008 the bicentenary of the birth of Napoleon III. The president of the Fondation, Victor-André Masséna, called a meeting this week to from the organising committee for a conference to be held in April 2008 entitled: "Napoleon III, the man, the politician". Other projects are also being currently considered, such as, for example, an exhibition dedicated to the second emperor in a national museum. Finally, the Fondation Napoléon provided the Souvenir Napoléonien with financial means so as to enable it, too, to support or organise events which can show our fellow citizens that the reign of Napoleon III was more than a coup d'état in 1851 and a military defeat in 1870.
Thierry Lentz
directeur de la Fondation Napoléon
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THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
"Capodistrias and the independence of Switzerland", by ZACHARIS Thomas
In the years immediately preceding the French Revolution, Switzerland though proud of its ancient democratic traditions was nevertheless made up of a rather mixed bag of cantons, each with a specific polity, some oligarchic, others democratic and still others where inhabitants had no political rights whatsoever. Traditionally, Swiss relations with France were close, and had been so since the 16th century; indeed for three hundred years Swiss mercenaries had served the kings of France, and Louis XVI was no exception... Read on
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BIBLIOTHEQUE M. LAPEYRE-FONDATION NAPOLEON: RECENT ACQUISITIONS
We bring you a selection of the books and periodicals which have recently entered the Bibliothèque Fondation Napoléon Martial Lapeyre for January/February 2006:
- Napoleon's Polish gamble. Eylau and Friedland 1807 / Christopher Summerville
- Armies of 1812: The Grand Armée and the armies of Austria, Prussia, Russia and Turkey / Digby Smith
- The Napoleonic Empire in Italy, 1796-1814: Cultural imperialism in a European context ? / Michael Broers
- The reluctant king. Joseph Bonaparte, king of the two Sicilies and Spain / Michael Ross
- The Empress Josephine: Art & Royal Identity / Carol Solomon Kiefer ; Contributions by Bernard Chevallier, Alain Pougetoux
For the full list of acquisitions, click here.
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200 YEARS AGO
18 March, 1806: Creation of the "Conseils des prud'hommes" (Work conflict tribunals).
In the years preceding the creation of the 'prud'homme' (ombudsman) councils, work conflicts between employers and employees were overseen by Préfets de police in Paris and by mayors in the provinces. The new councils were designed to provide a more professional and equitable service. Comprising 5 to 15 members, these councils were made up of industrialists, craftsmen, workers, and foremen. Smaller conflicts were dealt with by «bureaux particuliers» (small committees), the more serious conflicts were dealt with by the «bureau général» (general committee).
But also:
On 17 March, 1806, the funeral of senator François Denis Tronchet (1726-1806) took place. "His body was laid in the crypt at Sainte-Geneviève » (Moniteur Universel, 18 March). The basilica of Sainte-Geneviève étant was still under construction and had not yet been consecrated, although the crypt had been blessed specially for this event. (Journal de l'Empire, 22 March, 1806)
150 YEARS AGO
On 23 March, 1856, the Foire de Pâques or Easter Fair (also known as the Gingerbread Fair (Foire au pain d'épices )) opened in Paris, closing on 7 April, 1856. (Moniteur Universel, 21 March, 1856). This fair, the ancestor of the still today annual Foire du trône, dates back to the 10th century, although it disappeared during the period 1300 to 1805. Stall holders and juggler/acrobats filled a part of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, between Rue de Montreuil and Rue Saint-Bernard. Over the deacades following 1805 the fair grew steadily, such that in 1841 participants in the fair were permitted to occupy the circle (soon to become the Place de la Nation) which thus became the centre of the fair. In 1856, the fair had become very large and was a significant event in Paris life, with stalls appearing on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and in the Rue de Reuilly. The juggler/acrobats performed in betwen the stalls, and there were in addition a ball, a circus and various sorts of games.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 363, 17 - 23 March, 2006
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.
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THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
PRESS REVIEW
- Two recent articles on Napoleon
WEB SITES
- archiv.de - site of German primary constitutional documents relative to the First Empire
Go to the Napoleonic Directory and select "Databases" in the website scrollbar
WHAT'S ON
Study days
- Trafalgar, how do we remember it?, Paris, France
Conferences
- Two Frenchmen in Naples (Due Francesi a Napoli), Naples, Italy
- In the embrace of France: The Law of Nations and Constitutional Law in the French Satellite States of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Age (1795-1813), Tillburg, The Netherlands
Just published
Napoleon: Man of War, Man of Peace, by Timothy Wilson-Smith
Fairs
- The 13th International Napoleonic Fair, St Albans, UK
Exhibitions
- Treasures of the Fondation, Mexico 2006, Monterrey, Mexico
- Napoléon an intimate portrait, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
- "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
- "Beauty celebrating power": Vincenzo Monti in the Napoleonic period, Milan, Italy
Entertainments
Thursdays at the Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Got a problem with the letter? Try the home page: http://www.napoleon.org
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