| |
| |
EDITORIAL
The bi-centenaries continue...
This week we're back in Berlin commemorating with the inhabitants of that city that extraordinary moment in their history.
It was a fine day - all sources agree. But beyond that, each account seems to tell a different story. Napoleon said the crowds were cheering, Parquin said that the town was deathly quiet. Stendhal was terrified that there might be a "grassy knoll" somewhere there and had both pistols loaded just in case. As for Napoleon himself, he had visited the tomb of Frederick the Great to imbibe some of the great captain's energy and to revenge the outrage of Rossbach by taking a few souvenirs. He also took a shine to the horses on the Brandenburg Gate. And all the while, Bernadotte, Ney and Murat completed the mopping up operations. You'll find all details in our bicentenary dossier presented here below.
Peter Hicks
A NEW NAPOLEON.ORG FOR 2007 !
In 1996, the Fondation Napoléon launched napoleon.org on the web. Ten years and two versions later, the Fondation is about to undertake a complete refurbishment of the site (more than 2.6 millions sessions in 2005). The aim of this questionnaire is to help us get to know you (Student, General Public, Researcher, Librarian / archivist / document professional, Publishing industry, Audio-Visual industry), so as to be able to bring you the most appropriate services. Napoleon.org is for you; we would be grateful if you could take some time to answer these few questions.
Access to the questionnaire
|
|
|
| |
THIS MONTH'S OBJECT
Bust of Napoleon I, by Jean-Antoine Houdon
This bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon, a remarkable portraitist who immortalised the great men of the 18th century, was first displayed to the public at the Salon of 1806. The inscription, written in old-fashioned French and cut into its left side, reads: «His majesty / Emperor and King/ taken from life/ St Cloud August 1806 / Houdon f.[ecit]». A writer in the Journal de la Revue philosophique noted that it was the best likeness he knew.
|
|
|
| |
SPECIAL BICENTENARY DOSSIER: NAPOLEON'S ENTRY INTO BERLIN
In commemoration of Napoleon's entry into Berlin on 27 October, 1806, we bring you a collection of images, accounts, articles and events all related to this extraordinary event.
|
|
|
| |
NAPOLEONIC PAGES: CHATEAUBRIAND'S NOTORIOUS ARTICLE IN THE MERCURE DE FRANCE
Mercure de France, 4 July, 1807. Chateaubriand wrote: “It is in vain that Nero prospers ...”, by Chantal Lheureux-Prévot
The Mercure de France, the once celebrated literary review founded in the 17th century, which died many times but which was continually to be resuscitated, would not have been particularly notice during the First Empire, had not the new owner and editor in chief, François-René de Chateaubriand, written a famous article against tyranny and despotism...
|
|
|
| |
200 YEARS AGO
The Prussian Campaign continues.
On 27 October, 1806, Napoleon made his triumphal entry into Berlin. On the following day, Prince Hohenlohe capitulates at Prenzlau…
For further details visit our timeline of the Prussian Campaign
Caricatures (continued):
On 31 October, 1806, a new series of caricatures related to the Prussian Campaign was published by the Parisian bookseller Martinet. One of these showed the king of Prussia hesitating as to which route to take after the defeat at Jena. He is asking his wife, Queen Luise, for advice and she, dressed as an amazon, is pushing him back towards the French forces with her fan. (Gazette de France, 1 November 1806). Clearly Frederick William's reputation as a waverer was won very early on!
150 YEARS AGO
On 27 October, 1856, electric light experiments were performed on the triumphal arch at the "Barrière de l'Etoile" in Paris (that is, the Arc de Triomphe). «Four pieces of electrical apparatus were mounted on the top of the monument. Two projected light onto the central lane of the Champs-Élysées; the two others lighted its side lanes.»
(Moniteur Universel, 28 October, 1856)
On 30 October, 1856, the Moniteur universel published an article from the British newspaper, The Standard. This article was a reply to the attack published in the Moniteur dated 24 October, 1856, which accused the British press of «deliberately spreading slander on the French government… ». The Standard, whilst «agreeing with every word of the complaint» reminded French readers that «the liberty, indeed licence, of the press is one [of Britain's institutions] which it would be impossible to regulate without radically changing the entire political system in Britain…»
For a timeline of British newspapers click here
On 2 November, 1856, an imperial decree promulgated the Commercial and navigation treaty signed by France and the Republic of Liberia, in West Africa. The commercial treaty was signed Monrovia (Liberia) in April, 1852, when Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was President de la République, but had to wait another four years to be ratified (14 October, 1856, to be precise). The treaty provided for peace and mutual amity (art.1) as well as complete freedom of commerce and movement between France and the Republic of Liberia (art. 2).
Wishing you an excellent, bicentenary, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 388, 27 October - 2 November, 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
SNIPPETS
- Longwood on Google Earth
WHAT'S ON
Re-enactments
- Berlin Historiale - Napoleon in Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Conferences:
- Conference, Germany and Napoleon 1806-2006, Berlin, Germany
- Napoleone e le donne, protagoniste, alleate, nemiche, Rome, Italy
Exhibitions:
- Dagoty in Paris - the Empress Josephine's porcelain manufactory, Reuil-Malmaison, France
- Napoleon III and Europe - 1856, Paris, France
- Napoleon, an intimate portrait, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Public Portraits, Private Portraits 1770-1830, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Louis Napoleon: at the court of the first King of Holland, 1806-1810, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Got a problem with the letter? Try the home page: http://www.napoleon.org
<<
|
|
