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EDITORIAL
Pierre Branda is the winner of this year's Grand Prix.
His excellent book, Prix de la gloire. Napoléon et l'argent (Fayard), was chosen by the Grands Prix jury for 2007.
Other winners included Bernard and Danielle Quintin (Jury Special Prize), for their lives' work, and Thomas Munch-Petersen (prize for a book in a language other than French) for his book, Defying Napoleon.
The winners (and the seven research grant recipients) will receive their awards at a lunch on Monday 19 November, 2007, at a ceremony presided over by HIH the Princesse Napoléon.
We send you our sincerest congratulations.
And an excellent Napoleonic week to everyone else.
Thierry Lentz
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THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
Waterloo - Bias, Assumptions, and Perspectives, by Douglas ALLAN
Much of recorded "history" is biased, inept, and sometimes even fraudulent. One recent example was the Tet Offensive of 1968, reported by the media in the U.S. at the time as a North Vietnamese/Vietcong victory. In fact, Tet was a great victory for the U.S./South Vietnamese. Only years later, were the facts revealed - the North Vietnamese invading army had been nearly totally obliterated, and never again attacked the U.S. in force.
Political, nationalistic and other mis-informed or biased reporting is hardly limited to our lifetimes. Many of our members are well aware of Napoleon's "Bulletins", classics of disinformation. Much of what comes down to us is slanted by the bias or perspective of the writers. Waterloo is a classic example.
© Fondation Napoléon
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BICENTENARY OF THE FRENCH LAND SURVEY OR CADASTRE
It was the law of 15 September, 1807, which finally ended nine years of attempts to survey and value land in the Empire. By this legislation, Napoleon and his ministers aimed to establish a land survey which defined the parcels of land making up the communes in the Empire, with each parcel of property surveyed and valued. The aim was not only the cataloguing of land and the systematisation of the laws regulating land ownership but also to establish rational (and equitable) ground on which to base taxation. More than 10,000 communes had received a cadastral survey by the fall of the First Empire.
See the exhibition for the cadastral bicentenary in the Historical Museum of Mulhouse
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THE CIRQUE NAPOLEON REFURBISHED
The Paris circus known as the Cirque d'hiver (previously called the Cirque Napoléon) had opened after eight months of restoration work. The building coloured façade can now be viewed in all its Second Empire splendour, just as it was when Napoleon III inaugurated it on 11 December, 1852.
The Cirque Napoléon during the Second Empire © DR
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FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
Fondation History prizes and research grants 2007
The annual Fondation Napoléon History Prizes 2007 for books on the two French empires are to be presented at a lunch on 19 November , 2007, in the presence of HIH the Princess Napoléon. This year the prizes were awarded to Pierre Branda for his book, Le prix de la gloire. Napoléon et l'argent, to Thomas Munch-Petersen, for his book Defying Napoleon, and to Bernard and Danielle Quintin, for their lives' work.
For further information:
- History Prizes 2007
- Research Grants 2007
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200 YEARS AGO
Napoleon in Italy
Napoleon began his second visit to Italy, on 16 November, 1807. It was to last until 1 January, 1808. Police bulletins in Paris reported on public opinion: “In all circles, people are wondering at HM departure from Fontainebleau for Italy” (Bulletin dated 17 November, 1807). Many thought that the emperor's distancing himself from Paris was related to the possible dissolution of the imperial marriage. On 11 November Napoleon written a letter to Eugène de Beauharnais mentioning his intention to jion the Kingdom of Etruria to the Kingdom of Italy (Correspondence n° 13346), a territorial chang which in the end was not to take place.
On 21 November Napoleon arrived in Milan (1pm). On the following day he was present at a Te Deum in the duomo in Milan, later reviewing troops and visiting the Princess Augusta de Bavière, Vicereine of Italy and wife of Eugène.
Polish Campaign
On 25 November, 1807, the municipality of Paris held an official reception at the Villette Barrière for the Imperial Guard on its return from Poland and the campaign of 1806-1807. The event was painted by Jean-Baptiste Detaille and Nicolas Antoine Taunay.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 434, 16 - 22 November, 2007
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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Got a problem with a link in the Bulletin? Go to the homepage: http://www.napoleon.org
THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
Seen on the web
Friends of the British Cemetery, Elvas
The aim of this group is to raise funds for the restoration of the cemetery near the Portuguese fortress of Elvas.
WHAT'S ON
Conferences:
- Monarchy and Exile, London, UK
Cinema
- Centro Romano di Studi Napoleonici: Napoleonic film week, Rome, Italy
Exhibitions:
- The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon, Lorient, France
- Indispensable nécessaires, Reuil-Malmaisons, France
- Désiré's photographs of the Suez canal, Musée de la Marine, Paris, France
- Gustave Courbet's works, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Empress Josephine's Malmaison Collection, Somerset House, London, UK
- At the court of Louis Napoleon, first King of Holland (1806-1810), Paris, France
- 1807-2007: 200 years of economic life and consular justice, Paris, France
- "The trace of the eagle", the Invalides dome, Paris, France
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