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THIS WEEK'S LETTER
The last few days has seen Paris take its first tentative steps out of the dark, cold winter and into spring. With the news dominated by the current economic situation, we have our new article of the month, on Napoleon III and the economic crisis of 1857-1858, to offer for your perusal. Topical in this climate of uncertainty, it is nevertheless an interesting discussion of 19th century economics in Europe and the United States. Elsewhere, Napoleon is also thinking finances as he continues his preparations against Austria, in our 200 years ago for this week. In this section, we also update you on the siege and fall of Zaragoza. 150 years ago takes a look at the Prince Napoléon's nose-diving popularity, and we also announce the programme for our next atelier de la Fondation Napoléon, this time on music. For our UK-based readers, there's also information of a Napoleonic programme on the History Channel, and keeping up the Napoleon in the media theme, our Magazine section has a link to the new trailer for the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which features Alain Chabat as Napoleon. Don't forget too that details of the main exhibitions and conferences going on at the moment are also available on the right-hand side...
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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
"Napoleon III confronted with the economic crisis of 1857-1858" by Jacques Wolff
This week we have our new article of the month which deals with the economic crisis that faced Napoleon III between 1857 and 1858. With a detailed look at the implications of the crisis for the United States, France and Britain, as well as analysis of the reaction in the French press, it is an intriguing study of 19th century finance and economy.
Click here to read the article.
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FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
Atelier de la Fondation Napoléon: '"Experience" of music in France during the Napoleonic period'
Further details of the next Atelier de la Fondation Napoléon have been announced. The second in the series, this one will discuss music in French daily life under Napoleon, and will again take place at the Bibliothèque Paul Marmottan in Boulogne-Billancourt. The date is Tuesday 24 March 2009, from 9.30am until 4.30pm, and registration is free but required.
Click here for the day's programme.
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PhD viva
The Fondation Napoléon is delighted to announce that on Tuesday 10 February 2009, Stéphane Calvet, a 2004 Fondation Napoléon scholar, successfully passed his PhD viva with distinction summa cum laude at the Université d'Avignon. His thesis was entitled: "Les officiers charentais de la Grande Armée. La gloire, la reconnaissance et le rang dans la France du XIXe siècle" ("Officers from the Charente during the First Empire"). On behalf of everyone at the Fondation, we offer our congratulations on this outstanding success.
Click here for a brief summary of Stéphane's thesis.
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NAPOLEON IN THE MEDIA
For all satellite and cable TV viewers in the UK, a programme entitled "Engineering an Empire: Napoleon – Steel Monster" will be screened on the History Channel (UK) on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 1pm.
Click here for more details on the programme (external link).
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200 YEARS AGO
Napoleon attacks Austria's purse-strings
Austria and France continued to move ever-closer to war, and Napoleon pursued his tactics of dismantling support for Francis I on the continent. Targeting those involved financially, he wrote to the Comte de Champagny on 21 February 1809: "Monsieur de Champagny, have printed in the newspapers of Holland that, if Austria makes war, the money that the capitalists on the continent have lent her will be lost and will be in no way reimbursed..."
Click here (and scroll down) to read more of Napoleon's instructions.
Spanish affairs: the fall of Zaragoza
The capture of the Aragonese capital, situated on the right bank of the Ebro (except for a suburb on the left bank), was essential in consolidating the conquest of eastern Spain. Despite modest fortifications, the town was made up of huge houses and convents which served as small fortresses during the siege...
Click here (and scroll down) for full details of the siege.
150 YEARS AGO
The Prince Napoléon under-fire
The chattering classes were beginning to notice how difficult the Prince Napoléon, "Plon Plon", Napoleon III's cousin, was becoming in public life. The publicist, Viel-Castel in his memoirs (once for the date 24 February, and then again on 28 February, 1859) recorded two such moments. On 24 February, the Senate was faced with a vote on the allocation of eight hundred thousand francs to the Prince Napoléon to cover the costs of his wedding. The General de Castelbajac proposed an amendment whereby the money be given to the emperor who should use it to pay for the Prince's marriage. This was (rightly) seen as a vote of no confidence in the Prince and the Emperor attempted to sidestep the amendment...
Click here (and scroll down) for more discussion of "Plon Plon".
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week,
Peter Hicks and Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 486, 20 - 26 February 2009
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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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THE BIBLIOTHEQUE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
Winter opening times:
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 1pm-6pm
Thursday: 10am-3pm
(Closed Friday)
The library will be closed exceptionally on 10 March 2009.
THE MAGAZINE
Book of the month
Heinrich Euler, Napoleon III. in seiner Zeit
Fondation Napoléon History Prizes 2008
- Francis and Madeleine Ambrière, Talma, ou l'histoire du théâtre
- Alain Decaux, Coup d'état à l'Elysée
- Edgardo Donati, La Toscana nell'impero napoleonico
Fondation Napoléon news
- Fondation Napoléon Research Grants 2008
Seen on the web
- Trailer for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, with Alain Chabat as Napoleon.
WHAT'S ON
Conferences
- Les ateliers de la Fondation Napoléon: "Experience" of music in France during the Napoleonic period, Boulogne-Billancourt (France), 24 March, 2009
- Napoleon and Europe, 1800-1815, Oxford (UK), 7-9 March, 2009
- Seventh annual conference of the Society of Dix-Neuviémistes, Bristol (UK), 27-29 March, 2009
Commemorations
- Bicentennial commemoration of the death of Maréchal Lannes
- French presence in South Africa
Re-enactments
- Bivouac and the Battle of Oostmalle, Oostmalle (Belgium), 5-6 September, 2009
Exhibitions
- "Romania on the road to modernity: 150 years since the unification of the principalities under Prince Cuza", Bucharest, Romania [22/01/2009 - 24/05/2009]
Full details
- "Coinage at War. Catalonia in Napoleonic Europe", Barcelona, Spain [04/06/08 - 03/05/09]
Full details
- "The Crinoline Empire (1852-1870)", Paris, France [29/11/2008 - 26/04/2009]
Full details
- "The Eagle and the quill: the 'retour des manuscrits'", Paris, France [03/12/2008 - 01/03/2009]
Full details
- "Ben Weider Collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts", Montreal, Canada [Permanent]
Full details
- "Bonaparte and Egypt", Paris, France [14/10/2008 - 29/03/2009]
Full details
- "From Pompei to Malmaison", Rueil-Malmaison, France [22/10/2008 - 02/03/2009]
This exhibition has been extended until 2 March 2009.
Full details
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