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EDITORIAL
Chaos in Italy
Napoleon III's project for Italian unification was commendable, but the reality would prove more difficult. Having witnessed the staggering violence on the battlefield at Solferino, his desire for peace replaced his desire for an Austrian-free Italy, much to the dismay of the Piedmontese, Napoleon III's partners in the campaign. Count Cavour, having masterminded much of the project but faced with an agreement that set out a power-share between the Italian states and Austria, resigned. The summer of 1859 would be one of discussion, quarrel and intrigue as Europe worked towards the Treaty of Zurich (signed on 10 November, 1859), which, despite confirming the terms of the armistice, would be a dead letter. The Piedmontese had no intention of respecting the terms of the armistice and Italian princes across the region were removed from power as Piedmont undermined Napoleon's agreement with Austria. Elections, organised by Piedmontese officials, saw an increasing number of states join Victor-Emmanuel's kingdom. The region was in uproar, a state of affairs that would remain well into the new year. Unification was still some way off...
Hamish Davey Wright
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FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
Conference: "Napoleon, the Empire and the heritage of the Enlightenment"
The Fondation Napoléon and the Cercle Condorcet-Voltaire are organising a conference on Napoleon, the Empire and the Enlightenment which will take place on 9 and 10 October, 2009, in Ferney-Voltaire and Divonne-les-Bains, Switzerland. The preliminary programme of talks has been released, and further event details, including registration, will be released on napoleon.org and in the newsletter closer to the date.
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WHAT'S ON
Exhibition: "The Description of Egypt"
Marking the bicentenary of the publication of the first volume of the colossal work The Description of Egypt, this exhibition, co-organised by the RMN and the Musée de l'Armée, takes place in the Eglise du Dôme, at Les Invalides, in Paris, between 17 June and 21 September, 2009.
Conference: "Napoleon and the United States of America"
Taking place on 25 September, 2009, in Rome (Italy), this conference will discuss the relationship between Napoleon and France, Napoleon and the United States, and will feature talks from David Chanteranne (Souvenir Napoléonien), Giulia Gorgone (Museo Napoleonico) and Peter Hicks (Fondation Napoléon).
Re-enactment: Znaïm 2009 bicentenary re-enactment
As mentioned last week, a large re-enactment of the Battle of Znaïm will take place in and around the towns of Znojmo and Dobšice (Czech Republic). The event takes place this weekend, between 10 and 12 July. For details of the original battle which took place two hundred years ago, scroll to the bottom of the page.
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IN THE PRESS
The Monster of Longwood: Napoleon film cancelled
The French director, Patrice Chéreau, whose project The Monster of Longwood was set to star Al Pacino as Napoleon Bonaparte during his last days on the island of St. Helena, has announced that the film has been cancelled. Speaking to journalists at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, he explained: "It's finished, I've scrapped it, it won't be made. I spent a lot of money keeping this project alive and I've lost a lot of money holding onto the rights for my script."
JUST PUBLISHED
The Battle of Quatre Bras 1815, by Mike Robinson
"This book is the first English-language account to focus solely on the battle of Quatre Bras... This is the story of a battle that turned a campaign; of triumph and disaster. It is a story of two great generals, but more importantly, of the intense human experience of those that they led..."
Helmina von Chézy, Leben und Kunst in Paris seit Napoleon I, edited by Bénédicte Savoy
"Based on Helmina von Chézy's writings, this work offers a unique and fascinating account of the contemporary private collections in Paris, including that of Lucien Bonaparte (1775-1840, brother of the Emperor). It also testifies to the period's taste for Orientalism, the growth and development of the "troubadour style" (which, partly in reaction to the Neoclassical style, adopted an idealised view of the Middle Ages), and describes the young, up and coming breed of French painters, including Gros, Gérard, Ingres and Girodet, as well as the public's reaction to their paintings."
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COMING SOON
Clisson and Eugénie by Napoleon Bonaparte
The release of the translation of Clisson and Eugénie, a story of tragic love written by Napoleon when he was only 26, is set for October 2009. Peter Hicks and Emilie Barthet have put together this definitive version from pieces of the original manuscript, and the English translation, published by Gallic Books, comes with an introduction from Armand Cabasson (author of Wolf Hunt).
200 YEARS AGO
The Battle of Znaïm
Following the Austrian defeat at Wagram between 4 and 6 July, 1809, the Austrians retreated in good order. Not long after the end of the battle, Napoleon dispatched troops under Marmont in direction of Nikolsburg (Mikulov, Czech Republic), heading for Hungary or Bohemia, depending on the intelligence that the French Emperor received. At the same time, Masséna was given the order to regroup his troops and depart for Znaïm (Znojmo, in the Czech Republic). Bernadotte and the Armée d'Italie were to remain around Wagram and await orders whilst Eugène de Beauharnais secured Vienna.
Napoleon, however, was unsure as to where Archduke Charles was heading and so dispatched Davout to follow Marmont. This, in fact, was a mistake for, accompanied by the majority of his troops, the Austrian commander was actually on the road to Znaïm. Marmont, arriving in Hollabrün and receiving information from Montbrun regarding the whereabouts of the Austrians, quickly turned away towards Laa (Laa An Der Thaya), on the road to Znaïm. Arriving in Znaïm late on 10 July, Marmont and his 10,000-strong force mounted an attack on the Austrian defenders and, facing nearly 60,000 troops, were quickly in dire need of reinforcements.
On 11 July, 1809, troops under Masséna advanced on the city. Having succeeded in crossing the Thaya, he launched an attack on a convent building that was being defended by Hungarian chasseurs. Refusing to surrender, they were eventually pushed back into the chapel where the remaining soldiers were massacred. An Austrian counter-attack briefly retook the bridge but troops under Carra-Saint-Cyr intervened and drove through onto the Znaïm plain. By 7pm, Marmont had joined up with Masséna. At this point, Napoleon intervened, having received Charles' request for a cease-fire. The French Emperor would be heard remarking: "Enough blood has been spilled, let us make peace." Znaïm would be the last battle of the Austrian campaign of 1809. Berthier, for France, and de Wimpffen, acting on behalf of the Austrian Emperor, undertook the discussion of the cease-fire's conditions. The Austrians were forced to acquiesce to Napoleon's demands, and more than a third of Austrian territory was to remain under French control. The armistice was signed on 12 July, 1809 and would lead to the eventual Treaty of Schonbrünn, signed on 14 October, 1809.
150 YEARS AGO
The Armistice of Villafranca
On 11 July, 1859, following the suspension of arms agreed three days previously (see Bulletin n° 506), Napoleon III and his Austrian counterpart met at Villafranca to sign the armistice. The Moniteur universel on 13 July, 1859 published a telegram from the French Emperor to his wife, Eugenie, which briefly outlined the terms of the agreement:
The Emperor to the Empress
Valeggio, 11 July, 1859
Peace has been signed between me and the Austrian emperor.
The foundations are:
- An Italian Confederation under the honorary presidency of the Pope.
- The Austrian Emperor cedes all rights regarding Lombardy to the Emperor of the French, who in turn gives them to the King of Sardinia [Victor Emmanuel II].
- The Austrian Emperor keeps Venetia, but it will be an integral part of the Italian Confederation.
- General amnesty.
[Moniteur universel, 13 July, 1859]
These terms were to prove unacceptable to Count Cavour, the Sardinian Prime Minister, who tendered his resignation. Lajos Kossuth, an exiled Hungarian politician, recorded Cavour's reaction in the presence of Franceschini Piétri, one of Napoleon III's advisors:
"In politics, one often compromises when it comes to matters regarding timing or the manner in which to act, sometimes even regarding one's principles; but there is a point on which a man of conviction never compromises. That is honour. Your emperor [Napoleon III] has brought dishonour on me, yes, Monsieur, dishonour, he has brought dishonour on me! My God, he gave his word, he promised me that he would not stop until the Austrians had been driven from the whole of Italy. In exchange, he was to take Savoy and Nice for himself. I persuaded my king to accept, to make this sacrifice for Italy. My king, good and honest, agreed, taking me at my word. And now your emperor has claimed his reward, but he has left us in the lurch. And we are to be content with Lombardy! Moreover, he wants my king to enter into a confederation with Austria and the other Italian princes, under the presidency of the Pope.
[...]
If necessary, I shall plot! I shall revolt! But this treaty will not be carried out! [...] By God, we shall not leave this half-finished! [Lajos Kossuth, Souvenirs et écrits de mon exil, période de la guerre d'Italie, Plon, 1880, p. 319, quoted in Roland Conilleau, L'Entrevue de Plombières, Presses Universitaires de Nancy, 1991, p. 139]
However, Cavour's time on the political sidelines was to be short-lived: by the end of 1859, he had grown tired of the lack of progress being made regarding unification and reassumed his role as Prime Minister on 20 January, 1860.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Hamish Davey Wright
Historian and web-editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 506, 10 - 16 July, 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
Summer opening times:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 1.30pm-6pm
(Closed Monday and Friday)
THE MAGAZINE
Book of the month
- La Correspondance générale de Napoléon Bonaparte, Volume 6: "Vers le Grand Empire"
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
Press review
- Le Parisien: The Monster of Longwood cancelled
Seen on the web (external links)
- Clisson and Eugénie at Gallic Books
WHAT'S ON
Conferences
- Napoleon and the United States, Rome (Italy), 25 September, 2009
- "Napoleon, the Empire and the heritage of the Enlightenment", Ferny-Voltaire and Divonne-les-Bains (Switzerland), 9-10 October, 2009
- Napoleonic Association conference 2009, Southampton (UK), 10 October, 2009
- Australian Napoleonic Congress, Goulburn (Australia), 31 October - 1 November, 2009
Commemorations
- Bicentenary of the Illyrian Provinces
- Haydn 2009
- Bicentennial commemoration of the death of Maréchal Lannes
Re-enactments
- Znaïm 1809 bicentenary re-enactment, Znojmo and Dobšice (Czech Republic), 11-12 July, 2009
- Bivouac and the Battle of Oostmalle, Oostmalle (Belgium), 5-6 September, 2009
Festivals
- Napoleon Festival 2009, Sarzana (Italy), 24-27 September, 2009
Film screenings
- Dinner and screening of "Le Colonel Chabert", Cendrieux (France), 21 July, 2009
Exhibitions
- "The Description of Egypt", Paris, France [17/06/09 - 21/09/09]
Full details
- "Napoleon says: Illyria arise!", Ljubljana, Slovenia [12/05/2009 - 31/10/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon III and Paris", New York, USA [09/06/2009 - 07/09/2009]
Full details
- "Napoléon", Philadelphia, USA [29/05/2009 - 07/09/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon Bonaparte and Egypt: fire and light", Arras, France [16/05/2008 - 19/10/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon. His opponents, his admirers, and the sacrifice", Marchegg, Austria [04/04/2009 - 18/10/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon in Traiskirchen", Möllersdorf, Austria [04/03/2009 - 24/12/2009]
Full details
- "The Satirical Eye: comedy and critique from Hogarth to Daumier", Melbourne, Australia [27/02/2009 - 26/07/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon and Corsica", Corte, France [20/06/2009 - 30/12/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon and Eugenie", Roslyn Harbor, USA [07/06/2009 - 07/09/2009]
Full details
- "Imperial Splendour", Manderen, France [15/03/2009 - 31/08/2009]
Full details
- "Napoleon, Commander, Emperor and Genius", Schallaburg, Germany [16/05/2009 - 01/11/2009]
Full details
- "With Napoleon in Egy
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