I’m trying to get some order into this. Really. I am. So here are some main topics of my weird and chaotic posts:
apparently napoleon hated murats mustache so much that he ordered it to be omitted from portraits. i think he was just a hater bc murats mustache looked fantastic
I have no source for this either. (Anecdotes sometimes take on a life of their own, so it might be a doublet of Ney's and Eugène's mustache stories?)
But in the original first sketch for David's "Sacre" painting, Murat indeed seems to wear a mustache. (And not much else.)
Saint-Cloud, 8 thermidor an XIII (27 juillet 1805).
Je suis instruit que vous avez des correspondances avec une nommée D—. Je ne sais pas si vous savez que cette femme n'est qu'une fille, une intrigante, dont la police s'est souvent servie. Une femme de cette espèce ne devrait pas recevoir de lettres de vous; c'est la boue de Paris. Je crois devoir vous en prévenir, que cela vous serve de règle.
---translation by google and me---
I am informed that you have corresponded with someone named D—. I don't know whether you know that this woman is nothing but a girl, an intriguer, who has often been utilized by the police. A woman of this type should not receive letters from you; this is the scum of Paris. I believe I must warn you, this will serve you as a rule.
Napoléon adultère by Hector Fleischmann, 1909
Thank you for this, @microcosme ! 💖
I'd come again across this very letter a while ago, too. Before, I had figured this paternal concern was related to the illustrious marriage projects Napoleon had in mind. But according to an article by André Gavoty, it's much more complicated and may refer to one Fanny du Villars, the cousin of Simon Bolivar.
The story is here, in a reply to an Ask from @joachimnapoleon about Eugène and Fouché - because according to Gavoty, Fouché was the driving force behind it all.
I can't help but think that my Sims 2-Ney is still very much stuck in his Hohenlinden phase...
This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:
A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"
Emphasis by me.
This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.
Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?
But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.
Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.
This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.
It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.
The thought that Eugène would be too old to be hand-guided by Napoleon is very plausible, as seen with what Lavalette says here. I've always thought though that the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet. The Bonaparte family on the French throne (and by extension on other thrones) would be more stable then. The ability for Napoleon to mold the child in the direction he wants him to be would be an added bonus.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power? That's a pretty good what-if, for those who are interested.
the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet
And history proved that reasoning quite sound... wait... 😁
You are right though, that may very well have been Napoleon's way of thinking. But I really can't imagine where this idea came from. Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
If anything, I could see the mother as the true reason, due to her coming from one of the old monarchies. But even that did not work out historically, mostly - imo - because Napoleon's new Austrian relatives did not get any advantages from Marie Louise's marriage. Napoleon's overpowered France still suffocated all other European countries, including Austria.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power?
In my opinion? By the time of 1809 - never. France and her amibitions at this point had become unbearable. A more restrained France with a less overbearing international position, however - why would such a monarchy not have been acceptable to its neighbours? (Minus Great Britain, of course. Always minus Britain.)
for those who are interested
Which are not many, I know 😌. Sorry for bothering you all with my random musings, guys. I just can't help finding Eugène much more likeable and thus more interesting than better-known or more colourful personalities of the era.
Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
Perhaps the idea was that enough time would have passed for Napoleon to consolidate his gains so that when his successor came of age, the current state of Europe would be more stable so the transition would be smooth. Of course that would mean many more years of fighting yet but that is just my thought.
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him? 😊
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him?
@snowv88: Why, you volunteer? 😋
Oh no I can't possibly take that from you 😂😅
I was hoping that you could take that up 😊
@snowv88: I'm the least suited person for that, I fear, because I'm not a scholar. I'm just a lowly office worker who has never studied at a college or university, with no access to any resources. I'm not even sure what proper "scholarly work" would look like.
Neither am I, at least not in history, that is 😂 but there are many ways we can contribute. There's always a way somehow 😊 Eugène does need a new updated biography.
No, he doesn't, actually. Michel Kerautret's book on him is only three years old.
Antoine-Vincent Arnault was a poet and playwright during the napoleonic era and a great admirer of Napoleon. He even wanted to accompany the French army to Egypt. In his "Souvenirs d'un sexagénaire" he also is one of Josephine's most malicious detractors. A lot of the Hippolyte Charles stories seem to come from him.
The scene below is taken from Volume 3 of his memoirs and takes place in 1797. Arnault has gone to Milan and attends a reception organised by the commanding general in the Palazzo Serbelloni.
In the salon I entered were, with Mme Bonaparte, Mme Visconti, Mme Léopold Berthier, since Countess de Lasalle, and Mme Yvan.
I do not know if and how this Madame Yvan is related to Napoleon's surgeon. I'm just here for the next two sentences:
Next to these ladies, on the sofa that lined the room, Eugène de Beauharnais was joking and laughing like a page; of all the men present, he alone was seated. Beyond the archway that marked the entrance to the gallery was the general.
All around him, but at a distance, stood the senior officers, the heads of the army administrations, the magistrates of the city, and also some ministers of the Italian governments, all on their feet like him. [...] Bonaparte did not attempt to rise to the level of the others; he had already been spared the trouble. None of those with whom he conversed seemed taller than he. Berthier, Kilmaine, Clarke, Villemanzy, even Augereau, waited in silence for him to speak to them, a favour they did not all obtain that evening. Never has headquarters looked more like a court. It was what the Tuileries have been ever since.
I just love the description; you can really feel the anxious atmosphere in that hall. Everybody, while pretending to be unfazed, has their eyes on the general, hopes to be noticed by him, talked to by him, does not dare to sit down as long as he doesn't, really already treating him like a monarch - and then there's one teenager who has his priorities down: there are neglected ladies in the room!
Eugène: What's up with you people anyway? That's only my new stepdad! - But go ahead, general, do whatever it is you're doing, I totally have you covered here.
Yknow, a lot of things are a matter of perspective
If you told napoleon when he was 20, “oh, btw, your son is going to be an Austrian Duke and you are going to have a nice private island to do whatever you want with” he would’ve been like, “whoa! My family will rise so high?”
It’s only when he’s in his 40s and megalomaniacal that’s he’s like “I’d literally rather both me and my son dead”
This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:
A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"
Emphasis by me.
This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.
Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?
But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.
Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.
This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.
It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.
The thought that Eugène would be too old to be hand-guided by Napoleon is very plausible, as seen with what Lavalette says here. I've always thought though that the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet. The Bonaparte family on the French throne (and by extension on other thrones) would be more stable then. The ability for Napoleon to mold the child in the direction he wants him to be would be an added bonus.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power? That's a pretty good what-if, for those who are interested.
the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet
And history proved that reasoning quite sound... wait... 😁
You are right though, that may very well have been Napoleon's way of thinking. But I really can't imagine where this idea came from. Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
If anything, I could see the mother as the true reason, due to her coming from one of the old monarchies. But even that did not work out historically, mostly - imo - because Napoleon's new Austrian relatives did not get any advantages from Marie Louise's marriage. Napoleon's overpowered France still suffocated all other European countries, including Austria.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power?
In my opinion? By the time of 1809 - never. France and her amibitions at this point had become unbearable. A more restrained France with a less overbearing international position, however - why would such a monarchy not have been acceptable to its neighbours? (Minus Great Britain, of course. Always minus Britain.)
for those who are interested
Which are not many, I know 😌. Sorry for bothering you all with my random musings, guys. I just can't help finding Eugène much more likeable and thus more interesting than better-known or more colourful personalities of the era.
Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
Perhaps the idea was that enough time would have passed for Napoleon to consolidate his gains so that when his successor came of age, the current state of Europe would be more stable so the transition would be smooth. Of course that would mean many more years of fighting yet but that is just my thought.
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him? 😊
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him?
@snowv88: Why, you volunteer? 😋
Oh no I can't possibly take that from you 😂😅
I was hoping that you could take that up 😊
@snowv88: I'm the least suited person for that, I fear, because I'm not a scholar. I'm just a lowly office worker who has never studied at a college or university, with no access to any resources. I'm not even sure what proper "scholarly work" would look like.
(Sorry to bother folks with yet another non-art post about non-popular guys but I was so excited to find this I just have to tell somebody!)
The "Revue du Rhin" from September 1937 published a letter from Eugène de Beauharnais and another from Jérôme Bonaparte to Eugène. And the letter scribbled written by Eugène is the earliest I've come across so far - his dad is still alive at that point and still at the head of the army (while he has already failed to defend Mainz).
The letter is directed at one Louis Apffel, an obviously somewhat older friend, as he seems to be already with the army. It's undated, but the recipient has noted on top that he believes to have received it in August 1793, which would fit the events mentioned in the letter. The translation, including random capitalization and lack of punctuation, reads:
-
Eugène at this point is 11 years old, and as the article states, him talking about events in the war in such detail and especially him considering the effects on trade are somewhat strange for a boy his age. What Eugène obviously does not suspect yet is the consequences the loss of Mayence would have for his father, who would soon leave the army and try to make himself forgotten, before being arrested and, not quite a year after Eugène wrote this letter, executed.
The article continues to describe Alexandre de Beauharnais' military record in not exactly flattering terms 😋 and to identify the generals, classmates and teachers Eugène mentions.
The second letter is one of recommendation, written four years later, in 1797, by Jérôme, most likely for the same Louis Apffel who had come to visit his former classmate in his college of Saint-Germain (probably in order to get in contact with Eugène's new stepfather), only to learn that Eugène three months earlier had left for Italy as general Bonaparte's aide-de-camp. Apparently he was going to follow him there and wanted to make sure he would be allowed to approach the general's family.
And if you thought Eugène's handwriting was bad, here's Jérôme:
Translation:
I like how Jérôme is obviously not stupid (your friend "as he tells me" - who however doesn't know your whereabouts). And as he speaks of several people who wanted to get in touch with Eugène, now that Eugène was the stepson of the most famous army general, I wonder if this may have been the whole family of Louis Apffel, trying to take advantage of the fact their son had once been in school with Eugène.
something's wrong with murat he's got a giant floating green jewel on his head and hes speaking weird
maybe the giant green thing could be valuable?
Oh no, he's found Mme DuQuay's sims game, hasn't he? Hang on here, I know I have her rendition of him somewhere....poor @le-brave-des-braves... *laughing* I don't mind my rendition, nor do I think the others mind theirs... @your-staff-wizard also has a nice little simself. But as you can see, our dear General d'Hautpoul KNOWS that he's a snack, even in pixellated form.
Mme DuQuay is forever searching for the proper curls for her rendition of @your-dandy-king...
Some of the most colourful descriptions of Junot's decline in 1813, while he was gouvernor of the Illyrian provinces, actually comes from Ney-fangirl No. 1, La Contemporaine, Ida Saint-Elme. And while there seems to be some doubt about Ida really going to Illyria during the first half of 1813, what she describes may still be very true. Her editor was one Charles Nodier, who had been called to Trieste as a librarian by Junot's predecessor Bertrand and who must have been an eye-witness to most events. But before she goes into details about her pretended sojourn in Trieste, Ida gives a short description of Junot:
Much has been said about the Duc d'Abrantès. Few soldiers have deserved to be immortalized in the bulletins through more brilliant and more numerous feats of arms.
I'm not quite sure was she is referring to here. What were Junot's major feats of arms?
But it would be unfair to see him as nothing more than a common soldier. A writing master would have envied his pen and a fencing master his fine bearing under arms. He held himself marvellously in a salon; a little upright, a little tense, showing off with some affectation his height, his legs, those natural and brilliant advantages which were disputed in the army only by Count Pajol, his rival in bravery and loyalty. He fired weapons like M. de Bondy, and recognised only Fournier and Delmas as his rivals for the pistol. He had less successful ambitions as a dancer. I think that his merit in this area has been somewhat exaggerated and I do not see that his memory has much to gain from succeeding in the Anglaise and the Montferrine.
Like Chamillard, the minister of Louis XIV, Junot played billiards in a remarkable manner. When it came to billiards in particular, he should not have been offended by any rival claims. In this genre, he had tried everything, executed everything, perfected everything. He was prouder of it than of the most brilliant memory of his military successes. For example, it was to him that we owe the instrument that cuts the billiard cue without slowing down the game, which Bouvard had just brought to him from Paris. I have seen high lords, grave diplomats, bishops and princes compliment him on it.
She then continues with the, I believe, rather infamous anecdote of Junot drinking "sulphuric ether" at dinner.
She got his self-admiration for his great physique and appearance down, though by 1813, he had become...a bit of a sad blob due to all the drinking and overeating (Laure mentions this), etc.
I believe Ida does speak about the Junot she may have known earlier here, as an introduction to the rest of the events she relates (but may not actually have seen with her own eyes).
@cadmusfly: Here's the sulphuric ether event for you:
The day after my arrival in Trieste, I dined with the Duc d'Abrantès, in the Palais Saint-Charles, in a well-decorated hall overlooking the pier, from which I was shown the Tower of Aquileia. The honours of the table were done by a lady of twenty to twenty-five, as beautiful as one can be without physiognomy, and as amiable as one can be without usage. [...]
Junot's moral decadence, which was already well advanced, became clear at the end of one of the formal dinners he gave with great pomp. Polite to the point of refinement and even too polite, like a man who is not polite by nature, he suddenly became agitated to the point of brusqueness and even violence. He still tried to be gracious, but his attentions hurt. You could feel that he no longer belonged to himself. His reason was escaping him. Yet he drank very little during the meal and it seemed that his exaltation was the sudden effect of a blind impulse provoked by the conversation.
I believe it’s actually not rare for alcoholics to drink secretly, is it?
The secretary general of the government, whose name I believe was M. de Heim, a man of good company and perfect manners, upheld at table, by the dignity of his bearing, the restraint that the duke could no longer show.
When Lannes went to Portugal, I seem to recall he had a secretary named Heim (?). Now i wonder if this is the same guy or if it’s a coincidence.
The day I dined there, the governor decided to diversify the liquor service by circulating a bottle of sulphuric ether. After refusals that were, one may assume, unanimous, he filled a glass with it and emptied it in a single gulp, to the somewhat restrained applause of the assembly. This strange excess did not seem to affect his reason. On the contrary, it gave him back the enthusiasm of youth and made him almost eloquent. This enthusiasm and this eloquence had as their sole object a boundless admiration for the Emperor.
This strange evening caused me great concern. There had been no gross excesses, but an aberration of a particular kind, of which my memories gave no examples.
No gross excesses indeed… Ida clearly has been around and seen worse. 😋
For those who are interested I'll add the last bit of the story, as it's another incident Ida claims to have seen for herself. It happens the morning after the dinner described above that had already given Ida quite some food for thought.
I was haunted by this idea in my room the next day when the Duke of Abrantès was announced, as I was just finishing my toilette. I received the governor with the greatest respect. I led him to a seat. This little circumstance is worth recounting: I don't know whether he would have gone himself. His animated face had turned pale and his eyes were downcast. Gifted with a particular clarity that gave them great charm, they were now vague and dull like a fading light. He sat up and took hold of my hand with one of his own, while with the other he covered his forehead and struck it repeatedly.
- Have you slept? he said.
- Without question... After the kind reception at the Palace of Government, after such a magnificent dinner... Not a thought, not a disturbance, not a sound from outside... - Not a sound from outside, I continued. - Oh, really, I'm quite wrong! An enchanting, delicious awakening, which plunged me into the sweetest thoughts, the song of a nightingale! .....
- The song of a nightingale, he exclaimed, falling back in his chair! - So it's true! That nightingale will follow me everywhere! I'll never go anywhere without being woken up by that nightingale! Do you have nightingales in this house?
- No, monseigneur, I said, speechless and frightened, for his last question had been uttered in a tone of suspicion and anger. - I thought the song came from the gardens of Saint-Charles.
- Certainly, he replied, rising violently to his feet. - The nightingales are singing under my window now. Oh, this cannot go on! I'll show the world what the wrath and vengeance of Napoleon's brother-in-arms can do... - And he left...
It would be difficult to express the surprise, or rather the consternation, into which this statement had plunged me. Fortunately, the governor had left without waiting for my reply and had given me time to reflect on such an extraordinary outburst. It wasn't long before I realised the reason for it, and my suspicions were soon confirmed. The tocsin sounded, general alarm sounded in all the streets; two battalions of Croats were set out to hunt down in the garden of Saint-Charles the nightingale that had interrupted my sleep. The Duc d'Abrantès was insane.
No shit, Sherlock.
This infirmity was also explained by the numerous injuries which had altered the principal organ of reason in him, and by the incredible excesses in which he had been indulging for some time. A thousand new extravagances soon confirmed this sad certainty, and each day brought us a new example. Sometimes it was a great conspiracy organised by all the sheep of Illyria, and against which the police, the troops, the administration had to be warned and all the rigours of the law had to be prepared. Sometimes it was a romantic passion for a young and pretty Greek girl, attached to the service of his house, and whose virtuous resistance had so upset his faculties that he decided to bury himself in flames under the ruins of the palace. Fortunately, warning of this plan came early enough to halt the progress of the fire.
Being a Croatian soldier in Trieste must have been something else at the time. Arrest nightingales for disturbing the peace at night, find among the native sheep the traitors secretly in touch with the English, and occasionally make sure the lovesick governor is not trying to burn down the city.
There is another anecdote about Junot in Goritzia, visiting local pubs incognito and making friends among simple workers, going so far as to decorate one of the men with his own "cross" of the Légion d'Honneur. (If the infamous naked apperance at a ball later really happened, that would be one decoration less to attach to whatever it was attached to.)
Ida then continues with the same thing that has been bothering me for a while:
The strangest thing is that Junot remained in this state for several months at the head of the Illyrian government. No authority had the right to replace the Emperor's lieutenant, or to take over his functions for a while, without an act of His Imperial Majesty, and no one dared to warn Napoleon. Suddenly, the illness became acute. Major General Comte Danthouard was appointed interim governor.
Danthouard (or d'Anthouard) of course being Eugène's aide-de-camp (a guy notoriously disliked by the vice-queen, btw 😋) whom Eugène sent to Trieste at Napoleon's order. But yes, Junot still being in any public function at this point seems hard to explain, as Napoleon had not only been warned (verifiably by Eugène, and likely also by others) but already was aware of Junot's state of mind. If I remember correctly, he had given Eugène order to send Junot to France in early 1813 remarking that this would be "one burden less for the army" or something to that effect.
Just spent two hours copying descriptions of auction listings and using dodgy machine translation on them and now I have a document full of excerpts from a bunch of letters written by Lannes scattered between 1800 to 1809, pretty much entirely to his wife, most of them going "why don't you write to me more :( i love you and the kids", one or two going "I am going to retire for real I swear I need to spend more time with you and the kids" (one of those written two years before his death on the job, ouch oof)
but look at these excerpts
6 July 1804 "I LOVE BONAPARTE, I DEFEND HIS INTERESTS OF HEART AND SOUL, I ONLY SEE HIS GLORY. I HAVE ALWAYS SPILLED MY BLOOD WITH PLEASURE FOR HIM."
January 14, 1809 "I have just spent two weeks in good pain, my dear Louise, I followed Her Majesty pandering all the time, without a servant, nor having enough to change my shirt once, so I was loaded with vermin. I do not remember ever having suffered so much, it must be added that I was still suffering from my fall from a horse. I swear, my dear Louise, it takes more than dedication to Her Majesty to have endured all the fatigue, no one has even noticed that I suffer."
Really interesting to me is this one
April 8, 1807 I am very worried about your health, take good care of it. I think the horse will do you good; if I find someone reliable, I will send you the black mare you like to ride; in the meantime, I urge (…) to buy a good horse; I am very pleased that you tell me that the one Bessières bought for me is beautiful. You don't tell me about the second one. It must also be very beautiful, at least it costs me as much. I think the air at Maison will do you a great deal of good, you will have a lot of pleasure in arranging the English garden (…). I am quite well but I am not satisfied (…). It seems one must sacrifice for people who love no one; I confess it takes a lot of courage to endure all the harm they wanted to do to me; you know the affair at Stettin. What treachery, what diabolical politics. I am not at peace; I am outraged, my dear Louise, when I think that at the moment when I was sacrificing my life for his glory, he was trying to ruin me, and always in a revolting way (…)
1. Bessières bought him two horses as gifts? Bessières? That Bessières? The one who he had a friendship breakup in 1801? 2. Him complaining about the emperor at the end is some spicy stuff right there, loyal but sometimes very bitter
fun letters! He does seem genuinely quite fond of his wife in these, I think
Great find! 😍 Any hint that the relationship between Bessières and Lannes was not as bad as some sources claim makes me happy. 😊
Some of the most colourful descriptions of Junot's decline in 1813, while he was gouvernor of the Illyrian provinces, actually comes from Ney-fangirl No. 1, La Contemporaine, Ida Saint-Elme. And while there seems to be some doubt about Ida really going to Illyria during the first half of 1813, what she describes may still be very true. Her editor was one Charles Nodier, who had been called to Trieste as a librarian by Junot's predecessor Bertrand and who must have been an eye-witness to most events. But before she goes into details about her pretended sojourn in Trieste, Ida gives a short description of Junot:
Much has been said about the Duc d'Abrantès. Few soldiers have deserved to be immortalized in the bulletins through more brilliant and more numerous feats of arms.
I'm not quite sure was she is referring to here. What were Junot's major feats of arms?
But it would be unfair to see him as nothing more than a common soldier. A writing master would have envied his pen and a fencing master his fine bearing under arms. He held himself marvellously in a salon; a little upright, a little tense, showing off with some affectation his height, his legs, those natural and brilliant advantages which were disputed in the army only by Count Pajol, his rival in bravery and loyalty. He fired weapons like M. de Bondy, and recognised only Fournier and Delmas as his rivals for the pistol. He had less successful ambitions as a dancer. I think that his merit in this area has been somewhat exaggerated and I do not see that his memory has much to gain from succeeding in the Anglaise and the Montferrine.
Like Chamillard, the minister of Louis XIV, Junot played billiards in a remarkable manner. When it came to billiards in particular, he should not have been offended by any rival claims. In this genre, he had tried everything, executed everything, perfected everything. He was prouder of it than of the most brilliant memory of his military successes. For example, it was to him that we owe the instrument that cuts the billiard cue without slowing down the game, which Bouvard had just brought to him from Paris. I have seen high lords, grave diplomats, bishops and princes compliment him on it.
She then continues with the, I believe, rather infamous anecdote of Junot drinking "sulphuric ether" at dinner.
She got his self-admiration for his great physique and appearance down, though by 1813, he had become...a bit of a sad blob due to all the drinking and overeating (Laure mentions this), etc.
I believe Ida does speak about the Junot she may have known earlier here, as an introduction to the rest of the events she relates (but may not actually have seen with her own eyes).
@cadmusfly: Here's the sulphuric ether event for you:
The day after my arrival in Trieste, I dined with the Duc d'Abrantès, in the Palais Saint-Charles, in a well-decorated hall overlooking the pier, from which I was shown the Tower of Aquileia. The honours of the table were done by a lady of twenty to twenty-five, as beautiful as one can be without physiognomy, and as amiable as one can be without usage. [...]
Junot's moral decadence, which was already well advanced, became clear at the end of one of the formal dinners he gave with great pomp. Polite to the point of refinement and even too polite, like a man who is not polite by nature, he suddenly became agitated to the point of brusqueness and even violence. He still tried to be gracious, but his attentions hurt. You could feel that he no longer belonged to himself. His reason was escaping him. Yet he drank very little during the meal and it seemed that his exaltation was the sudden effect of a blind impulse provoked by the conversation.
I believe it’s actually not rare for alcoholics to drink secretly, is it?
The secretary general of the government, whose name I believe was M. de Heim, a man of good company and perfect manners, upheld at table, by the dignity of his bearing, the restraint that the duke could no longer show.
When Lannes went to Portugal, I seem to recall he had a secretary named Heim (?). Now i wonder if this is the same guy or if it’s a coincidence.
The day I dined there, the governor decided to diversify the liquor service by circulating a bottle of sulphuric ether. After refusals that were, one may assume, unanimous, he filled a glass with it and emptied it in a single gulp, to the somewhat restrained applause of the assembly. This strange excess did not seem to affect his reason. On the contrary, it gave him back the enthusiasm of youth and made him almost eloquent. This enthusiasm and this eloquence had as their sole object a boundless admiration for the Emperor.
This strange evening caused me great concern. There had been no gross excesses, but an aberration of a particular kind, of which my memories gave no examples.
No gross excesses indeed… Ida clearly has been around and seen worse. 😋
This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:
A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"
Emphasis by me.
This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.
Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?
But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.
Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.
This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.
It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.
The thought that Eugène would be too old to be hand-guided by Napoleon is very plausible, as seen with what Lavalette says here. I've always thought though that the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet. The Bonaparte family on the French throne (and by extension on other thrones) would be more stable then. The ability for Napoleon to mold the child in the direction he wants him to be would be an added bonus.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power? That's a pretty good what-if, for those who are interested.
the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet
And history proved that reasoning quite sound... wait... 😁
You are right though, that may very well have been Napoleon's way of thinking. But I really can't imagine where this idea came from. Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
If anything, I could see the mother as the true reason, due to her coming from one of the old monarchies. But even that did not work out historically, mostly - imo - because Napoleon's new Austrian relatives did not get any advantages from Marie Louise's marriage. Napoleon's overpowered France still suffocated all other European countries, including Austria.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power?
In my opinion? By the time of 1809 - never. France and her amibitions at this point had become unbearable. A more restrained France with a less overbearing international position, however - why would such a monarchy not have been acceptable to its neighbours? (Minus Great Britain, of course. Always minus Britain.)
for those who are interested
Which are not many, I know 😌. Sorry for bothering you all with my random musings, guys. I just can't help finding Eugène much more likeable and thus more interesting than better-known or more colourful personalities of the era.
Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
Perhaps the idea was that enough time would have passed for Napoleon to consolidate his gains so that when his successor came of age, the current state of Europe would be more stable so the transition would be smooth. Of course that would mean many more years of fighting yet but that is just my thought.
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him? 😊
Would it be worth doing some scholarly work on Eugène? So that people may know about him?
@snowv88: Why, you volunteer? 😋
Some of the most colourful descriptions of Junot's decline in 1813, while he was gouvernor of the Illyrian provinces, actually comes from Ney-fangirl No. 1, La Contemporaine, Ida Saint-Elme. And while there seems to be some doubt about Ida really going to Illyria during the first half of 1813, what she describes may still be very true. Her editor was one Charles Nodier, who had been called to Trieste as a librarian by Junot's predecessor Bertrand and who must have been an eye-witness to most events. But before she goes into details about her pretended sojourn in Trieste, Ida gives a short description of Junot:
Much has been said about the Duc d'Abrantès. Few soldiers have deserved to be immortalized in the bulletins through more brilliant and more numerous feats of arms.
I'm not quite sure was she is referring to here. What were Junot's major feats of arms?
But it would be unfair to see him as nothing more than a common soldier. A writing master would have envied his pen and a fencing master his fine bearing under arms. He held himself marvellously in a salon; a little upright, a little tense, showing off with some affectation his height, his legs, those natural and brilliant advantages which were disputed in the army only by Count Pajol, his rival in bravery and loyalty. He fired weapons like M. de Bondy, and recognised only Fournier and Delmas as his rivals for the pistol. He had less successful ambitions as a dancer. I think that his merit in this area has been somewhat exaggerated and I do not see that his memory has much to gain from succeeding in the Anglaise and the Montferrine.
Like Chamillard, the minister of Louis XIV, Junot played billiards in a remarkable manner. When it came to billiards in particular, he should not have been offended by any rival claims. In this genre, he had tried everything, executed everything, perfected everything. He was prouder of it than of the most brilliant memory of his military successes. For example, it was to him that we owe the instrument that cuts the billiard cue without slowing down the game, which Bouvard had just brought to him from Paris. I have seen high lords, grave diplomats, bishops and princes compliment him on it.
She then continues with the, I believe, rather infamous anecdote of Junot drinking "sulphuric ether" at dinner.
This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:
A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"
Emphasis by me.
This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.
Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?
But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.
Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.
This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.
It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.
The thought that Eugène would be too old to be hand-guided by Napoleon is very plausible, as seen with what Lavalette says here. I've always thought though that the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet. The Bonaparte family on the French throne (and by extension on other thrones) would be more stable then. The ability for Napoleon to mold the child in the direction he wants him to be would be an added bonus.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power? That's a pretty good what-if, for those who are interested.
the main reason for the divorce and the need for an heir was that a biological successor would keep the other neighbouring powers quiet
And history proved that reasoning quite sound... wait... 😁
You are right though, that may very well have been Napoleon's way of thinking. But I really can't imagine where this idea came from. Why would the neighbour countries - who constantly went to war with and made fun of Napoleon I - be so keen on having a biological son as Napoleon's successor? How would that suddenly solve all problems?
If anything, I could see the mother as the true reason, due to her coming from one of the old monarchies. But even that did not work out historically, mostly - imo - because Napoleon's new Austrian relatives did not get any advantages from Marie Louise's marriage. Napoleon's overpowered France still suffocated all other European countries, including Austria.
Would the other powers accept Eugène as a ruler of a great power?
In my opinion? By the time of 1809 - never. France and her amibitions at this point had become unbearable. A more restrained France with a less overbearing international position, however - why would such a monarchy not have been acceptable to its neighbours? (Minus Great Britain, of course. Always minus Britain.)
for those who are interested
Which are not many, I know 😌. Sorry for bothering you all with my random musings, guys. I just can't help finding Eugène much more likeable and thus more interesting than better-known or more colourful personalities of the era.
This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:
A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"
Emphasis by me.
This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.
Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?
But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.
Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.
This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.
It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.
