#Louise Murat
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Dusting off a couple older posts from Louise Muratâs memoirs, featuring some scenes of Murat and his children, to hopefully inspire @credo--ergo-sum :)
Excerpt:
Quite often my brothers, while playing with the swords, pulled them out of the scabbard, and simulated fights, engaged in battles. I was the youngest, the slightest bit timid, and in this duel capacity, the punching bag for my elders; I was frightened, they attacked me, naked sword in hand; I became upset, I cried and ran to take refuge in the arms of my Father who, with a word, halted the assailants and, while scolding me kindly, sought to console me and to cure me of my childish frights. Poor Father! These familial scenes where he showed himself so good, so tender to us, are the last memories I conserve of him! These arms are, more or less, the only objects belonging to him that we have been able to save!
Excerpt:
My Mother also loved us, but she wasnât effusive⊠we would sometimes remain for entire days without seeing her! He was our friend, I would almost say our playmate. He didnât have a set time for his visits; sometimes he went up to our place barely awake⊠sometimes after a Council of Ministers; he came to relax, to unwind by making us jump upon his knees, and if a quarter of an hour interval separated an audience from his habitual walk, he took advantage of it to come embrace us before leaving. So what a welcome we gave him! What a celebration when we saw him open the door of the little staircase! How we ran into his arms!
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Letizia Murat's reaction to her father spoiling her little sister Louise:
#Letizia Murat#Joachim Murat#Louise Murat#I guess it's a shitpost đ#I have no idea if Letizia was of the jealous type but this reminded me of her
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I love this!! Iâm glad the excerpts helped inspire you. Looking forward to seeing the final version!
Took a while because i had to redo the sketch multiple times but here is the sketch of the upcoming murat painting. Thanks again @joachimnapoleon! Your excerpts of the Letters really helped a great amount and i hope youre content with this version ^^ the background will be added on the painting later on
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âIn the Arms of Empires: The Tender Tableaux of Napoleonic Motherhoodââšïžâ€ïžđ€
Napoleon-Era Maternal Portraits That Stole Heartsđđđ
#Napoleon III#Napoleon II#Caroline Bonaparte#Julie Clary#EugÚne de Beauharnais#Zénaïde Bonaparte#Charlotte Bonaparte#Napoléon-Charles#Napoléon Louis#Marie Louise#Alexandrine de Bleschamp#Anne Jouberthon#Elisa Bonaparte#Elisa Napoléone Baciocchi#Letizia Murat#josephine de beauharnais#hortense de beauharnais#Napoleonic
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Costumes of Napoleonic figures at the Devonshire House Ball of 1897
1. Aileen May (née Wyndham-Quin), Countess of Meath as Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland
2. Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (née Countess Josephine Kinsky) as Princess Pauline Bonaparte Borghese
3. ThérÚse (née Kinsky), Countess Clary-Aldringen as Caroline Bonaparte Murat, Queen of Naples
4. Florence Anne (née Cole), Lady Delamere as Hortense de Beauharnais
5. Sir Charles Edward Cradock-Hartopp, 5th Bt as Napoleon I; Millicent Florence Eleanor (née Wilson), Lady Cradock-Hartopp (later Countess Cowley and Mrs Duberly) as the Empress Josephine
6. Lord Arthur Vincent Hay; William George Montagu Hay, 11th Marquess of Tweeddale; Candida Louise, Marchioness of Tweeddale as the Empress Josephine
7. Kathleen (née Douglas-Pennant), Viscountess Falmouth as Madame Recamier
8. Maria Henrietta Sophia Chaine (nĂ©e Phipps) as Madame Sans GĂȘne
9. Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin as Marshal Lefevre
10. Catherine Dorothea Mary Grosvenor (née Simeon) as Marie Louise
#Devonshire House Ball of 1897#Devonshire Ball of 1897#ball#1890s#1897#napoleonic era#napoleonic#napoleon bonaparte#first french empire#french empire#Hortense de Beauharnais#pauline bonaparte#Caroline Bonaparte#josephine bonaparte#Marie Louise#Madame Recamier#Marshal Lefevre#costumes#costume#fashion history#historical fashion#Napoleon#Madame Sans GĂȘne#19th century#france#history#Devonshire#England#empire#empire style
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PART 3 IT IS! Let's start this last round, shall we? đ„łâš
21. Aiaiaiaiai, this seems like a reaction of Caroline to the napoleonic bubble on tumblr, ahaha:
22. Not the toilet paper đ€ĄđŹđ:
23. Omg, omg, omg, I imagine baby Louise like around 9 months old in this description like a sweet, adorable, tiny, yet quite awake potato with baby blue eyes just squeaking out of happiness and kicking its legs đ„șđ:
24. Wait, was Larrey the one who tried to save Lannes' life by amputating its leg?
25. OMG, omg, the Neys are here too!!!!! Ney giving chill uncle vibes by thanking Letizia. AglaĂ© answering with her typical graceful doe energy, Ney smiling and me melting away. đđđđđđđđđđđđđđđđ
26. Even Naps contributing to the adorable vibes:
27. I KNEW IT THAT HE WOULD GET ALONG FOR THE RIDE!!!! Lannes, ma boiiii :D
28. OF COURSE, HE WOULD SLAY A VOGUE COVER.
29. Caroline staying loyal to French brands while Joachim probably enjoys his gucci:
30. Imagine, Joachim's 4, Lannes' 5 and Ney's 4 children on the runway. It would be so chaotic with all these little ones. Achille and Ney's oldest boy would take the task quite seriously. Letizia would be the fabulous star. Ney's two middle boys would chill with Lucien and Lannes' older boys. And then you have a pile of the babies being just loud. đđŹ
I had one last screenshot left but I am not going to post a 4th reblog. It was Naps being happy about the shirt JosĂ©phine had found and Joachim had made as a happy ending for everyone. đ„°
If only reality would have been so blissful. :(
We made it to the end, napoleonic besties, yeay! đ„ł
I really enjoyed reading this!!!
Thank you, @joachimnapoleon and @histoireettralala for this nice story! c:
Imagine your favourite historical figure dealing with lockdown
#joachim murat#caroline murat#trifecta au#napoleon bonaparte#michel ney#jean lannes#Aglaé Ney#the Murats#the Neys#the Bonapartes#Joséphine Bonaparte#letitia murat#Louise Murat#Achille Murat#Lucien Murat#if only they had this happy end of all of them chilling together with their children at a breakfast party smiling and laughing together
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If you have other optiones justify your answer in the replies!!!
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Friends, enemies, comrades, Jacobins, Monarchist, Bonapartists, gather round. We have an important announcement:
The continent is beset with war. A tenacious general from Corsica has ignited conflict from Madrid to Moscow and made ancient dynasties tremble. Depending on your particular political leanings, this is either the triumph of a great man out of the chaos of The Terror, a betrayal of the values of the French Revolution, or the rule of the greatest upstart tyrant since Caesar.
But, our grand tournament is here to ask the most important question: Now that the flower of European nobility is arrayed on the battlefield in the sexiest uniforms that European history has yet produced (or indeed, may ever produce), who is the most fuckable?
The bracket is here: full bracket and just quadrant I
Want to nominate someone from the Western Hemisphere who was involved in the ever so sexy dismantling of the Spanish empire? (or the Portuguese or French American colonies as well) You can do it here
The People have created this list of nominees:
France:
Jean Lannes
Josephine de Beauharnais
Thérésa Tallien
Jean-Andoche Junot
Joseph Fouché
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
Joachim Murat
Michel Ney
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (Charles XIV of Sweden)
Louis-Francois Lejeune
Pierre Jacques Ătienne Cambrinne
Napoleon I
Marshal Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Jacques de Trobriand
Jean de dieu soult.
François-Ătienne-Christophe Kellermann
17.Louis Davout
Pauline Bonaparte, Duchess of Guastalla
EugĂšne de Beauharnais
Jean-Baptiste BessiĂšres
Antoine-Jean Gros
JĂ©rĂŽme Bonaparte
Andrea Masséna
Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle
Germaine de Staël
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas
René de Traviere (The Purple Mask)
Claude Victor Perrin
Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
François Joseph Lefebvre
Major Andre Cotard (Hornblower Series)
Edouard Mortier
Hippolyte Charles
Nicolas Charles Oudinot
Emmanuel de Grouchy
Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
GĂ©raud Duroc
Georges Pontmercy (Les Mis)
Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont
Juliette RĂ©camier
Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey
Louis-Alexandre Berthier
Ătienne Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre Macdonald
Jean-Mathieu-Philibert SĂ©rurier
Catherine Dominique de PĂ©rignon
Guillaume Marie-Anne Brune
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Charles-Pierre Augereau
Auguste François-Marie de Colbert-Chabanais
England:
Richard Sharpe (The Sharpe Series)
Tom Pullings (Master and Commander)
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Jonathan Strange (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell)
Captain Jack Aubrey (Aubrey/Maturin books)
Horatio Hornblower (the Hornblower Books)
William Laurence (The Temeraire Series)
Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
Beau Brummell
Emma, Lady Hamilton
Benjamin Bathurst
Horatio Nelson
Admiral Edward Pellew
Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke
Sidney Smith
Percy Smythe, 6th Viscount Strangford
George IV
Capt. Anthony Trumbull (The Pride and the Passion)
Barbara Childe (An Infamous Army)
Doctor Maturin (Aubrey/Maturin books)
William Pitt the Younger
Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (Lord Castlereagh)
George Canning
Scotland:
Thomas Cochrane
Colquhoun Grant
Ireland:
Arthur O'Connor
Thomas Russell
Robert Emmet
Austria:
Klemens von Metternich
Friedrich Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza
Franz I/II
Archduke Karl
Marie Louise
Franz Grillparzer
Wilhelmine von Biron
Poland:
Wincenty KrasiĆski
JĂłzef Antoni Poniatowski
JĂłzef ZajÄ
czek
Maria Walewska
WĆadysĆaw Franciszek JabĆonowski
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
Antoni Amilkar KosiĆski
Zofia Czartoryska-Zamoyska
Stanislaw Kurcyusz
Russia:
Alexander I Pavlovich
Alexander Andreevich Durov
Prince Andrei (War and Peace)
Pyotr Bagration
Mikhail Miloradovich
Levin August von Bennigsen
Pavel Stroganov
Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna
Karl Wilhelm von Toll
Dmitri Kuruta
Alexander Alexeevich Tuchkov
Barclay de Tolly
Fyodor Grigorevich Gogel
Ekaterina Pavlovna Bagration
Ippolit Kuragin (War and Peace)
Prussia:
Louise von Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Gebard von BlĂŒcher
Carl von Clausewitz
Frederick William III
Gerhard von Scharnhorst
Louis Ferdinand of Prussia
Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Alexander von Humboldt
Dorothea von Biron
The Netherlands:
Ida St Elme
Wiliam, Prince of Orange
The Papal States:
Pius VII
Portugal:
JoĂŁo Severiano Maciel da Costa
Spain:
Juan MartĂn DĂez
José de Palafox
InĂȘs Bilbatua (Goya's Ghosts)
Haiti:
Alexandre PĂ©tion
Sardinia:
Vittorio Emanuele I
Lombardy:
Alessandro Manzoni
Denmark:
Frederik VI
Sweden:
Gustav IV Adolph
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About AimĂ©e: It's so sweet how they call themselves while writing letters to one another. AimĂ©e calls herself "ton AimĂ©e" while Davout calls himself "ton Louis". đ„°
In addition to that, Davout calls AimĂ©e "mon petite AimĂ©e" which is so adorable, omg. đșđ„ș I swear I would die for them. I hate that he died so young in comparison to her. đ„Č
About Caroline: Didn't she like to call Murat "mon ami" (=my friend)? I suppose this doesn't change the fact that she liked to call him with his last name. It's a sweet nickname though.
I also remember Ney never calling his wife Aglaé. I think he called her Louise (which I don't understand because there are so many Louises but fine.) I have no idea though how Aglaé called Ney.
The marshals' wives: first or family name?
Title is deliberately misleading because Iâll be adding some husbands who were not marshals, simply because I do not have enough data (yet, I hope). This is something Iâve been wondering for some time: Some wives adressed their husbands in letters or private conversation by their first names, while others used the family name - which at least to me seems rather weird but apparently was far from uncommon.Â
Can we put together a list of who did what? I wonder if there is a pattern.
In the âfirst nameâ camp, we find:
AimĂ©e Davout (calling her marshal âLouisâ)
Auguste von Bayern (though Iâm not sure how much weight her testimony has because apparently everybody called EugĂšne de Beauharnais simply âEugĂšneâ)
Hortense de Beauharnais (calling her husband âLouisâ)
In the âfamily nameâ camp, we have:
Josephine Bonaparte (still calling her Napoleon âBonaparteâ even when the latter was emperor)
Caroline Murat (calling her Joachim âMuratâ in letters, I believe?)
Louise Lannes (? I think? She writes something like âLannes has killed two wolves, you bet heâs enjoying himselfâ to her mother from Portugal.)
Louise Soult-Berg (in her diary/itinerary, much to the astonishment of Soultâs biographer Nicole Gotteri)
CathĂ©rine LefĂšbvre-HĂŒbscher (apparently, at least she says âthis still smells of LefĂšbvreâ when sniffing at her late husbandâs hat after his death, according to dâAgoultâs memoirs)
Does anybody have something to add to this list? How about Laure Junot? Julie Bonaparte? Désirée Bernadotte? Aglaé Ney? The wives of Larrey, Oudinot, Macdonald etc.? Are there letters from Madame Visconti to Marshal Berthier? Or from Elisabeth Berthier? Any letters or quotes by the wives of famous generals or other personalities of the era?
I would love to list as many examples as possible to see if people in both camps have something in common. Thanks to everybody who can help me out!
#napoleon's marshals#And their wives#napoleon's generals#how did their wives address their husbands#aimĂ©e leclerc#aimĂ©e davout#caroline bonaparte#caroline murat#eugĂ©nie de coucy#aglae ney#Auguste von Bayern#hortense de beauharnais#JosĂ©phine de beauharnais#louise berg soult#Louise Lannes#Catherine HĂŒbscher#Catherine Lefebvre#I think I got them all now
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Live broadcast of âLe Sacre de NapolĂ©on Vâ on the national channel Francesim 2, hosted by StĂ©phane Bernard
(Another journalist) The procession ascends the cathedral and reaches the choir. (Stéphane Bernard) Indeed, at the head of the procession, you'll notice the palace usher. He's closely followed by the heralds-at-arms, the Master of Ceremonies, the Grand Marshal, and most notably, by Prince Murat, who carries the Empress's crown.
(Stéphane Bernard) Here comes the Empress's procession, following behind the crown. She is surrounded by the women of the imperial family: Madame MÚre, Madame Hortense, and the daughters of Prince Imperial Henri. In addition to the imperial mantle, the Empress wears the crown of Marie-Louise of Austria. (Another journalist) Why is the Empress already wearing a crown? (Stéphane Bernard) It's truly unprecedented, yes. During the ceremony, there's a moment dedicated to what we call the "regalia"⊠In truth, I'll tell you, this term wasn't really used back then. We talked more about ornaments or royal insignia. Deciphering all these symbols live⊠It's not easy, but⊠I would say that the Empress seems to be indicating that it's through her marriage that she acquired imperial dignity. As a result, today, she receives another crown: that of Francesim.
(Stéphane Bernard) His Holiness, Pope Gregorius XIX, takes his place near the imperial canopy, facing Their Majesties.
(Stéphane Bernard) And here comes the imperial procession advancing to the majestic sound of trumpets! Leading the way is the Grand Chamberlain, accompanied by the marshals of Francesim. He bears the cruciferous orb.
(Stéphane Bernard) Behind the Orb, Emperor Napoleon V advances in his Grand Habit de Sacre: a purple coat adorned with ermine fur. The laurel wreath of the Roman emperors rests on his head. The Emperor holds in his hands the scepters of Justice and of Charles V, and at his waist, rests the sword of Charlemagne, known as Joyeuse.
(Stéphane Bernard) His Majesty is surrounded by Their Imperial Highnesses, Prince Imperial Henri, and his son, Prince Philippe of Francesim. The procession is closed by the State counselors and members of the government.
â Le Sacre de NapolĂ©on V | N°9 | Francesim, Paris, 28 Thermidor An 230
The coronation ceremony begins in the choir of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. It was broadcast live on television by Stéphane Bernard, the famous journalist for the crowned heads in Francesim.
Beginning ⏠Previous ⏠Next
â Traduction française
(Autre journaliste) Le cortĂšge de l'Empereur remonte la cathĂ©drale et rejoint le chĆur. (StĂ©phane Bernard) Effectivement, en tĂȘte de cortĂšge, vous remarquez l'huissier du palais. Il est suivi de prĂšs par les hĂ©rauts d'armes, le MaĂźtre de CĂ©rĂ©monie, le Grand MarĂ©chal, et surtout, par le prince Murat qui porte la couronne de l'ImpĂ©ratrice. Car il s'agit aussi du sacre de l'impĂ©ratrice.
(Stéphane Bernard) Voici le cortÚge de l'Impératrice, qui marche derriÚre la couronne. Elle est entourée des femmes de la famille impériale : Madame MÚre, Madame Hortense, et les filles du prince impérial Henri. En plus du manteau impérial, l'impératrice porte la couronne de Marie-Louise d'Autriche. (Autre journaliste) Pourquoi l'impératrice porte-t-elle déjà une couronne ? (Stéphane Bernard) C'est vraiment inédit oui. Pendant la cérémonie, il y a un moment dédié à ce qu'on appelle les "regalia"... En vérité, je vous le dis, ce terme n'était pas vraiment utilisé à l'époque. On parlait plutÎt d'ornements ou d'insignes royaux. Décrypter tous ces symboles en direct... N'est pas facile, mais... Je dirais que l'impératrice semble signifier que c'est par son mariage qu'elle a acquis la dignité impériale. De ce fait, aujourd'hui, elle reçoit une autre couronne : celle de Francesim.
(Stéphane Bernard) Sa Sainteté, le Pape Gregorius XIX, prend place prÚs du dais impérial, en face de Leurs Majestés.
(StĂ©phane Bernard) Et voici le cortĂšge impĂ©rial qui avance au son majestueux des trompettes ! En tĂȘte, le Grand Chambellan, accompagnĂ© des marĂ©chaux de Francesim. Il porte l'orbe crucigĂšre. DerriĂšre l'Orbe, l'Empereur NapolĂ©on V avançant dans son Grand Habit de Sacre : un manteau pourpre ornĂ© de fourrure d'hermine. La couronne de lauriers des empereurs romains repose sur sa tĂȘte. L'Empereur tient dans ses mains les sceptres de la Justice et de Charles V, et Ă sa taille, repose l'Ă©pĂ©e de Charlemagne, nommĂ©e Joyeuse.
(Stéphane Bernard) Sa Majesté est entouré par Leurs Altesses Impériales, le prince impérial Henri, et son fils, le prince Philippe de Francesim. Le cortÚge est fermé par les conseillers d'Etat et les membres du gouvernement.
#simparte#ts4#ts4 royal#royal simblr#sims 4 royal#sim : louis#sims 4 fr#sims 4#ts4 royalty#sims 4 royalty#coronation napoleon v#ts4 coronation#notre dame de paris#paris#episode iii#le cabinet noir#royal sims#ts4 royal family#ts4 royal simblr#sim : charlotte#sim : henri#sim : philippevictor#sim : marie joséphine#sim : hortense#sim : charlemagne#sim : jean#sim : stephane bernard
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Catel & Farcy 1960s Napoleon Playing Cards
âŁïž: Napoleon and Josephine
â ïž: Soult and (I presume?) his wife Louise
â„ïž: Lannes and Pauline
âŠïž: Murat and Caroline
All of the Jacks/Valets are just soldiers, not specific people; all of the numbered cards and aces are regular cards.
#napoleonic#catel & farcy#napoleon bonparte#empress josephine#marshal soult#marshal lannes#pauline bonaparte#caroline bonaparte#marshal murat#my playing cards
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At What Point Did Ney and Soult's Relations Become So Embittered?
The more I find out how Ney and Soult are mentioned and perceived (in relation to each other) in the Napoleonic timeline, the more I am convinced that they were on decent terms up until the Empire was well-consolidated. This is mostly a response to this episode, which takes place four days before Napoleon's coronation. During that time, Soult was commandant-in-chief of the Camp of Boulogne and Ney was commandant-in-chief of the left wing of the army at the Camp of Montreuil. They mst have corresponded and cooperated well with each other on various matters, at least on a professional level. Attridgeâs Ney biography has an episode about a hay bale conspiracy by the English that necessitated communication between both camps. Hayman, in his Soult biography, even hedges that they were willing to play court with each other through the unpublished correspondence of General Marchand (which he frustratingly paraphrases and does not give a date for).
[...] Marchand accompanied his own chief, Ney, to dinner with the Soults, indicating that these two rivals from the Sambre-et-Meuse were still on social terms. The dinner was followed by a magnificent ball given in honour of Louise Soult, who appeared in an elegant black dress covered with diamonds. The ball cost some six million francs to which senior officers were asked to contribute. Marchand hoped that a similar ball would not be given in honour of Madame Ney since he and his comrades just would not be able to afford it! (p. 50)
We can infer from this letter that around 1803-1805, Soult was still civil with Ney by inviting him to a dinner, and Ney still had some sense of being an equal to Soult despite being the Commander of Montreuil. I wonder if Ney himself contributed to Soult's ball (and if he was willing).
If the primary sources these biographies use are not all too reliable, at the very least, the first big rift in Ney and Soult's relationship that I found was in Saint-Chamansâ memoirs, quoted in Gotteri's Soult biography. This was after the battle of Eylau, 3 February 1807, when Napoleon held a meeting with his Marshals to discuss objectives. As I translate in approximation below:
Marshals Murat and Ney wanted to march onto Königsberg; marshal Soult held that it was necessary to retire behind the Passarge (a small river which was difficult to pass, fifteen miles behind Eylau), to fortify the points of passage, and wait in this position so that the troops can alleviate the fatigues they had accumulated, and so the reinforcements who, in our depots in France, were in route to come join us, would arrive; the discussion was lively, and the opinion of marshal Soult prevailed; marshal Ney was very offended by this [the original word is "piqué", lit. stung], and, from this moment, they were completely at odds [lit. they always made quarrels]. (p. 181)
And even then, Ney would make his remark about borrowing Soult's culottes to Soult himself just four months later, around 6 June 1807. They were evidently still able to joke around with each other after their military disagreements, which always happens on campaign, even between civil colleagues (examples I can think of include Lannes and Murat or Desaix and Saint-Cyr). Or maybe Soult did not reciprocate Ney's jokes by 1807; I have no way of knowing right now.
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Also true for many ladies at Napoleonâs court, though I suspect depressions also may have played a role in many cases.
Always so interesting to me when I come across a historical figure who was noted to be constantly "in poor health" or "of a weak constitution" or some other shorthand for "they were always falling ill, even when others weren't and there was no obvious trigger for it." it really makes me wonder--how many of those people had what we'd today consider a chronic illness, and how many of them were just suffering from subpar sanitation in the past? how many of them had what could reasonably be considered a disability as opposed to just living in a time without modern medicine, and the people around them just couldn't diagnose them because the diagnosis didn't exist yet? this is something that I think about constantly btw
#josephine in particular comes to mind#but also hortense of course#Aimée Davout#didn't louise lannes uffer from severe migraines later in life?#caroline murat in naples
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Maréchaux d'Empire: La gloire pour destin
Quelle horreur!
On the other hand, this book will keep me alternating between guffaws and serious eye-rolls for days.
The "replacement" for David Chandler's anthology, Napoleon's Marshals, published in 1987 with each of the 26 mini-bios written by for-real scholars [and not just Americans, either] is this November 2023 anthology edited by Francois Houdecek, who holds forth at the Sorbonne, claims to be a "disciple" of Jean Tulard [I believe M. Tulard has thousands of those!], and is involved in all sorts of activities and scribblings involving Naps. He is also responsible for gathering and organizing vast quantities of Napoleon's correspondence, so kudos for that.
However--and oh, my! what a huge "however" this is!--the 26 contributors range from the marginally average Pierre Branda to the apparent dregs of French scholarship whose names have never resonated outside the borders of Gallica. Each of these articles is depressingly cardboard, flimsy with details, utterly bereft of any attempt at analysis or understanding of the individual's character, talents--or lack thereof--and other useful and expected details, even in an anthology. These contributors apparently competed to see who could write the most drivel using the fewest sources. Naturally, I went straight to the entry about Lannes, and by the time I reached the end, I had permanently dislocated my eyebrows. The "author" of this travesty is Jacques-Olivier Boudon, whose credentials, on paper, are impressive but whose knowledge of Jean-Boy is worse than passing; it is non-existent. The reason for that is based on M. Boudon's sources:
He cites Lannesâ âofficial dossierâ in the SHD, which I copied before I left, so I know every page and every sentence in it, and I know you wonât find squat that is useful unless, of course, you care how much putting on Mozartâs Requiem cost, and who sang the tenor solo.
High on the hit parade list is Regis de Crepyâs smarmy bio of the Lovely Louise, another book I can quote endlessly. Boudon used one letter from that.
Boudon also took bits and pieces from the three more recent French biographies by Dammame, Zins, and Willetteâalthough the latest was published in 1994âand explained what I thought about them in a previous blog.
The absolutely most hysterical âsourceâ is the 2002 historical fiction by a lovely 93-year-old woman, Penelope Le Fers-Dupac, who lives in Lectoure and who I know [I also know the biographer Jean-Claude Dammame, but thatâs another story]. This novel is called âLe Mousquetaire de Napoleon: Lâautre vie du marechal Lannes.â Make of this what you will, but it is the wonderfully entertaining, hilarious, and fictional tale of Jean-Boyâs first marriage.
I am appalled that this person didnât do justice to Jean-Boy in an anthology where he would have shone at the top in capable hands. I know who's the real expert here, and I certainly donât mind if someone also chooses to write about My Guy. But he or she had damn well better get it right, and this French morceau de merde massacred his subject.
BTW, joachimnapoleon, have you encountered Vincent Haegele? He did Murat no favors here, either. Thanks for reading the rant. I feel better.
#jean lannes#don't bother#napoleon's marshals#truly terrible french writng#non-history#who are these idiots?
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Greetings,
As I mentioned in my letter to @your-dandy-king, I have fortunately undergone quite an extensive training in singing and I assume it may come in handy during the expedition. When my letter arrived, however, he was already on his way.
...I see the predicament is much the same here.
Could you tell me which path the group took? I would still like to help.
At Soult's afterlife, currently taking the form of Soultberg at Saint-Amans (for it does so shift and change, unlike some of the other afterlives around), Brun is watching Louise bounce baby Helene on her knee. Bory, for his part, is answering the mail and any visitors.
Bory: Ah, Madam Brown! The Marshal had planned for this eventuality - he did want to keep the expedition small, but if any volunteers or well wishers did wish to help, they are welcome!Especially if any dangers come to the Marshal and his companions!
There is a bridge that connects the afterlife of Murat to Bessieres- it is there that Saint-Chamans is stationed, and it is there that our adventuring party has headed.
Do you know the way to Marshal Murat's afterlife? If you do not, or do not wish to undertake the journey yourself, I can guide you there. And I do promise not to stop for any interesting flora!
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Napoleonic Posts Masterlist
If you are new here, welcome! I've organised my posts for your reading pleasure, enjoy!
*Edit 25/05/2024: I won't be putting original French passages in my posts anymore so if you want to see the original, please send a DM
*Edit 27/07/2024: New website for English-translated French sources. Already English-translated ones will remain here.
Army Stuff
Asking for leave
Being lost in an army on the march
French Soldiers Hate Poland...But Love Germany
More Napoleonic Soldier's Dislike of Poland
Army Medical Administration
It was bad to be in hospital on campaign
Medical Terms
Personal Baggage
The Emperor tastes my bread (Jean-Baptiste BarrĂšs' memoir)
What did the Engineers Need to Know?
Uniforms - Headgear
Usage of buttons as currency in Egypt
Duroc
Duroc's correspondence by @josefavomjaaga
EugĂšne de Beauharnais
EugĂšne's correspondance by @josefavomjaaga
Historical Fiction Shorts
The Siege of Toulon
Three Broke Guys
Brun de Villeret Meets Soult's Other Aides
Cake in the break room (by @yaggy031910)
General Junot
Action at Nazareth painting
A Brief Description of Junot
Causes of Junot's Death
Happy Birthday (2023)
How Junot reconciled between being a republican and Napoleon who became a monarch
Ida Saint-Elme on Junot
Junot's duties as the governor of Paris
Junot in Portugal 1807 -- Economic Situation
Junot in Portugal 1807 -- Military Situation (Selected Events)
Junot in Portugal 1807 -- Flag-Raising Ceremony
Junot on Soult
Junot's Poetry
Sources on Junot
General Lejeune
Bluffing the Spanish before the battle of Somosierra
General Savary
Savary on Vivant Denon
Savary's reaction to Desaix's death
Savary on Marie Louise's French skills
Napoleon is impervious to sweating
On the crocodiles in Egypt
General SĂ©gur
Segur Fondly Remembers The Consulate
SĂ©gur on d'Hautpoul
Thoughts on Army Administration
General Thiébault
Grisly reality of being a solder on campaign
Thiébault on Canouville Part 1
Thiébault on Canouville Part 2
Thiébault on Canouville Part 3
On arm wrestling
On Saint-Cyr
General Vandamme
Vandamme is aware of his terrible personality
Soult reprimands Vandamme
Marshal BessiĂšres
A Cute Documentary Series on BessiĂšres
Happy Birthday (2023)
Injury at Wagram (according to Savary)
Marshal Davout
Davout dreams about his son
Davout Helps Someone Enter the Consular Guard
Davout's Marriage Timeline Visualised
Davout's Mistress, Did She Exist?
Davout Tries to Convince Aimée to Accept a Position
Davout to Wife, November 1806
Davout to Wife, 1 May 1807
Financial Problems: 1807
Gudin's death
Happy Birthday (2023)
Happy Birthday (2024)
How Long Was Davout Separated From His Family Since 1805
Lannes Death
Valentine's Special Post (2024)
Marshal Lannes
Happy Birthday (2023)
Lannes Fails at Anything Domestic
Marshal LefĂšbvre
Marshal LefĂšbvre's Kindness
Marshal Macdonald
Happy Birthday (2023)
Macdonald Gives EugĂšne Advice
Macdonald Loses His Art Collection
Macdonald on Augereau and Lefebvre
Macdonald talks about his hobbies
Making fun of Bavarian General Wrede
When Macdonald Became a Marshal
When Macdonald Became a Marshal (According to Savary)
Marshal Marmont
Happy Birthday (2023)
Marmont on Marshal Brune -- Italy 1800 edition
Marshal Masséna
3rd Invasion of Portugal: Massena and Ney Part 1
3rd Invasion of Portugal: Massena and Ney Part 2
3rd Invasion of Portugal: Massena and Ney Part 3
3rd Invasion of Portugal: Massena and Ney Part 4
Happy Birthday (2023)
Letters: When Massena Fired Ney
Second Exile Part 1
Second Exile Part 2
Marshal Murat
My Thoughts on Joachim Murat: A Portrait In Letters by Sarah Hammell
Marshal Ney
Soult and Ney
Marshal Oudinot
Happy Birthday (2023)
The death of the first Madame Oudinot
Marshal Soult
Consolidation of the 'Roi Nicolas' Affair
Happy Birthday (2023)
Happy Birthday Bonus (2023)
Napoleon
Napoleon tells his aides to get married
Napoleon tells his secretary to get married
Napoleon's secretary on Napoleon's handwriting
Miscellaneous
Jean-Baptiste BarrĂšs at Napoleon's coronation
My review of Napoleon (2023)
Map of each Marshal's birthplace by @mbenguin
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