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empirearchives · 4 months

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Is it true that Napoleon Bonaparte used to know and associate with the Robespierre brothers? Like from what I've heard, he was pretty serious about it, to the point that it hampered his career post-thermidor. (It would make the stereotypical depictions of the Terror in Napoleon 2023 pretty hillarious, honestly.)

Yeah, it’s true. According to Saliceti (a Montagnard politician from Corsica), Napoleon was “their man” (1).

The first known mention of Robespierre by Napoleon was on 23 January 1791. He wrote a piece called Lettre à Buttafuoco. Matteo Buttafuoco was a Corsican politician. In it, he writes: “O Lameth! Oh Robespierre! O Pétion! O Volney! O Mirabeau! O Barnave! O Bailly! O La Fayette! This is the man who dares to sit next to you!” (2)

Napoleon was a political ally of the Robespierre brothers. As far as I know, he never met the older Robespierre brother in person, but he did meet and know the younger brother. They were associates and even became friends. Augustin Robespierre wrote to his older brother “the citizen Bonaparte commanding the artillery is of transcendent merit.” (2)

In 1794, Napoleon accepted an “unofficial” position in the Committee of Public Safety’s war office, specifically at the historical and topographical office. While he worked there, he wrote to his brother “I am swamped with work at the Committee.” (3)

This is how Pontécoulant, who oversaw him at the topographical bureau, described Napoleon at this job:

“It was not a mere sinecure that he had accepted, he sometimes worked fifteen hours a day, . . . and the considerable number of memoranda, reports, letters, and documents of all kinds that he wrote . . . would fill several volumes. Never, even during the campaign of 1794, had the topographical office of the Committee of Public Safety . . . deployed such activity; he maintained continuous communications with the leaders of the different armies, and their staffs, astonished, learned from then on to know this nervous style, full of precision, movement and masculine energy.” (4)

It was during this time that he was asked to write a general memorandum on grand strategy. It was titled Sur la position politique et militaire de nos armées de Piémont et d'Espagne (On the political and military position of our armies of Piedmont and Spain). The person he submitted it to was Augustin Robespierre in June 1794.

Frank McLynn’s description of the memoranda:

“Basing his strategy on the writings of Guibert de Bourcet, Napoleon devised a plan that enabled the Army of Italy to advance to the watershed of the Maritime Alps, having secured control of the passes of Col d'Argentière, Tende and St-Bernard. With the enthusiastic support of Augustin Robespierre, who took Bonaparte's memorandum to Paris with him, Napoleon argued that if the French attacked in Piedmont, Austria would be forced to come to the aid of her Austrian possessions and thus weaken her position on the Rhine, allowing the French to strike a knockout blow there. Napoleon's chances of getting the plan accepted looked good, for his new commander-in-chief, General Dumerbion, deferred in all things to the political commissars; Saliceti and Augustin Robespierre, in turn, nodded through anything military that came from the pen of Napoleon.” (5)

Augustin sent Napoleon to Genoa for a diplomatic mission on 11 July 1794. So, the Robespierres were behind the beginning of Napoleon’s long diplomatic career. In fact, Napoleon was still on this mission when he learned about the death of the Robespierre brothers (28 July 1794).

Earlier that year, the younger Robespierre brother had actually proposed that Napoleon take command as head of the Paris National Guard and replace François Hanriot in Paris. Napoleon considered it, but decided to keep his post instead.

Hanriot was executed the same day as the Robespierre brothers. Who knows, perhaps the same fate would have happened to Napoleon had he accepted the offer.

Nevertheless, according to Jean Tulard “the 9th of Thermidor opens a difficult period for him”. (2) He was arrested in the south of France for his association with the Robespierre brothers. The order was signed on August 6th, and he was imprisoned for over a week (August 9th-20th).

The fact that Napoleon had been in a foreign country (Genoa) on a mission for the Robespierre brothers at the time of 9 Thermidor was used against him.

According to Patrice Gueniffey, “Napoleon spent his spare time reading the history of Marshal Maillebois’s campaigns in Italy and writing a long, self-justifying memorandum addressed to the representatives […] without saying anything against Robespierre”. (3)

The appeal which released him specified his military acumen. He was considered too crucially important to the war effort to kill or keep imprisoned.

“We are convinced of the possible utility to us of this soldier's talents, which, we cannot deny it, are becoming very necessary in an army that he knows better than anyone, and in which men of this kind are extremely difficult to find.” (3)

So he was released, with his head still attached to his body. But, the situation had definitely changed for him. The representatives were cautious about him and refused to reemploy Napoleon as commander of the artillery. Nevertheless, he continued to work on the campaigns as part of the staff of General Dumerbion, and working his way up from there.

In 1797, Napoleon evoked Robespierre in a speech in Ancona to a surprised dinner party. He defended Robespierre for his “alleged crimes” and said of him:

“Since its origin,” he tells us, “France has had only one strong government: that of Robespierre.”

The impression of horror that the memory of this man had left on everyone’s minds was so recent, so profound, that it is difficult to imagine the painful surprise this opinion excited, and with what ardor it was opposed. Far from abandoning it, General Bonaparte tenaciously supported it:

“What,” he said, “is a strong government? It is one which has a well-determined useful purpose; the firm will to achieve it; the force capable of making will triumph; finally, the intelligence necessary to properly lead this force. Let’s examine if Robespierre combined all these advantages: What was his goal? The triumph of the revolution. He felt that a counter-revolution would be more bloody, would lead to more cruel, more lasting evils than those that our revolution had demanded and would still require. So he wanted to accomplish it at all costs.” (6)

Did this association have an effect on Napoleon’s career? I would say it definitely impacted his reputation and the perception everyone had of him.

To Madame de Staël (and eventually Victor Hugo), Napoleon was “Robespierre on horseback” (2). Mallet du Pan calls Napoleon “a Corsican terrorist” (7). The royalist pamphleteers had titles like “Robespierre and Buonaparte or the two tyrannies” and “The Jacobins and Buonaparte or historical essay on the alliance of the two tyrannies which oppressed the French nation” (2). In them, Napoleon was described as a “worshiper of Marat, accomplice of Robespierre, vile complacent of Barras” (2). To Metternich, “Napoleon seemed to me the incarnation of the Revolution” (8). He tried to warn the other countries in Europe against making peace with France, because, to him, “No peace is possible with a revolutionary system, whether with a Robespierre who declares war on chateaux or a Napoleon who declares war on Powers” (9). William Pitt the Younger spoke of the “jacobinism of Robespierre, of Barrere” and called Napoleon “the child and the champion of all its atrocities and horrors” (10).

This is a royalist caricature of Napoleon created by Pierre-Marie Bassompierre Gaston. The caption says “One is always faithful to one's first love”. (Source)

Here is Napoleon’s stance on Robespierre:

“Robespierre died because he tried to stop the effects of the Revolution, and not as a tyrant. Those who wanted to bring him down were crueler than he was: Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois, etc. He had against him Danton's party, which was powerful and immense. Probably he could not have acted otherwise. I believe that Robespierre was without ambition. . . . Everything I read in the Moniteur teaches me nothing, but it confirms me in the opinion that I had, and settles me in it even more. To be sure, Robespierre was not an ordinary man. He was very superior to everything around him. His discourse on the Supreme Being proves it. Disgusted by what he was hearing, he felt the necessity of a religious system among people who did not want anything, either religion or morals. Morality had to be raised up again. He had the courage to do it and he did it... That was great politics. No doubt he shed blood; that is the other side of the coin, but he is certainly less guilty than Tallien, who slaughtered Bordeaux, or Fréron whom I saw in Marseille taking poor unfortunates by the collar to have them shot. Those men were real killers. Had he [Robespierre] not succumbed, he would have been the most extraordinary man who appeared.” (3)

Sources:

(1) Adam Zamoyski, Napoleon: A Life

(2) Jean Tulard, De Napoléon et de quelques autres sujets: Robespierre vu par Napoléon

(3) Patrice Gueniffey, Bonaparte: 1769–1802

(4) Le Doulcet de Pontécoulant, Souvenirs historiques et parlementaires

(5) Frank McLynn, Napoleon: A Biography

(6) J. P. Collot, La chute de Napoléon

(7) Albert Sorel, L'Europe et la Révolution française, V. 5

(8) Memoirs of Prince Metternich 1773-1815 Vol. 1

(9) Henry Kissinger, A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace 1812–1822

(10) The speeches of the Right Honourable William Pitt, in the House of Commons, V. 3

#Napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #napoleonic era #napoleonic #first french empire #19th century #french empire #france #history #asks #my answers #answers #ask #augustin robespierre #robespierre

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les-degustations-ugo · 4 months

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🇫🇷❓❓Hello les amoureux du tire-bouchon. Et vous, Connaissez-vous l'appellation Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh ❓❓🇫🇷

🍇🍷AOP Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2016 cuvée Soum avec les @vinsdemadiran et la @cavedecrouseilles🍇🍷:

🍇 :

Petit Manseng

Gros Manseng

Petit Courbu

🏺:

Les raisins passerillés sont vendangés par tries successives manuelles de fin octobre à mi-novembre, Fermentation alcoolique en barriques de chêne (40% neuves, 30% de 1 vin et 30% de 2 vins) pendant de longues semaines. Puis, l'élevage se déroule dans la barrique de vinification, sur lies fines avec batonnage (8 à 10 mois). Savoir-faire artisanal pour obtenir l'ouverture aromatique des Manseng et l' intégration optimale de la liqueur dans le vin.

👁️ :

Une robe de couleur or paille soutenu

👃 :

Un nez expressif sur des notes de fruits confits, épices.

💋 :

En bouche, on a un vin doux, ample, avec une belle complexité aromatique. Sur des arômes de fruits confits (pamplemousses, pêches, nectarines), coings, poivre blanc, un élevage équilibré avec des notes de fruits secs torréfiés. Une belle longueur en bouche avec une finale sur de magnifiques notes acidulées.

📜En résumé📜 :

Une appellation que j'adore qui allie complexités, explosion de fruits confits en bouches. Idéal pour passer une soirée gourmande en amoureux.

🧆Dégusté sur un fromage Ossau Iraty et une tarte aux pommes juste sortie du four.🧆

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🇫🇷🗣️Description du Domaine 🇫🇷🗣️

Notre village de Crouseilles est situé à quelques kilomètres au sud de Madiran, dans le Sud-Ouest de la France, en pays du Vie-Bith. La Seigneurie de Crouseilles, delimitée au 16e siècle par des murailles dont Il reste quelques vestiges, est aujourd'hui un vignoble travaillé à la main par une poignée de vignerons passionnés qui ont à cœur de sublimer leurs cépages autochtones.

L'appellation: AOC PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH

Rattachée au piémont pyrénéen, l'appellation Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh ne produit que des vins blancs.Elle est située à 40kms de Pau, sur la même aire d'appellation que les rouges de Madiran. L'Adour rivière capricieuse toute proche confère un microclimat unique. La forte pluviométrie se combine à vents locaux sous l'influence des Pyrénées, de l'Océan Atlantique. Les coteaux sont soumis à d'important variations géologiques dues à la formation de la chaîne des Pyrénées.

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⏬🇫🇷Français dans les commentaires🇫🇷🇮🇹Italiano nei commenti 🇮🇹⏬

🇬🇧❓❓Hello corkscrew lovers. And you, do you know the Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellation ❓❓🇬🇧

🍇🍷AOP Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2016 vintage Soum with the @vinsdemadiran and the @cavedecrouseilles🍇🍷:

🍇:

Little Manseng

Gros Manseng

Petit Courbu

🏺:

The raisined grapes are harvested by successive manual sorting from the end of October to mid-November. Alcoholic fermentation in oak barrels (40% new, 30% from 1 wine and 30% from 2 wines) for long weeks. Then, the aging takes place in the vinification barrel, on fine lees with batonnage (8 to 10 months). Artisanal know-how to obtain the aromatic opening of Manseng and the optimal integration of the liqueur into the wine.

👁️:

A deep straw gold colored dress

👃:

An expressive nose with notes of candied fruits and spices.

💋:

On the palate, we have a soft, ample wine, with a beautiful aromatic complexity. With aromas of candied fruits (grapefruit, peaches, nectarines), quince, white pepper, balanced aging with notes of roasted dried fruits. A beautiful length on the palate with a finish of magnificent tangy notes.

📜In summary📜:

An appellation that I love which combines complexities and an explosion of candied fruit on the palate. Ideal for spending a gourmet evening with your partner.

🧆Tasted with Ossau Iraty cheese and an apple pie just out of the oven.🧆

🍷Some food and wine pairings possible with this vintage🍷: aperitif, foie gras, dessert, fruity Comté, pork tenderloins with pineapple,....

📌Don't forget, drinking a barrel is saving a winemaker. Go to the estate's website to see all the current vintages and promotions📌.

🔞“Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation”🔞Most wines were tasted and spat out. Unpaid tasting.

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🇬🇧🗣️Domain Description 🇬🇧🗣️

Our village of Crouseilles is located a few kilometers south of Madiran, in the South-West of France, in Vie-Bith country. The Seigneurie de Crouseilles, delimited in the 16th century by walls of which some vestiges remain, is today a vineyard worked by hand by a handful of passionate winegrowers who are keen to sublimate their native grape varieties.

The appellation: AOC PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH

Attached to the Pyrenean foothills, the Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellation only produces white wines. It is located 40km from Pau, in the same appellation area as the Madiran reds. The nearby capricious Adour River provides a unique microclimate. The high rainfall combines with local winds under the influence of the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. The hillsides are subject to significant geological variations due to the formation of the Pyrenees chain.

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🇮🇹❓❓Ciao amanti dei cavatappi. E tu, conosci la denominazione Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh ❓❓🇮🇹

🍇🍷AOP Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2016 Soum vintage con il @vinsdemadiran e il @cavedecrouseilles🍇🍷:

🍇:

Piccolo Manseng

Gros Manseng

Petit Courbu

🏺:

Le uve appassite vengono raccolte mediante successive cernite manuali da fine ottobre a metà novembre.Fermentazione alcolica in botti di rovere (40% nuove, 30% da 1 vino e 30% da 2 vini) per lunghe settimane. Successivamente, l'affinamento avviene in botte di vinificazione, su fecce fini con batonnage (da 8 a 10 mesi). Know-how artigianale per ottenere l'apertura aromatica del Manseng e l'integrazione ottimale del liquore nel vino.

👁️:

Un abito color oro paglierino intenso

👃:

Un naso espressivo con note di frutta candita e spezie.

💋:

Al palato abbiamo un vino morbido, ampio, con una bella complessità aromatica. Con aromi di frutta candita (pompelmo, pesche, nettarine), mela cotogna, pepe bianco, invecchiamento equilibrato con note di frutta secca tostata. Una bella persistenza al palato con un finale di magnifiche note sapide.

📜In sintesi📜:

Una denominazione che adoro che unisce complessità e un'esplosione di frutta candita al palato. Ideale per trascorrere una serata gourmet con il proprio partner.

🧆Degustato con formaggio Ossau Iraty e una torta di mele appena sfornata.🧆

🍷Alcuni abbinamenti enogastronomici possibili con questa annata🍷: aperitivo, foie gras, dessert, Comté fruttato, filetto di maiale con ananas,....

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un enologo. Vai al sito dell'azienda per vedere tutte le annate e le promozioni del momento📌.

🔞“L'abuso di alcol è pericoloso per la salute, consumalo con moderazione”🔞Most i vini venivano degustati e sputati. Degustazione non retribuita.

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🗣️🇮🇹Descrizione i Dominio 🗣️🇮🇹

Il nostro villaggio di Crouseilles si trova a pochi chilometri a sud di Madiran, nel sud-ovest della Francia, nel paese dei Vie-Bith. La Seigneurie de Crouseilles, delimitata nel XVI secolo da mura di cui rimangono alcune vestigia, è oggi un vigneto lavorato a mano da un pugno di viticoltori appassionati desiderosi di sublimare i loro vitigni autoctoni.

La denominazione: AOC PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH

Situata ai piedi dei Pirenei, la denominazione Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh produce esclusivamente vini bianchi e si trova a 40 km da Pau, nella stessa zona di denominazione dei rossi Madiran. Il vicino e capriccioso fiume Adour offre un microclima unico. Le forti precipitazioni si combinano con i venti locali sotto l'influenza dei Pirenei e dell'Oceano Atlantico. I pendii sono soggetti a notevoli variazioni geologiche dovute alla formazione della catena dei Pirenei.

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