Skip to main content

Napoleon to page 135

Ability to compartmentalize:  sections of life like cupboard drawers, he pulls them open when that's what he's involved in, shuts them when he moves on.  Sleep = closing all the drawers.

Warmonger?  War was declared on him far more often than he declared it on others.

Poor reputation today is partially based on Hitler's admiration of Napoleon and the fact that both were involved in disastrous Russian campaigns.  Comparison not apt.

N. as great reader with particular interest in Roman/Greek (war) history

Native language is Corsican. Always spoke French with heavy accent. Learned French at 10, but his education in France made him FRENCH through and through. Corsica was basically a protectorate of France.

Nickname is "Straw up the nose."  Clearly intellectually superior at school. Never a true Christian as he never believed that Jesus was God

Believer in Roman equality before the law; not so much for freedom of press, parliamentarianism, human rights.  Merit based. He welcomed the French Revolution.  French Revolution made it possible for him to become a general at 24. Merit.

 He made himself skilled at all aspects of warfare.  Cannons/guns/mortars--he could take them apart, reassemble, understood their inner workings

British opposition is based mainly on politics, not on any "moral" repugnance. Some accuse Napoleon of being a coward.  Absurd--he fought 60 battles, came near death numerous times because of his proximity to the fighting; people near him were killed; struck by a bullet

The word strategy was not used until after Napoleon's death

Josephine: Napoleon falls all over himself with his love letters; she is unmoved, takes lovers in France, doesn't seem to particularly care for him

"As a rule, the educated, professional, and secularized elites were more likely to regard Napoleon as a liberating force than the Catholic peasantry, who the saw the French armies as foreign atheists." p. 95

Napoleon wished to be seen as an enlightened liberator, so he offered conquered lands the hope that eventually they would be independent, self-ruled nations. It wasn't a fake offer; it was what he desired. He prized meritocracy, free-thinking, and nationhood over privilege, localism, and strict Catholicism. He allowed Jews to live anywhere, closing ghettos. Respected science, art, literature, etc.

Also believed in "cruel to be kind." He killed one hundred villagers and burned their village (Italy) as a warning to other villages not to rebel.

Before he was 28, he crossed the Apennines and the Alps, defeated a Sardinian army and six Austrian armies, defeating 120,000 Austrian soldiers.

Enjoyed spending time with his soldiers; a man of the common man



orotundities--odd word

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tess of the D'Urbervilles, continued 2/3rds

"To all humankind, Tess was only a passing thought. Even to friends, she was only a frequently passing thought." Angel Clare is a good character. He's "enlightened," in so many ways, but when Tess's confesses her "crime," he reverts to ancestral form . . . Tess's "confession" comes earlier than I expected, right after Angel reveals that he has had a bad moment with a woman. Tess points out the similarity in their transgressions, though his is the only true transgression, expecting forgiveness. She doesn't get it. She returns to her mother . . . realizes she can't stay with her. Thoughts to suicide. Unhappiness that divorce is not possible. Departs. Tragic in that the two, if Angel could just see clearly, would indeed be a great couple, each adding to the other.  Nature as a definite force involved in the tragedy.  It's not neutral--when things go bad, the very skies mock Tess. Tess as unaware of the power of her bea...

Happy Valley Season 4

 Weakest.  Tommy is in prison.  His son, Ryan, is now 17.  Catherine the cop's sister, Clare, takes Ryan to visit Tommy in prison, without telling Catherine.  Not good.  Sisters have a break when Catherine finds out.   Plot two:  PE teacher, abusive to wife.  She is getting drugs from local Indian/Pakistani pharmacist. Husband finds out and has wife arrested!  Pharmacist worried . . . plots to kill husband.  Wife agrees, then changes her mind.  Pharmacist in a rage kills her. (All a bit of a stretch, as he is a mild mannered family man.) Tommy escapes from his court hearing, hides out, gets in touch with Ryan.  Plan is to go to Marabella, Spain together.  Tommy's "helpers" get worried about Tommy and decide to do him in.  Instead, he kills them . . . and is knifed himself.  He returns to Catherine's house, looks through a photo album showing Catherine took good care of Ryan, and decides not to kill her....

Napoleon 14 Amiens

"Ambassadors are essentially spies with titles."  Napoleon President of Italy . . . Peace treaty with England (Amiens) in March 1802, with Turkey in June 1802 . . . flawed peace treaty with England because there was no opening up of France for trade with England, infuriating the English who thought peace would mean trade. . . tourism, though--Brits come to Paris and admire Napoleon . . . British liberals enamored . . . Napoleon "consul for life" . . . lots of unsettled territories, Switzerland being the largest . . . Industrialization much greater in England than France . . . France in 1802 is about the same as England in 1780 as a manufacturing center . . . Napoleon is basically Anglophobic, complaining of any art work that celebrates English victories being shown in Louvre . . . peace unraveling . . . by 1803 . . .  War May 18, 1803! . . . Louisiana Territory sold, advantageous to both parties.  France gets money; USA gets land.  France avoids possible war with ...