This morning I met some French friends of mine at a café. As usual I was late and as I arrived they were talking about Napoleon. Apparently it's the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Austerlitz today (raise your hand if you know what that was about). Two of my friends are from military families and one of them showed us a nice invitation to a commemorative ceremony tonight at the Place Vendôme. It's open to the public, starts at 19h30, and will include a son-et-lumière documentary on Napoleon and a ceremony with cadets from Saint-Cyr (the West Point of France) and Madame le Ministre de la Défense.
"Nowadays in the schools they teach them nothing about Napoleon," said Geneviève. "In the 1800s it was a big deal, he was very admired. But nowadays all they know is Joséphine and that Napoleon was short!"
"I'm a great admirer of the ancien régime," said Catherine, "mais quand même, Napoleon founded all our basic institutions and did everything for this country!"
"So many good things!" assented Anne-Marie. "Our basic system of law, of schools, everything!"
I think Napoleon was a grotesque egotistical warmonger who sent millions of young men to an early death and destroyed the Republic of Venice; but I didn't say so. I wish I could see the ceremony, though. But I'm leaving for Germany this afternoon.
Thx for the info. I might go tonight :)
Napoléon WAS a war leader... TRUE! But you need to think back in those days. War was all over the place. If you didn't protect by attacking you would have been attacked (Prussia, Austria.. etc)
Posted by: Laza | 02 December 2005 at 12:39
I'm a big fan of Napoleon. I think France needs to return to Absolute Monarchy. Your French friends were right. Down with democracy!
Posted by: Johnny | 02 December 2005 at 23:40
You may like to point out to your friend that the "Ancien Regime" was Louis XVI and his friends who got shortened by the Revoulution. Nap. came a little later and yes he was a public menace. Fortunately Duke of Wellington knew what to do and did it at Waterloo. John.
Posted by: Hodson | 04 April 2008 at 06:19
Catherine, of course, knows about Louis XVI, like all French people. She was saying that (as an artist and aristocrat) she appreciates the time of royalty, especially in an esthetic sense, but that Napoleon set up all the basic institutions of modern France.
Posted by: Sedulia | 06 April 2008 at 21:51