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Dispatch 22 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-04-20 23:46:35
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Here is the twenty-second patrons-only Dispatch. Topics include: the Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard, and a few of my favorite unanswered questions I've uncovered in my research.

Don't forget to leave any questions for the next dispatch below. And once again: thank you for your support!

Comments

Britt Cleaver

I have a question about Antoine Christophe Saliceti, and the French patronage system in general. I always liked hearing about Saliceti, and it seems he did a huge amount to help Napoleon politically (and back before anyone knew just how far Napoleon would rise). I always wondered though, what did Saliceti himself actually get out of that partnership? How did the patronage system work? Was Saliceti's goal simply to promote a person with similar ideologies, or was there a more formal arrangement to political patronage? Thank you.

Kirk R Johnson

I appreciate your comprehensive answer to my previous question! Of course, I do have another. Could you speak a little about the life of Marie-Thérèse Figueur? She was a French woman who served in the cavalry alongside napoleon for 22. I find her a fascinating figure. Can you offer anymore insight past the Wikipedia article?

Alex Zhao

Face reveal at episode 115?

Maxwell Neely-Cohen

While I haven’t found anything yet (still looking) directly on Napoleon’s view of Beethoven, I can tell you that his brother Jerome Bonaparte personally invited Beethoven to be his Kapellmeister in 1808 (while Jerome was King of Westphalia). Beethoven accepted the offer, but only to leverage a better deal to stay in Vienna. So there was at least one direct connection to the Bonaparte family. Another connection occurs earlier in both their careers. In 1797, Saliceti and Napoleon decreed “to make certain, by reliable means, of such monuments of science and art as may be found in the cities conquered by the armies, and have them sent to France.” French violinist and composer Rodolphe Kreutzer was embedded with the Army of Italy as their traveling musicologist, and copies hundreds of Italian manuscripts to be brought back to France. It is during this time that Kreutzer becomes friends with Beethoven, so much so that Beethoven dedicates his Violin Sonata No. 9 to him.

Maxwell Neely-Cohen
>>135786228

Also, in 1809, Baron de Tremont made a special effort to meet Beethoven during his diplomatic mission in Vienna. They became good friends and Tremont later even invited him to France. Tremont’s recounting of their first meeting is hilarious and incredible— https://www.jstor.org/stable/737966

Jeffrey Suzuki

It’s always a joy seeing these in my inbox! :)

Nicolas Jouan
>>135780191

Everett showed his face on a couple of occasions in other podcasts and seminars if you are curious.

James Norton

You covered the Mamelukes in this Dispatch. I’d like to hear more about the requirements and extra details about the Foot Grenadiers and Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard… thx

Jesse mahan

Can we talk about the battle that Jean Rapp fought after Waterloo?

Alex David

Fascinating as ever, thank you! I’m new to Napoleonic history and have a bit of a general question: how big are the various artillery explosions, please? Sometimes I find it a little difficult to imagine what’s actually happening when people are described as being hit by artillery. Without wanting to be morbid or gory, what’s the blast radius - if that’s even the right term - for grapeshot/canister fire/cannon/shells? Does the size of artillery also vary from army to army? PS thanks so much for this show. I got the French Revolutionary history bug from reading A Place of Greater Safety last summer but I knew nothing about Napoleon. I started this show to learn more in November last year and didn’t expect to be completely hooked. I’ve been racing to catch up with the main narrative and I’m totally obsessed - you do incredible work!

Crosley Querin

Lucien was involved in some Spanish intrigue wasn't he, which lead to his falling out with Napoleon? I recall you mentioned he was your favourite, where's our boy Lucien? What is he doing in Rome?

Jeff Gillooly

Fast forwarding some, could Talleyrand be considered the greatest diplomat (and survivor) in Western history? Will there be more about him soon? I am fascinated by his incredible career.

Clint Miller

Could you talk a bit about Napoleon and the Jews? Around this time Napoleon started issuing some decrees such as the Infamous Decree regarding the status of Jews in France. I'm especially curious about his opinions about how or why Jews might be assimilated into French society.

Roel van Koeverden

I'm really curious to learn more about the French occupation of the Netherlands (my home country). The country was occupied for over twenty years. Still, this is a period only briefly mentioned in many Dutch history books and history courses. Which is a shame imo, since the occupation probably has changed the course of Dutch history. Just take a look at a Dutch dictionary and see how many french words are in there to see the consequences of 20+ years occupation. Btw, I you ever need Dutch texts to be translated for the show, just send me a message.

Chas S

I took a semester long class on Beethoven in college. You might write to the professor for that class, Jeremiah McGrann, who may be able to point you in the right direction regarding Napoleon’s opinion of Beethoven: jeremiah.mcgrann@bc.edu

Daniel Goldstein

Currently in the narrative, tension between France and Spain is at a fever pitch. Right between the two you find little Andorra, which has been independent since the 13th century. What is their diplomatic position? Are they aligned with France? Neutral? Do they figure at all into the considerations of Napoleon or the Spanish? Thanks as always! This is the only Patreon I support and I couldn’t be happier to do it given the quality of your work!

Mark Koski

Thanks for another great episode! For an upcoming dispatch, I would love to hear about Paris’s best Napoleon sites. We’re going in July and would love to schedule to see any can’t miss sights. We know the tomb is there, but anything else still standing that would be good tourist visits?

Zach Spawn

This may be a bit too gossippy to be a dispatch question, but here goes: Ive always wondered what became of the kids that bullied Napoleon when he was at the military academy. Presumably, some of them would have been officers during the consulate/empire. We all know that Napoleon tended to respond harshly to any personal slight, and it seems that these experiences hurt him when he was at his most vulnurable. Are there any accounts of Napoleon interacting with any of his bullies as adults or of him dealing out any kind of retibution? Did any of the kids that picked on Napoleon ever own up to it as adults and express regrets?

Kurt Sackman

Beethoven: NOPE Napoleon didn't know and his love of Paisiello shows you his tastes did not go to the b

Kurt Sackman

...BIG and BOLD. Beethoven, like so many others, love/hate, and his rubbing out was not the final say. He set up one more concert in Jena when Napoleon left town early so B. was looking for something more.

Naomi Xu

There’s a lot of interesting info about Napoleon and his missed connections with Beethoven in Jan Swafford’s Beethoven biography. Apparently Beethoven and Bernadotte became friends when Bernadotte was in Vienna in 1798, and the composer loved hearing Bernadotte’s war stories. Plus stuff about how various people tried to bring Beethoven to Paris over the years but it never quite worked out

thurgave

I'm sorry to have given you a roadblock, but thank you for putting in the research! Hopefully our curiosity will be satisfied.

Sam Ford

If Napoleon had not dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, do you think German unification would have been delayed or prevented?