Hot History - Napoleon aka Bony

Episode Date: November 10, 2023

Let's get down and dirty with Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his toxic relationship with his one true love, Josephine. Looking at his rise and fall, we debunk some myths, look at his problematic love language AND representations in pop culture.

This episode of Hot History is sponsored by the new film Napoleon, exclusively in Australian cinema's November 23rd. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Hot History, the podcast for the things in history that you probably should know, but don't. Today is a big one and perhaps one of the most requested in the last few weeks. So buckle in because we are getting down and dirty with Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. is in session. If you've ever been to Paris, then there is almost no way of avoiding the name Napoleon.

In recent years, his image in pop culture has soared, often associated with great military strategy, the occasional coup d'etat, and even short stature. But who was he? Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century after seizing political power in a coup d'etat where he declared himself emperor of France. In short, he's kind of a big deal, big enough to have all the major European players at the time sweating bullets. So where does a man like that come from?

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 on the island of Corsica. He was the second of eight surviving children and although his parents were members of the Corsican nobility, the family had no real wealth. For the year before he was born, the island of Corsica was acquired by France from an Italian estate. And while he adopted the French spelling of his name and became perhaps one of the most recognisable French icons alongside the croissant, it's often questioned whether he really felt French. So what does a future emperor's education look like? Where does he start? As a boy, he learnt the French language and went on to graduate from a French military academy

in 1785. Interestingly, and perhaps a lesson for those who maybe didn't do so well in school, he actually graduated 42nd out of 56th from military college, but wasn't deterred. Instead, studying strategy and the art of war, which would come in handy for the young Corsican as a series of events starting in 1789 would alter both his and France's destiny. For the French people would rise up and the revolution.

begins. So what was the French Revolution? The revolution lasted for 10 years and was fought by the French Revolutionaries who rose up against then King Louis 15th and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. It basically happened because France was on the brink of bankruptcy after funding the American Revolution and the little money that they did have was spent lavishly on the up class while the people of France lived in squalor. But back to Napoleon. During the early years of the revolution he was largely on leave from the army and returned back to Corsica, where he became affiliated with the Jacobins, who opposed the monarchy. However, he fell out with the Corsican governor, and so his family fled to mainland France when Napoleon returned to military duty.

Here he was associated with the Rob Spear brothers, who were a key force behind the reign of terror, a period of violence against royalists led by revolutionaries. During this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, however. After the robs, Robsby brothers fell from power in 1794, Napoleon found it difficult to hold a position and was feared for his intense ambition and relations to the more radical members of the National Convention, the new governing body of France. So our dude is without a job and without a plan. Indeed, he was so far isolated that he even considered offering his services to the Sultan of Turkey. But lucky for Bonaparte, who was still in Paris in October 1795, his bad for

fortune was about to change. For on the eve of the National Assembly submitting its new constitution, a group of royalists started a revolt. Napoleon was appointed second in command to crush the rebels, which is pretty much exactly what he does. Biographer Andrew Roberts notes that Napoleon stated, why do we not sweep away four or five hundred of them with cannon? The rest would surely take themselves off very quickly. So he lines up his troops and his cannons and begins shooting at the rebels in the streets. Effective, but merciless, something Napoleon would become known for. In fact, when he was later asked about his actions, he writes, good and upstanding people must be persuaded by gentle means. The rebel must be moved by terror. This is his big

break. Finally, after years of bumping between Corsica, the jacket. and unemployment, he was given a job by General Barras, as General of the Army of Italy. While the General was kind enough to give Napoleon the job, it was not the biggest introduction that he would facilitate for him, for in that same year, Napoleon would meet the woman who would become the love of his life, the widowed Josephine. Josephine was the daughter of an impoverished aristocrat who at 15 was married off to a young, called Alexander. However, Alexander married only to excess his inheritance and was in love with another woman. So while the pair had two children, they inevitably separated after three years

of unhappy marriage. During this time, Alexander became a vocal supporter of revolution and an active member of the Jacobin Party, and it was he that even gave the order for the arrest of the royal family. Despite this, he was imprisoned during the reign of terror and executed as an enemy of the revolution. Josephine herself was also imprisoned and was a mere few days from being executed herself before she was finally released. After her release, she began pursuing a number of liaisons with powerful and well-connected people, including General Barris, which brings us right back to Napoleon. Josephine, whether directed by the general to do so or of her own accord, began showing an interest in the young Napoleon, who was entranced by her strong femininity

and social position, and the pair were married in 1796. However, Napoleon's family were vehemently against the match. Napoleon, though, he would not hear of it, for he was in love and he intended to tell the whole world, which he did, for the new general set off for his first battles, and while away, he wrote Josephine a series of now very famous letters. To say that Napoleon was head over heels in love with her is almost an understatement, which he declares, saying that I hope before long to crush you in my arms and cover you with a million hot kisses. And this guy was a stage five clinger, saying that when free from every worry,

from all business, I shall spend all my moments by your side. But Joe, on the other hand, was an experienced woman of the world who gave his emotions a really rough ride. She writes about saying, I write you, my beloved one, very often and you write very little. It is unfaithful so to deceive a poor husband, a tender lover, if he doesn't say so himself. So this relationship fuelled with a lot of seemingly one-sided passion based off of the letters is pretty toxic to begin with, which doesn't get much better in the foreseeable future, for Napoleon sets off to wild ancient Egypt. While defeating many of his European adversaries, the big daddy was Great Britain.

And so Napoleon, who understands the economics behind the British Empire, strikes at the source of their wealth by occupying Egypt, which threatened the Brits' trade route to India. So Napoleon rolls up to Egypt, and thanks to some pretty fortunate coincidences, it's a great success at first. Napoleon famously rallied his troops stating that soldiers from the heights of these pyramids' 40 centuries look down on you. But Napoleon wanted to capitalize on his time in Egypt, not just militarily, but scientifically. And so he brings an army of 160 scholars, artists and scientists to collect information about Egypt. The group, officially known as the Commission of the Sciences of Art of Egypt, would eventually find perhaps the most significant archaeological discovery in Egyptian history, the Rosetta Stone, which deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs. And it was this group that would essentially

give birth to the entire scientific field of Egyptology. So the time in Egypt, while a scientific success was a huge military failure, with British Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet destroying the French in the Battle of the Nile, showing Europe that Bonaparte was not invincible. This loss also bled into France, with a coup d'etatah bringing a man named Emmanuel C.I.s into power, who was convinced that only a military dictatorship would restore France. So Napoleon returns, leaving Egypt behind or on November 9th to 10th, 1799, he and C.I.'s with through their own coup. Now, the French people didn't really know much about Napoleon's personality,

but they had confidence in a man who had been victorious, intelligent, and daring. Author Narwood Young speaks to this, stating that these qualities were appropriate to the time and place, and following the revolution, Napoleon was France's great hope of consolidating power once again, which he did right away, drawing up a constitution that gave himself immense powers. He then went about a vast series of reforms, patching up relations with the new Pope Pius the 7th, who recognised the legitimacy of the French Republic, establishing the Bank of France and even made laws accessible to the public, which was known as the Napoleonic Code. He also bolstered his armies, introduced conscription and pursued technical invention of artillery,

which came in handy as he was preparing for an attack on Austria, which he won. And with these successes in May 1802, the French people were posed a question. Shall Napoleon Bonaparte be consoled for life? And in August, an overwhelming vote granted him the answer. Yes. So on December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte enters Notre Dame Cathedral, taking the crown of France from the hands of the Pope and before the people proclaimed and crowned himself, emperor. Thank you so much to the new moving Napoleon for making this episode of Hot History possible. Napoleon is the brand new film directed by Ridley Scott, which details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar winner, Joaquin, Phoenix.

The action-pack spectacle captures Bonaparte's relentless journey to power through the lens of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, played by the incredibly talented Vanessa Kirby, who some of you may know from season one and two of the crown. The film is set to deliver on some of the greatest moments of Napoleon's epic career, showcasing his visionary military prowess and relentless political tactics which earned him the title of Emperor. Now I'm a sucker for a big historical epic and there is nothing that gets me on the edge of my seat quite like a big, glorious battle sequence. And Napoleon is said to be nothing less than nail-biting, with some of the most visually dynamic practical battle sequences

ever. Us Aussies know and love our very own Russell Crow in Gladiator, also by Ridley Scott, and Napoleon promises just as much action, sweat, and genius. I'm so excited for this one to hit Australian cinemas exclusively from November 23rd. So Napoleon is now The Big Dog, and Josephine is his empress, which she relishes, performing the role of ambassador and hostess, representing the emperor at official functions and reviving something of the ceremony that we saw of the royal court. And while he downgrades from perhaps a stage five to a stage three clinger, he still writes her constantly, stating that without his Josephine, without the assurance of her love, what is left for him upon earth? What can he possibly do? We're about to found out exactly what he can

do for Napoleon launches the series of conflicts that would put him in the history books, The Napoleonic Wars. But it didn't start out too well, for on October 1805, the British wiped out Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. However, he bounces back in the December, achieving what is considered to be one of his greatest victories at the Battle of Austerlitz, in which his army defeated the Austrians and the Russians, resulting in the disillusion of the Holy Roman Empire, after nearly a thousand years. But it's important when we look at the military campaigns of Napoleon to acknowledge the losses alongside the successes, and indeed it is often his ability to come back from defeat that sets him apart as a supreme military leader.

Historian George Gordon Andrews states that as long as genius that grandly dares and fails has power to lift the mind of man, so long will Napoleon be worthy of you. page in the records of history. Throughout this war, Napoleon signed treaties with the Austrians, Russians, Prussians, some of the Germans and the Kingdom of Naples, and swiftly began disposing their royal families in favour of his own relatives, giving Napoleon effective control over all of Europe. And while he was mingling about with these royals, he came across a young 18-year-old Austrian princess named Marie Louise, which brings us back to Josephine. Now, despite the love that he had for her and her immense capability in the role as Empress,

she failed to provide him with an heir, and as such, he had their marriage annulled, marrying the young Marie Louise in 1810. The pair would go on to have one child a son named Napoleon. However, that same year, Napoleon makes a massive error. leading a huge army into Russia, and of Napoleon's 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only an estimated 100,000 made it out of Russia alive. And so Napoleon returns to Paris after losing half a million soldiers. Now it's key to really look at this loss in Russia here.

For while Napoleon was a great soldier, liberated reformer and lawgiver, as told by Marjorie Johnston, he was also a usurper, tyrant and a greedy, egotistical and ambitious ruler, which this miscalculation in the Russian conflict clearly shows. And he knew it, which is why Napoleon now in his mid-40s abdicates the throne, being exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. But you can't keep our guide down for long, and less than a year in exile, he escapes and sails to France, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. And Napoleon began his hundred-day camp.

campaign, which would end on June 18th, where the French army was eventually crushed by the Brits, led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussians at the now very famous Battle of Waterloo. And on June 22nd, 1815, Napoleon was again forced to abdicate, this time being exiled to the British-held island of St Helena. But what about Josephine? When Napoleon was sent into exile, King Louis returned to take the throne, where he called Josephine to play hostess to visiting royals and dignitaries as she had done for Napoleon, assuring her that she could keep her title of empress alongside a tidy pension. By this time, however, her health was failing and she died in 1814, her last words supposedly being Bonaparte. When hearing of Josephine's

death, Napoleon was grief-stricken, locking himself in his room for two days and avoiding the sight and scent of violence, Joe's favourite for the rest of his life. which would end at the age of 51 from stomach cancer. He was buried on the island despite his request to be laid to rest on the banks of the Sen among the French people I have loved so much. And in 1840 his remains will return to France and entombed in a crypt at Lay Invalid in Paris, where other French military leaders are interned. So we've covered about 50 years of history,

which just so happens to be the most dynamic and turbulent period in French history. but where does Napoleon sit in time? Well, he was born exactly 14 years after Marie Antoinette, 61 years after the Palace of Versailles was finished, and 40 years before the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He died two years after Queen Victoria was born, 65 years before the car was invented, and 93 years before World War I breaks out.

He was alive at the same time as George Washington, P.T. Barnum and Beto. He was also alive during the American Revolution and for the publication of all O'Jane Austen's novels. So what impact does he have on modern society? Well, to the French people, Napoleon instituted a centralized administration of government, a high education system, a central bank, law codes, and a road and sewer system. He also ordered the construction of the Ark Triumph, he'll for countless precious works of art from across Europe that now hang in the Louvre,

including the wedding feast of Cana, which hangs behind the Mona Lisa. He was crucial in the introduction of the metric system of measurement. His scientific pursuits in Egypt led to the entire field of Egyptology being founded and fundamentally. He destroyed the Holy Roman Empire, the power in Europe for a thousand years, which led to the German states being consolidated apart from the Austrians and the Prussians, a move which contributed to the start of World War I. His big one, though, will always be his military achievements. He implemented the core system, which became one of the most enduring achievements and used the world over.

And in the end, he ultimately managed to combine speed, firepower and defence in a lethal combination, masterfully using terrain such as rivers or hills to protect his flanks and rear, which allowed him to manage the immense size of his armies, which was so well trained and motivated by merit-based promotions, that they themselves became constantly more efficient in the art of war. Which brings us to our last question. What portrayals of Napoleon do we find in pop culture? The very first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people when they hear the name Napoleon

is that he was short. And it's a statement that has been passed around and exaggerated in many reincarnations of the general in film, TV and beyond. So, was Napoleon actually? short. It depends. Three French sources said that Napoleon's height was just over five foot two, but applying the French measurements of the time that five foot two equates to just under five foot six, which is a little above the average for a French man of the time. So if Napoleon was of average height, where does the legend of his small stature come from? It was, in fact, largely

the work of one man, the British cartoonist James Gilray, whose case. Characchatures depicted Napoleon as this tiny, raving figure in comparison to the cool, strong, statured Brits. Gilray's depictions were so influential that Napoleon said Gilray did more than all the armies of Europe to bring me down. And indeed, Gilray's characterisation has lasted through the ages and was brought to the big screen in the film Time Bandance, when Napoleon boasts saying five foot one and conqueror of Italy, not bad. And again, in Night at Museum 2, where Ben Stiller calls out Napoleon telling him he is famous for being short, but he has made many appearances in modern times which look at other facets of his life. He's an important character in Tolstoy's novel War and Peace,

features in George Orwell's Animal Farm, and his famous coronation was captured by French artist Jacques Louis David, with a copy hanging in the Louvre and won at Versailles. Jack Nicholson bought the general to life in the miniseries Napoleon, Rowan Atkinson played him for a pension planning advert, and Tony Soprano was even painted as the general in the Sopranos. Plus, of course, we have Napoleon's encounter with The Doctor in Doctor Who. In film, we have the 1954 film Desire when Napoleon is played by Marlon Brando,

and now we'll see Joaquin Phoenix pick up the mantle of the famous general. He also influenced musicians. The song Viva Levita by Colplay is loosely based on Napoleon's reign, and of course, the OG, the big daddy, the anthem, Waterloo by Abba. And that brings us to the end of another episode of Hot History. If you'd like to support us, then you can find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts as Hot History. Follow us on TikTok at hot.history and on Instagram at Hot History Club. As always, it's been a pleasure getting down and dirty in time with you. And tune in next time as we discuss.

The 35th President of the USA, John F. Kennedy.