Upcoming Napoleon movie

[Werewolf]

He didn't lose his 'orse, the bloody thing fell on top o' him.

And then was ridden over by French cavalry. For several hours. On finally being rescued, and in considerable pain, he still insisted on leading his army to Waterloo. Blucher was basically the real life Black Knight,

"Sir, your ribs are broken!"

"It's just a flesh wound. I've had worse!"

 

[Murphy_Slaw]

When Leclerc died out there of yellow fever, she quickly remarried Prince Camille Borghese.

To showcase his art collection (coveted by Napoleon for the Louvre) she bought a fancy Parisan town house, the Hôtel de Charost, and added a wing for the art collection, and a wing for her fancy dinners. She lived there 1804-11 but put it up for sale to raise money to get her brother off Elba and back on the mainland where he could once more raise his army.

At the same time, the British Government was looking to purchase a fancy Parisian town house to establish a permanent Embassy. They got a bargain with Pauline's gaff, as the purchase included all her specially ordered furniture, fancy chandeliers and clocks from her many admirers. It's all still there, including her bed on display.

The first Ambassador was the Duke of Wellington, who pinched one of Napoleon's mistresses and his cook. He arrived August 1814 and left in January 1815 for the Congress of Vienna. His aide de camp Lord Charles Stuart was the second Ambassador.

There are 2 busts in the entrance hall, one of Wellington and the other of Napoleon. Rather ironic that British money helped pay for their final encounter.

Fascinating piece of history. whether we like it or not, British and French history have been intertwined for a 1000 years. We both have had a colonial past and an empire. It can make us the best of friends and the best of enemies.

 

[Mediaeval]

Davout was the exception - totally devoted to Napoleon and an exceptional administrator as well as a very capable general in his own right.

The campaigns of 1813 -1814 and 1815 might well have been different had Davout not been either tied down holding Hamburg or running the Ministry of War in 1815.

Indeed, one of the principal reasons for Napoleon's 1815 comeback failing to clear the group stages was the odd reshuffle of his loyal marshals and the no-show by significant others. Neither Ney nor Grouchy had experience in fighting the British Army (Ney had served briefly in Spain during the Corunna Campaign of 1809 and Grouchy not at all), Soult, who had, was not given a command. His other most experienced Peninsular Marshals, Massena and Marmont, had refused to support the Hundred Days. Of the others, Mortier was unable to participate due to Sciatica and Berthier died at the outset of the Campaign under mysterious circumstances.

Most returned to service with the King after Napoleons exile. One of my favourite Wellington stories concerns his invitation to a soiree in Paris during his time as British Ambassador. As he entered the room, a number of Napoleon's former Marshals, who had also been invited, turned away from him. This embarrassed the hostess, but to whom the Duke replied "...worry not Madame, for I have seen their backs before..."

 

[TamH70]

Somone in the production team knows their history...

Little known fact - following the period of the Terror during the Revolution, it became fashionable for ladies who had lost a close relative to the guillotine to wear a thin blood red ribbon around their necks. Josephine's first husband, Alexander de Beauharnais was executed on 23 July 1794.

Bit late to the party here probably, but that's also the reason why Josephine has both her own hair on display (not wearing a wig as was very much the custom of the time), and also has her hair cut short - both were de rigeur when on the scaffold of the Community Razor.

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

Berthier died at the outset of the Campaign under mysterious circumstances.

Berthier was Napoleon's administrative genius and long-serving chief of staff. He declined to support his old boss, just before falling out of a window.

A fair few of Napoleon's corps and divisional commanders had served in the Peninsular, which made them naturally cautious when facing the Duke, and incurring the Royal displeasure.

 

[ancient]

Oh God almighty...those thighs

Back in a few.......
Sorry...what's the thread about?

Hopeless.

Can't these girls get anything right?

"At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender".

Just not true.

Harrumph. Back to the Telegraph for the rest of the day.

 

[javaguzzisti]

Hopeless.

Can't these girls get anything right?

"At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender".

Just not true.

Harrumph. Back to the Telegraph for the rest of the day.

They didn't even know what they were singing because they couldn't speak english.

 

[javaguzzisti]

Indeed, one of the principal reasons for Napoleon's 1815 comeback failing to clear the group stages was the odd reshuffle of his loyal marshals and the no-show by significant others. Neither Ney nor Grouchy had experience in fighting the British Army (Ney had served briefly in Spain during the Corunna Campaign of 1809 and Grouchy not at all), Soult, who had, was not given a command. His other most experienced Peninsular Marshals, Massena and Marmont, had refused to support the Hundred Days. Of the others, Mortier was unable to participate due to Sciatica and Berthier died at the outset of the Campaign under mysterious circumstances.

Most returned to service with the King after Napoleons exile. One of my favourite Wellington stories concerns his invitation to a soiree in Paris during his time as British Ambassador. As he entered the room, a number of Napoleon's former Marshals, who had also been invited, turned away from him. This embarrassed the hostess, but to whom the Duke replied "...worry not Madame, for I have seen their backs before..."

My take is that Soult never recovered from his defeat at Albuera.
And he wasn't even facing Wellington, but Beresford.

 

[Albertous]

My take is that Soult never recovered from his defeat at Albuera.
And he wasn't even facing Wellington, but Beresford.

Soult took over Berthiers job as Major General (CoS) for the 100 days war.

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

My take is that Soult never recovered from his defeat at Albuera.
And he wasn't even facing Wellington, but Beresford.

Soult was not Napoleon's greatest battlefield commander. He could form and army and bring it to the field, then struggle. His antithesis was Ney, who was the ultimate bruiser but never cerebral. If i recollect right he had fourteen chargers shot from under him at Waterloo, with receiving a scratch - enter the RSPCA?

 

[Pteranadon]

Soult was not Napoleon's greatest battlefield commander. He could form and army and bring it to the field, then struggle. His antithesis was Ney, who was the ultimate bruiser but never cerebral. If i recollect right he had fourteen chargers shot from under him at Waterloo, with receiving a scratch - enter the RSPCA?

A good strategist and administrator. Rather than Albuera I suspect Spult was ruined by being the Govenor of Andalusia where a life of princely luxury eroded his martial ardour. A successful politician he was Minister for War then Prime Minister for the best part of two decades -in the 1832-48s

In April 1838, Louis-Philippe chose Soult to represent him at the coronation of Queen Victoria. He received a triumphant welcome in London – where his former enemy, the Duke of Wellington, reputedly caught him by the arm and exclaimed "I have you at last!"

As the Minister of War he ordered the foundation of the French Foreign Legion - which was known for a while as the "Bastard of Soult".

Soult was a former drill instructor and placed in charge of training at the Camp at Boulogne for the Grande Armee in 1805. Napoleon questyione d whether the training was too severe. Soult's answer.
"Those who can't handle what I myself endure will be left behind in the depots. Those that can will be fit to conquer the world.".
.

 

[Old Cloud Puncher]

I've just had a look at the cast, which is about as historically accurate as you might expect. Off the cuff:-

the politician Caulaincourt, after whom there is a street named in Montmartre containing one of my favourite Frog restaurants, has his name spelt rather differently,

Marshal Davout is played by an African...,

there is a 5th Musket Regiment somewhere in the film, wtf is that

Lazare Hoche gets a look-in, a brave and aggressive marshal who spent most of his time fighting the Frogs and paddling around (and getting beaten) in Bogtrotterland, then dying of TB before the main event kicked off.

There are others, I'll wait for the TV.

eta And Joachim Phoenix manages to make Napoleon look like Poirot!

Well I'm not watching it until I know what Wellington's Pronouns are.

 

[javaguzzisti]

Soult was a former drill instructor and placed in charge of training at the Camp at Boulogne for the Grande Armee in 1805. Napoleon questyione d whether the training was too severe. Soult's answer.
"Those who can't handle what I myself endure will be left behind in the depots. Those that can will be fit to conquer the world.".
.

More or less what Wellington said before Waterloo.
But in the end Wellingtons attitude was fairer and more benign.
And won.

 

[Albertous]

Well I'm not watching it until I know what Wellington's Pronouns are.

Left and right, that is what I call my wellies anyway.

 

[Pteranadon]

More or less what Wellington said before Waterloo.
But in the end Wellingtons attitude was fairer and more benign.
And won.

Which Wellington quote?
The one about the "playing fields of eton" or "scum of the earth" I donopt recall Wellington as being well regarded as a trainer - unlike Moore.