At noon on December 2nd, 2 years ago, in Notre Dame de Paris, where countless French emperors have made achievements, Napoleon wore a purple velvet dress inlaid with silver ferret skin, and the sword used by Charlemagne when he ascended the throne 1, years ago, and was crowned with gold, becoming a great emperor who was determined to dominate Europe, not just the king who controlled France. This year, Napoleon was 35 years old.
The official kept a low profile
In order to commemorate the 2th anniversary of Napoleon's accession to the throne, various commemorative exhibitions, seminars and new publications on Napoleon emerged one after another in France. A number of beautifully bound and expensive commemorative albums also rushed to the market around December, including an album containing 4 paintings to record the details of the enthronement ceremony, with a price as high as 12, euros, or 12, yuan.
unlike the active cultural market, the French government has shown a low-key that is different from the surrounding atmosphere. When people crowded to visit the large and small cultural exhibitions held by the people, the French government did not hold any official celebrations. Even in the French media, there is an atmosphere of doubt and criticism about this legendary figure.
The huge oil painting hanging on the wall of the Louvre, which is 6 meters high and nearly 1 meters wide, helps people imagine the luxurious scene and majestic atmosphere when Napoleon ascended the throne. This oil painting, which was authorized by Napoleon by the famous painter Edgeworth Beresford David at that time, took four years from conception to completion. Napoleon, with his back to the Pope and the crown on his head, is crowning his wife Josephine, who kneels in front of him. The people in the background on both sides are the prestigious guests and ambassadors invited by Napoleon from all over Europe.
There are different interpretations of this indelible picture in French history among European academic circles, media and rulers.
France's Focus magazine compared Napoleon, who held the enthronement ceremony, with a dictator in Central Africa, and thought that the luxurious ceremony was a "boring act". Because it reminds people of the painful price paid by young French soldiers in following this battlefield hero around-4, French soldiers crossed the Russian border, and only 18, people survived; There are 3, French troops who fell on the battlefield in Spain; In Leipzig, Germany, only three days of "people's war" (with the anti-French alliance), 7, French soldiers were killed.
fulk Uhrich, a German historian, believes that "Napoleon was a dictator who had no confidence in the legitimacy of his rule, and all his political achievements were based on his military ability. Without those wars, he could not have achieved those military achievements."
"At present, the French government politically represents the thought of the * * * faction during the French Revolution. They believe that Napoleon's restoration of monarchy and the establishment of a dictatorship are a betrayal of the spirit of freedom and equality in the Revolution and a compromise with the European church in order to satisfy his political ambitions." Professor Gao Yi from the Department of History of Peking University said, "Based on this view, it is natural for the French government to keep a low profile in this commemorative event."
Civil Code: Eternal Monument
"For a long time, Napoleon has been subjected to jealousy and harsh words from colleges, media and politicians. People must treat him as fair as other historical figures. " Terry Lentz, president of the Napoleon Foundation in Paris, said.
Che Varyl, the director of Malmeisson Palace (Napoleon's former private residence) near Paris, agrees. He said, "People often only see Napoleon as a hero or dictator on the battlefield, but few people mention his contribution to the French Civil Code, the national bank and school education."
March 21st this year is also the 2th anniversary of the official promulgation of the Napoleonic Code. This code, which was compiled under the impetus of Napoleon in 18, includes civil law, civil procedure law, commercial law, criminal law and criminal procedure law. It is said that the idea of freedom, equality and natural rationality of the Great Revolution has been laid down in a detailed and easy-to-understand form, which has laid the foundation for the legal system of modern civil society.
The promulgation of the Code not only solved the confusion of the French legal system at that time, but also profoundly influenced the legal systems of other European countries with the expansion of Napoleon's power. Even in Canada, Egypt, Bolivia and other countries outside Europe, the Napoleonic Code has been used as the blueprint for their own legislative reform.
Up to now, this 436-page code has gone through two emperors, three empires and four republics, and more than half of the legal provisions are still valid.
"All the victories on the battlefield vanished with the defeat of Waterloo, but people will never forget my Civil Code." Napoleon told the author of Memoirs of St. Helena during his years of imprisonment on St. Helena.
the father of Europe?
A survey just conducted by the French magazine Figaro shows that in the eyes of 39% of the French interviewed, Napoleon, who once led an expedition to Russia and Egypt, was a "dictator" and thought that "everything he did was to satisfy his desire for power". Another 49% thought Napoleon was a "great politician".
"Among the 39% people who hold critical opinions, the majority should be people with relatively high education level. For most ordinary French people, Napoleon is still a perfect national hero. On the contrary, there are many people in the academic circles who hold critical opinions. " Professor Gao Yi explained, "The debate on Napoleon's evaluation has always existed, but it is just a question that different viewpoints prevail in different periods."
After the defeat of Sedan Campaign (the decisive battle in the Franco-Prussian War), Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte's second empire was shattered. But with the outbreak of World War I, Napoleon once again became a myth as a warrior who defeated Prussia. "It was not until the 196s that people realized that Napoleon was politically wrong." Berthart Chevalier, who has studied Napoleon for many years and now manages Napoleon's private residence, said.
"The debate mainly happened in academic circles. In fact, no reason can affect the French to regard Napoleon as a hero of their own nation. " Professor Gao Yi added.
In any case, Napoleon, as a strategist and politician full of magical colors all his life, still has a large number of admirers. Since his death in prison on St. Helena in 1822, more than 8, books about him have been published. There are more than 2 directors who have made movies based on this legend from Corsica all over the world. Even in the library in Kathmandu, people can see Napoleon's head on the closet.
"There is no greater man in the world than him." Former British Prime Minister Churchill once said this about Napoleon.
A poll shows that Napoleon is still regarded by the French as one of the most important figures in French history except Charlemagne and Charles de Gaulle.
"With his sword and code, Napoleon became the pioneer of modern Europe." French historian Jean Turad recently emphasized in one of his speeches that "Napoleon was the father of Europe".
The Emperor ascended the throne
- Compiled by our reporter Feng Jing
On the morning of December 2, 184, a cold wind wrapped with snowflakes passed through the streets of Paris. The guests attending Napoleon's enthronement ceremony have been leaving home for Notre Dame de Paris since 6 am. Notre Dame staff are still making final preparations nervously, making sure that every detail is foolproof. In fact, since five months ago, they have been busy with this, and every step and detail of the enthronement ceremony have been carefully designed by a senior diplomat who knows etiquette-a descendant of an old dynasty.
Although the weather is cold, the whole city of Paris is still deserted. Almost all 5, citizens have gathered on both sides of the road from the Tuileries Palace (Napoleon's bedroom) to Notre Dame de Paris. Even the balcony and windows along the street have been rented out to crazy citizens at high prices. The onlookers seemed very quiet, and people were more curious than excited about the upcoming ceremony.
Compromise with the Pope
At 9 o'clock in the morning, Pope pope pius vii set out from the Tuileries Palace where he stayed on time. His carriage was escorted by the French cavalry, and it was customary to lead the honor guard by the Pope's envoy-but this time the envoy was riding on a donkey. This deliberate arrangement caused ridicule and ridicule from citizens on both sides.
Napoleon never liked the Vatican, but in order to make his rule stable with the support of the church, he chose to accept the coronation of the Pope like Charles the Great, who once established the European Empire, except that he would not go to the Vatican himself, but hoped that the Pope would come to Paris in person.
As early as August, the Pope had received an invitation from Napoleon. He didn't want to promise the Frenchman's "unreasonable demands", but similar to Napoleon's invitation, the Pope considered that compromise might improve the declining situation of the church in Europe affected by the revolutionary wave, and maybe he could take the opportunity to get back the fief occupied by the French army. He finally promised to go to Paris in early November, so the emperor's enthronement ceremony had to be postponed from Napoleon's favorite November 9 (the anniversary of the foggy moon revolution) to December 2.
On November 25th, Napoleon dressed in hunting clothes greeted the Pope in Fontainebleau, a suburb of Paris. After hugging each other, Napoleon's carriage suddenly began to move forward, and he himself jumped into the carriage from one side first, and then invited the Pope to come up-it was arranged clearly from the beginning.
At p>12 noon on December 2, several warm sunshine penetrated the pale and cold sky in Paris. Napoleon and Josephine's resplendent carriage just drove slowly to Notre Dame, while pope pius vii had been waiting in the cold palace for nearly two hours.
Notre Dame de Paris, a palace that has witnessed the coronation ceremony of successive French kings since 1179, was just one of the venues originally chosen for the ceremony. Another option is the training ground in Paris, where many revolutionary celebrations were held, but Napoleon refused. Fulk Uhrich, a German historian, believes that this "upstart" decided to hold the ceremony in Notre Dame because he was worried that he would be laughed at by the people when he appeared here in fine clothes. The advantage here is that it can not only provide services for those dignitaries who attend the ceremony, but also effectively distance themselves from the onlookers. For this ceremony, the street near Notre Dame de Paris was resurfaced with stones, and the whole house on the roadside was demolished to make room for the honor guard that day.
coronation
Napoleon put on a heavy crown robe at the gate of the palace and walked into Notre Dame with Josephine dragging a long skirt.
When describing this grand ceremony, almost all historians call it an elaborate "stage play". A few weeks before the ceremony, Napoleon and his wife Josephine had been familiar with every detail of the ceremony with dolls and models.
In the empty hall, 191 distinguished guests from all over Europe were all dressed in fine clothes, and they were specially invited to attend the enthronement ceremony. This is also to show them Napoleon's imperial majesty.
The musicians brought by Napoleon from Italy two years ago specially composed music for the coronation mass, the honor guard performance and all aspects of the ceremony, and played two bands composed of four choirs and 3 performers respectively.
The court painter who designed the dress is said to have been inspired by people's clothes in the Renaissance, and designed trousers with legs, a Spanish-style vest and a velvet hat for Napoleon. The crown placed on the Eucharist is made of gold, which is an imitation of the ancient Roman crown.
Napoleon, sitting at the Eucharist table waiting for his coronation, wore a purple velvet dress inlaid with silver ferret skin, a sword that was said to have been used by Charlemagne when he ascended the throne, and held a scepter. According to Napoleon's plan, these decorations should make it look more powerful. But according to the historian Roman Lake, "at this time, his face showed a rare lack of confidence and rigidity, and he seemed to be overwhelmed by his majesty."
After the mass, the Pope anointed the heads and palms of the Napoleon couple and blessed their crowns. At the moment of coronation, the latest theory in the history circle is that Napoleon himself took the laurel from the Eucharist and put it on himself. This was agreed with the Pope in advance. Another French historian in the 19th century said that Napoleon snatched the crown from the Pope and put it on his head. The latter statement seems to spread more widely because it is full of drama.
The whole coronation ceremony lasted for four hours. Under the heavy dress, Napoleon himself showed sleepy expression from time to time and yawned uncontrollably several times. Almost all the guests present later complained that the coronation ceremony was too long and the palace of Notre Dame de Paris was too cold.
ten years later, the European anti-French alliance invaded Paris, and Napoleon was forced to abdicate. In 1815, Napoleon, who returned to Paris, finally defeated Waterloo, the "Hundred Days Dynasty" ended, the Bourbon Dynasty was restored, and Napoleon was deported to the isolated island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, but he survived.
Napoleon's life (essay)
● Born in Corsica on August 15th, 1769
● In 1793, Napoleon became a supporter of jacobins, a revolutionary party led by robespierre during the French Revolution.
● In 1795, Napoleon led his troops to quell the aristocratic riots in Paris, and later he was promoted to the rank of army commander.
● He married Josephine in 1796, defeated the Austrian in the Italian campaign, and expanded the French territory to the southwest.
● In 1799, European countries organized an anti-French alliance for the second time, and France gradually lost ground.
● Napoleon became emperor of France by referendum in 184.
● Napoleon defeated the Russian and Austrian troops in Austerlitz in 185.
● In 186, Austria and Prussia refused to join the Rhine Alliance under Napoleon's protection, and the French army invaded Berlin.
● In 188, the French army occupied Spain and the king was forced to abdicate.
● In 189, Austria was defeated in Vagram, and was forced to cede a large territory.
● In 181, less than a year after his divorce from Josephine, Napoleon married Princess Mary Louis of the Austrian augsburg dynasty.
● Although Napoleon arrived in Moscow with a large number of troops in 1812, he was forced to retreat under the harsh natural environment. The French army was almost wiped out after a long journey.
● In 1813, Prussia, Russia, Great Britain, Austria and Sweden formed an alliance and confronted the French army in Leipzig. In this so-called people's battle, the French army lost.
● In 1814, when the allied forces invaded Paris, Napoleon abdicated.
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