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Dites-moi ce qui se passe:

Qui est mort, qui a tué. 🕵️

Happy birthday to one of the most devious historical character coming from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic era! 🎉🥂

This is an illustration of the fantastic meme created by @michel-feuilly and @taleonne. I simply couldn’t miss an opportunity to draw him like that. X)

This painting looks familiar but I can’t remember what it is (saw on pinterest). It looks like surrender at Ulm.

While several of his future colleagues were half-orphans or otherwise must have had a rather unhappy childhood, Auguste Frédéric Viesse de Marmont for once comes from a perfect background: only, dearly beloved son of a family of landed gentry. His father Nicolas-Edme had married the daughter of a wealthy Parisian civil servant, the spouses were very much in love with each other and would remain so throughout their lives. Auguste’s older sister died at the age of eight, and his parents doted on their surviving child all the more. His father in particular watched over everything, from Auguste’s first teeth to his education, and during his son’s childhood illnesses, his father noted down every little thing in a diary (which still exists): Sweating, meals eaten, hoarseness and breathing and consistency of bowel movements.

Franck Favier in his book on Marmont cites a passage from this journal to show the timetable for young Auguste’s education:

Up at 7 a.m., then his prayers, cleaning his ears, washing his hands and mouth with a sponge, and all this within half an hour.

At half-past seven, practice of his violin.

At eight, breakfast; breakfast taking half an hour.

Recreation until 9 o'clock.

At 9 o'clock, ten verses by heart.

At half-past nine, first lesson in drawing circles and ovals.

At a quarter past ten, recreation until a quarter to eleven.

At a quarter to eleven, reading and hairdressing.

At half past eleven, geometry instruction until noon.

Recreation until half-past twelve and after his lunch until three-quarters past one.

At 2 o'clock, drawing instruction for heads…

(Translated from F. Favier, “Marmont. Le Maudit”)

Starting at the age of nine, there’s also a comprehensive physical training with running, jumping and marching. Papa Marmont hired teachers for his son’s early education before sending him to a collège where Auguste would befriend a rather unruly fellow student named Andoche Junot destined to become a lawyer, but already dreaming of soldiering and the glory of arms. A dream young Auguste soon shared. A little grumbling (he surely had not groomed this perfect son to see his talents wasted in the army!) Papa Marmont gave in to his son’s wishes, under the condition that Junior would join the artillery, where he at least had to use his head and even might learn a thing or two that would later prove useful outside the army, in real life… This new career path in the end led Marmont to meeting a certain Napoleon Bonaparte, in Dijon 1791.

Let’s fast-forward a little: Robespierre’s fall, Bonaparte imprisoned, Marmont and Junot planning to free him, Bonaparte in semi-disgrace, Papa Marmont feeding the trio, then 13 Vendémière, Marmont becoming aide-de-camp to general Bonaparte, following him to Italy…

It’s in autumn 1796 when Marmont, in triumph, brings to Paris some flags taken from the enemy. To mark the occasion, the ultra-rich Swiss banker Perrégaux gives a ball in his Paris residence, with the dashing young war hero at the centre of attention. Perrégaux’s daughter Hortense immediately falls in love. Hard.

Hortense (born in 1779) was yet another disciple of Madame Campan’s famous institute of future imperial brides, and a good friend of the other Hortense, Hortense de Berauharnais. (Call me biased all you want but there is a pattern there.) She was also intelligent, witty, strong-willed and her father’s spoilt favourite. She proved this strength of will to her father, when the latter began to look for a husband for his daughter over the next few months (a husband who was not called “Marmont”, obviously, because a simple soldier was not an appropriate match). Hortense however refused to even look at the candidates. In April 1797, she went so far as to lock herself up in her room for days … and of course she got her way in the end. By May 1797, Papa Perrégaux promised her she could have that nobody of a soldier if she insisted.

Marmont, as to him, had long returned to Italy and was blissfully unaware of the storm he had caused in one of the first families of Paris. As a matter of fact, in that same May 1797 Bonaparte gave him a furious telling-off, for Marmont had returned to headquarters twenty-four hours late. Twenty-four hours that he had apparently spent in the arms of some Venetian beauty. (In his memoirs Marmont claims that Napoleon in July of that year wanted to marry him to his sister Pauline, which seems to be an obvious lie as by the time Marmont claims the proposal was made, Pauline was already engaged to Leclerc.)

It’s only in April 1798 when Marmont and Mlle Perrégaux finally tie the knot. Of course, for Marmont these new family relations are a dream come true. His young wife brings him a million in dowry. Both spouses have beauty, wit and intelligence and are adored by tout Paris.

Difficulties start as soon as the young couple visits Marmont’s family estate in Châtillon-sur-Seine. Living in the province, with only a couple of old-fashioned landed gentry for company, clearly is not to Hortense’s likings. Particularly, as Marmont soon leaves her alone in this hillbilly family circle, in order to follow Napoleon to Egypt. Soon enough, Hortense returns to Paris and lives with her father again.

That’s where Marmont will find her on his return from Egypt, and for some time, all seems fine again (despite Papa and Maman Marmont being decidedly unhappy with that spoilt brat of a daughter-in-law). The couple moves into a house of their own, Marmont starts to show first signs of vanity and shows of his wealth in the style of a true nouveau riche, even somewhat alienating himself from his parents. Hortense, as to her, is often invited to Malmaison, much to Marmont’s chagrin – the new court forming there to him seems a bit too permissive in terms of morals. As a matter of fact, he even suspects the First Consul of having set his eyes on Madame Marmont!

Let’s fast-forward again as things start to turn ugly rather quickly in Marmont’s marriage: He has always been a favourite with the ladies, sees no reason to stop that, and his wife, not used to giving up on any of her whims, will soon start to have affairs of her own. Marmont suspects her of having affairs with Napoleon and with her father’s partner Laffitte.

On 10 December 1807, while Marmont is in Dalmatia, a boy named Jacques Alfred Valberg is born in Paris. Eight months later, an ADC of Marmont’s recognises him as his son, the mother in the papers being named as Marie Perdraux, living in rue de Hazard. - Considering that this boy will be the sole heir of Hortense Perregaux-Marmont’s fortune in 1857, certain suspicions may be allowed…

By the time Marmont receives his marshal’s baton, his marriage is long in shambles. And yet they can’t divorce, they are kept together by – money. Both have grown fond of luxury, both love to overspend, and Marmont’s family relations to the banker’s family are necessary for him to keeo up his life style. He has shares in many of his father-in-law’s business projects.

It’s only during the Restauration, when he has become the infamous »Duc de Raguse« that he will officially separate from his wife (but not divorce). She will live a couple of years longer than him, and it would be interesting to hear her thoughts on her husband’s famous memoirs. He does not treat her kindly in them.

Ney and lilac silence

Good day to everyone in the Napoleonic segment of Tumblr once again! 🌺

I humbly assume, there is no bad timing for some “Napoleonic-related-game-world-news”, so here we are. :)

Won’t describe my own gaming history as it’s another long story to tell… However, I will make a remark that I am a gamer who have enjoyed such leisure activity on many platforms - PSP-gaming, computer gaming, console gaming, phone gaming as well. Speaking of the latter, there is one game in particular that fascinates me till nowadays. It’s called “Time Princess” and it is, in a nutshell, an interactive novel with the core dress-up mechanics.

The game’s name says it all: there is a main heroin who gains the ability to relive countless stories through, pretty much, any writing source available in this world. Those stories are based on different historical epochs, mythologies, classical literature pieces and so on, and so forth. The sole requirement for each story is straight-forward simple: the main character should be… female! That’s why there are some stories based on world famous classics where the main characters went through gender swap: for example, not “Romeo and Juliette” but “Romy and Julius”; a “Swan Lake” story where prince Siegfried becomes princess, while Odette and Odile are known as Aldous and Audwin. These changes are looking not that bad, actually, and are quite enjoyable during the play through.

There are also many original stories set in modern or future times, several interpretations of famous women’ biographies (which I would never discuss on serious terms as there’s too little left from the real-life historical personalities: their characters - as well as actual historical events - go through such drastic changes for the plot’s sake that it’s sometimes impossible to recognise them at all) and classical literature adaptations with canonical female characters aka “Phantom of the Opera” or “Little Women”.

Still, I’m here to speak about Napoleonic era as always. And in “Time Princess” there are no stories based on that memorable epoch (yet, dare I say - since I’m starting to believe that there is a possibility). What made me mention this lovely game on the Napoleonic agenda, then? Well, big thanks to one specific in-game event which comes to an end soon!

In short, it was an ambitious collaboration between “Time Princess” and one of the most famous museums in the world - Musée du Louvre in all its timeless beauty. There were many wonderful activities, mini-games and other stuff to do but the best gift - best gift for all the Napoleonic era lovers, of course - came in the very end of it.

Thus, behold la grande finale (or is it better to say “das große Finale”? 😉) together with us: the magnificent set of clothes inspired by coronation robes of Marie Louise, erzherzogin of Austria, empress of the French! 🇦🇹🇫🇷🎉

The full set is called “Midnight Vienna” and makes an obvious accent on Marie Louise origins and heritage. The descriptions of each piece of clothing are unbelievably pathetic and romantic, while the historical foundation is… well… How do I put it mildly? Many fellow enjoyers of Napoleonic history would be probably crying bloody tears over that one-sided interpretation of martyrdom and excessive exaltation.

But, despite all the cringy aspects, I believe the designers and software developers made a very good job in keeping overall resemblance to the classic silhouette many love and adore!

Just look at all those wonderful details: jewellery, embroidery, simple but gracious ornaments…

It’s also noted in game that the dress itself was “freely inspired by an engraving of Empress Marie-Louise by Louis-Adolphe Portier” which is, of course, preserved in the department of graphic arts in the Musée du Louvre.

In the end, I was able to find the original engraving which was mentioned - I’m attaching it as well. 🌺

And even though I’m very, very sceptical of any biographical adaptations which may come after such lovely representation, it’s undoubtedly nice to see the reminders of Napoleonic era beauty in any spheres of our everyday lives. 😌

My Trip to Austerlitz (pt. 1)

The sequel to last week’s My Trip to Koniggratz!  expect pictures of museums, fields, and heavy MilHist nerdery.

The battle of Austerlitz was fought near Slavkov in what is now the Czech Republic on 2 December 1805 between Napoleon’s French Grande Armée (c. 70,000 strong) and the allied forces of Russia and Austria (c. 90,000). It is generally considered Napoleon’s greatest victory.

The battlefield is big, stretching over thirteen kilometres and incorporating half-a-dozen villages. The main feature is a low ridgeline known as the Pratzen Heights, and the village of Pratzen itself, which sits at its base. There’s a museum on the heights dedicated to the battle.

Needless to say, it has the obligatory uniforms.

And the obligatory cannon. The battle is sometimes known as the battle of the three emperors after Napeoleon, the Russian Tsar Alexander, and the Austiran emperor, Francis II.

Outside is the Cairn of Peace, built in the early 20th century.

Napoleon’s army, outnumbered, had been withdrawing before the Russo-Austrian advance throughout late November 1805. Hoping to lure his enemies into a decisive battle, he deliberately abandoned a strong position on the Pratzen Heights, hoping to lure the Allies into taking it. They duly did.

Napoleon adopted a defensive stance along a stream known as the Goldbach. He deliberately weakened his right flank at the villages of Tilnitz and Sokolnitz, hoping the Allies would try and attack him there while knowing he had reinforcements marching from Vienna bound for that location.

While the Allies were lured off the heights they had first been lured onto, Napoleon would then strike at their weakened centre, taking the ridgeline.

The battle began early on 2 December with an Allied assault on the village of Tilnitz. This quickly spread to neighbouring Sokolnitz. Both locations were the scene of ferocious fighting throughout the day as they were taken and then retaken, possibly as many as five times.

These are barns in Sokolnitz that were using as strong points by both sides, and later as makeshift prisons for captured Russians.

Sokolnitz castle, another centre of the fighting in this southern sector of the battlefield. It’s now an old people’s home.

By mid-morning 3 of the 4 main Allied columns had moved down off Pratzen Heights to attack Tilnitz and Sokolnitz. The 4th was still on the heights however, as it had been disrupted by Allied cavalry who moved through it heading for the north of the battlefield.

General Kutuzov, a veteran Russian commander, didn’t want to leave Pratzen largely undefended, but the Russian Tsar, Alexander, ordered him down. Before he could, however, Napoleon struck.

This is the view from the highest point of the Pratzen heights looking out over Pratzen village towards the French centre. On the day of the battle there was a heavy fog, so it was impossible to see French forces massing for the masterstroke here.

The French advanced and, after overcoming their shock, the Allies scrambled forces to intercept and stop them seizing the ridgeline. Heavy fighting flared in Pratzen village itself, and along the slopes.

This is the view from the opposite side. Napoleon spent the morning on Zuran hill. Here we see what Napoleon would have looking towards the Allied centre on Pratzen Heights.

While all this was happening, fighting also flared in the northern sector of the battlefield, around the villages of Holubitz and Bosenitz. A ferocious cavalry engagement developed in these fields.

The deaths of an estimated 7,000 horses are commemorated here, on ground that now holds a functioning stable.

Both sides fought hard, but the French proved more adept at small-scale tactics, with proper support between infantry and cavalry, while the Allied cavalry tended to fight unsupported.

(There’s going to need to be a part 2 as I can only upload so many images to one post, thanks tumblr) 

It’s that breathtaking time of the year ~

Last four days of our lives - my own and my dear friends - were the most spectacular and memorable for the whole year, without a doubt. The Borodino fields were as lively as they had been many years ago… However, inadequate ambitions, hatred and exhaustion are replaced nowadays with remembrance, friendship, affection, mutual respect and appreciation. 🕊

Being there as one of the participants is a breathtaking experience. Especially for the first time! The passion and fun all those men and women are having while recreating the events from the past are unbelievably inspiring. Thus, I’m so glad to be able to participate directly in the historical reconstruction of the Napoleonic era which I’ve been loving with all my heart for six long years straight.

Waking up from that miraculous dream to the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, waiting for my dear friends to expand vastly on the subject and preparing some illustrative materials from the point of view of a random civilian at the beginning of the 19th century… 🤫

So, it’s the 210th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Borodino!

The annual reconstruction this year was absolutely superb in terms of it’s heart-fullness and professionalism. So much effort was put into the preparation and final performance. I adore the work of historical reconstructors with all my heart and they’ve surpassed themselves, undeniably.

Today I’d love to share with you another small compilation of photos depicting all the colours of the jubilee Borodino! ❤️💙💚💛

And here’s another piece of an enormous cake that was the main reconstruction few days ago - a cavalry scramble between various regiments of Russian and French sides!

It was quite hard to download but I hope its beauty redeems it all. ✨

So, it’s the 210th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Borodino!

The annual reconstruction this year was absolutely superb in terms of it’s heart-fullness and professionalism. So much effort was put into the preparation and final performance. I adore the work of historical reconstructors with all my heart and they’ve surpassed themselves, undeniably.

Today I’d love to show you another small compilation of photos that depicts all the colours of the jubilee Borodino! ❤️💙💚💛

And here’s another piece of an enormous cake that was the main reconstruction few days ago - a cavalry scramble between various regiments of Russian and French sides!

It was quite hard to download but I hope its beauty redeems it all. ✨

Well, Fouché ✨🪷

I love flower paintings very much, but I don't like painting flowers.

I was finally able to obtain a book I’ve been wanting for years:

It is absolutely gorgeous. 242 pages of Murat’s letters (including images of the originals) and lovely artwork.

The Shopping Arcade des Panoramas in Paris, 1807 by Philibert Louis Debucourt

Oh my, oh my, what can I say, when it comes to Klemens’ lovely correspondence…

First and foremost, Metternich wrote so much in his lifetime that it’s nearly impossible to estimate the scales of his soaring thought (how far was he carried away in the process - that’s another great question for a lifetime)! As much of his literary heritage has been published, as much is already gone or still hidden from the public eye in the dens of various archives and private collections. Thanks to the efforts of his son, Richard, and other publishers, we can, at least, enjoy a few selections of his private correspondence. However, it was only a tip of an iceberg, for sure. 😅

Since I’m not that interested in Klemens’ perception of Napoleon and his politics, I can’t add much (although you can’t escape this topic, if you start learning about him - Metternich’s whole life was haunted by the presence of the great man ™️ and he couldn’t get rid of it, especially in the 1850s, when to the upcoming generation [or simply more successful politicians of his own age, ehem] he was mostly valuable because of his claims about understanding Napoleon’s “true nature”) …

Perhaps, an acknowledgment of some sort suffices: even though Klemens wasn’t good at foreseeing political trends - the future itself, he definitely possessed an instinct for people. He was a man of his time after all, cultivated, deeply sensitive and receptive, who craved to understand human nature thoroughly both from physiological and psychological points of view. His judgements may seem overly pretentious in some cases but he got to the bottom of things rather well, in my opinion.

In addition, I translated some passages from the Metternich’s biography I love with all my heart, since the author gives a much more comprehensive opinion on the subject there. I do not proclaim those notions as an ultimate truth but I still find his train of thought intriguing. 👀

Intensive personal interactions with Napoleon were for Klemens much more important than official negotiations. Not a single love affair, not a single political event, perhaps, with the exception of the French Revolution, influenced him as much and deeply as these many hours of conversations, often face-to-face, with the most grandiose personality of the era. In Klemens’ dispatches to Franz there are mentions of three- and four-hour-long conversations. He had reason to assert that hardly any of the non-Frenchmen had communicated with Napoleon as long and as directly as he had. "Conversations with him," wrote Metternich later in his portrayal of Napoleon, "have always been full of charm which I find difficult to explain. He outlined the most essential things for him in the subject, discarding unnecessary details, developing his thought clearly and precisely, always finding or coming up with the most appropriate words. These conversations have always been extremely fascinating".

…It is easier to understand Metternich's interest in Napoleon than the French emperor's interest in the Austrian minister. Undoubtedly, Metternich was a brilliant conversationalist – witty, well-informed in politics, with a decent knowledge of natural sciences. But that's not the main point. An explanation can be found in Balzac, who subtly noticed an important trait in Napoleon's character: "Victories over the aristocracy often flattered the emperor's self-esteem no less than the battles won”.

Communication with Metternich, his enticement was for Napoleon one of the forms of self-affirmation in the monarchical-aristocratic world. And it should be noted that he managed to achieve success, although it can be compared with one of his passing victories and not with Austerlitz. The theme "Metternich and Napoleon" is no less interesting psychologically than politically.

Metternich about Napoleon, 1808

An interesting evaluation of the general situation in France, from autumn 1808, given by Austrian ambassador Metternich to his Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vienna, taken from the second volume of “Mémoires, documents et écrits divers”. For context: Metternich had in an earlier missive suggested it might be a good idea to have closer relations with Talleyrand. A suggestion that – hardly surprising – seems to have met with lots of suspicion in Vienna. Metternich tries to prove that, for once, Talleyrand is not to be seen as an enemy to the Austrian cause, that he, to the contrary, tries to stabilize a foreign policy that is about to spiral out of control.

Metternich to Stadion. Paris, 24 September 1808

[…] There are two parties in France, as opposed to each other as the interests of Europe are to the particular ideas of the Emperor.

At the head of one is the Emperor and all the military. The first only wants to extend his influence by means of force, and it is from a degree of nepotism of which there is perhaps no example, a feeling at least as strong in him as egoism; it is, moreover, from the bellicose tendency which a long habit has given to his mind, and from the fiery spirit of his character, to which we owe all the upheavals which, contrary to all reason, and to all sound and settled political calculation, he attempts and unfortunately executes only too much every year.

In short: The guy is unable to discipline himself, and unlike at other courts, there currently is no system in place to keep him in check by other means.

Napoleon sees in France only himself; in Europe and in the whole world, only his family. It is enough to observe him, against all prudence, isolating himself from all the members of his family in order to place them far from him on thrones acquired at the price of so much blood and sacrifice, to see him overthrow weak princes, entirely subject to his will, even to his whims, in order to give these crowns to brothers or relatives over whom he exercises infinitely less influence, - a truth proven daily, to his great chagrin, - not to be able to doubt that his very ambition is subject to his inclination for nepotism.

As interesting and probably correct this assessment by Metternich is (the problems Napoleon had before he took over Portugal and Spain are miniscule compared to those he had after that coup), I could imagine there may be an ulterior motive behind Metternich’s dire warning of nepotism. After all, the Austrian emperor, too, had plenty of brothers, and so had empress Maria Ludovica, most of which were no friends of Metternich.

Personally, I think there may be another motive behind Napoleon’s behaviour than nepotism. As Metternich states himself, Napoleon often struggled to keep his relatives in check. So, when he removed them from Paris and put them on thrones far away, did he do that only in order to do them a favour, or also in order to strengthen his own position in France by removing anyone who might become a figurehead of opposition at home? He removed, one by one:

Eugène (son of the empress, closest thing to a son Napoleon had in the eyes of the public during the Consulate)

Joseph (most respected and most influential of his brothers, according to the constitution his immediate heir)

Louis (father to the boy whom most people saw as Napoleon’s likely future heir)

Jérome (last remaining of his brothers)

Murat (last remaining and highest-ranking family member still in Paris, most respected in the army among all the relatives)

While Lucien of course famously had exiled himself even before the empire. - From what I have read about other courts, it was not unusual to see people flock around other influential figures than the monarch, especially around a possible heir, forming different parties in more or less overt opposition to each other and to certain policies. While it made a court a hotbet for intrigues, it also made it possible for different views and attitudes to coexist there, and to confront the monarch with them. I often feel like Napoleon was keen on removing his relatives from court simply because it removed a source of possible opposition.

Metternich continues:

The military seek only bruises and wounds, especially since he who escapes death is sure of immense rewards.

This must have made for interesting battlefield conversations: Excuse me, sir, before I kill you off, could be so kind as to wound me a little? Nothing too serious, if you please, but with lots of blood. I finally want that damned cross, you know.

There is only one state in France which opens the way to everything, to fortune, to titles, to the constant protection of the Sovereign: it is the military state; one would say that France is populated solely by soldiers and by citizens created to serve it by the sweat of their brow.

The other party is composed of the great mass of the nation, an inert and immovable mass, like the remains of an extinct volcano. At the head of this mass are the most eminent persons of the civil state, and principally M. de Talleyrand, the Minister of Police, and all those who have fortunes to keep, who see no stability in institutions based on ruins, and which, rather than leaning on a durable state of affairs, the anxious genius of the Emperor surrounds only with new ruins.

I’m not sure if Metternich is right in drawing such a clear line between these two parties, to me the distinction seems much more blurry. Plenty of high-ranking officers had married into the circles “who have fortunes to keep”, after all. And there are lots of reports about unrest in the army already from the Polish campaign in 1807. The alleged “Philadelphes” conspiracy is mentioned a lot in German sources for the campaign of 1809, for what those are worth.

This party has existed since 1805; the war of 1806 and 1807 strengthened its means; the bad success of the enterprise against Spain in 1808 made the leaders of the party and their arguments popular; what previous successes had not been able to mitigate had to be strengthened by reverses caused by the most disastrous and immoral of calculations.

This last expression probably refers to the coup in Spain and Napoleon forcing the Bourbons to abdicate so he could put Joseph on the Spanish throne. Which, in my opinion, was not only immoral but mostly clumsy and stupid.

It is in the nature of things that two parties directly opposed can only gain strength at the expense of each other. The reverses in Spain, the destruction of several army corps, the reflux into the interior of troops sustained and fed up to now at the expense of foreigners; the drying up of a host of pecuniary resources, the upheaval given to France by the passage of so many columns which cross it in all directions, all these facts, combined with a hundred other considerations, have weakened the party of universal destruction and strengthened, consequently, the party of interior consolidation, which is only composed of elements equally protective of us.

That’s mostly interesting to me because it alludes to the pecuniary problems Napoleon faced around that very time (or actually always during periods of peace): His army simply was way, WAY too big and a constant drain on France’s finances, even counting the enormous war recompensations the defeated enemies usually had to pay. The Bourbons on returning to France will in the end have to solve that problem that Napoleon merely dragged out as long as he could. But he was very aware of it and tried to find reasons to keep as many troops outside of France as possible, where they had to be provided for and paid by the host country.

I’m not sure if Metternich is necessarily right in everything but he was a diplomat by trade and likely to correctly evaluate his sources. Overall, it’s an interesting assessment of France’s true situation around the time of the congress of Erfurt, and before Napoleon’s Spanish campaign.

Anniversaire du maréchal Ney

I would like to write something, but I have no words, so I'll just leave it here

Il neigeait. L'âpre hiver fondait en avalanche.

Après la plaine blanche une autre plaine blanche.

On ne connaissait plus les chefs ni le drapeau.

Hier la grande armée, et maintenant troupeau... ❄️

A drawing I made for a good friend of mine depicting Armand de Caulaincourt and emperor Napoleon during the tragic retreat of the Grande armée from Russia in the year 1812. 🇫🇷💔

Ney wearing a banyan and my headcanon about his glasses👓✨

The most stereotypical Russian sight you’ll ever witness. And yet it is very real. ❄️

Soldiers of the Grande Armée (including those poor souls who served the Russian empire THAT year, since winter and deadly illnesses were merciless to anyone) experienced much unpleasant feelings from its omnipresence, without any doubt. Still, that solemn vision is breathtaking, when you are able to contemplate in chilly solitude of your surroundings.

Wonder, if anyone in the Napoleonic community on Tumblr would love to see more of such occasional ✨ aesthetic ✨ insights into the Russian “reality” from a person who was born and raised in that aloof place?

Insights with a sprinkle of Napoleonic impressions, natürlich~