Marshal Lannes, who saved Bonaparte's life, was his main opponent, while remaining a true friend.

Before the revolution, Jean Lannes was a dyer's apprentice and his whole ambition was to someday become a full-fledged craftsman. The revolution allowed him to realize himself for real, since he was born a commander.
Napoleon called him one of all the French generals a giant. In the "ranking" of Bonaparte, Lannes appeared in the first place, in the second was Moreau, in the third - Soult. Most of his comrades-in-arms Bonaparte nominated, rewarded, caressed and praised, not respecting them in his soul. From them he expected only courage and zeal. The emperor did not need advice, but executors. He did not tolerate objections, as well as talk about the impossibility of doing something. He said "impossible n'est pas français" (the word "impossible" is not from French).
Napoleon had no inclination to talk "for life" and joint feasts, and was alone in his team, like the captain of a pirate ship. But he had a special relationship with Lann.
Back in the Italian campaign of 1796, Jean Lannes was nicknamed "Roland of the army" for his bravery. Modern historians believe that the nickname "d" Artagnan would have been even closer to him. He combined the qualities of this hero: the ability to think in the moment of the most serious danger and the willingness to die for his friends.
At the first meeting with Bonaparte, Lannes fell in love with him for life. In the famous battle of Arkol, he covered Napoleon with his body and received three wounds. In Syria, during the siege of Saint-Jean-d "Acre, he was wounded so seriously that a message was sent to France about his death. With this news, Lanna's mother died of grief, and his wife, on the contrary, went on a spree and gave birth to a child from her lover. Returning home, Lannes immediately divorced and six months later married Louise Gehenek, the daughter of a wealthy financier.The wedding was played at Dorne Castle on September 16, 1800. The planted father was Napoleon himself.

By that time, Bonaparte ruled alone as first consul. This is more than a dictator with exclusive powers. He considered the French as subjects, equal before him, elevated to the pinnacle of power. Lannes still saw in him his friend, that General Bonaparte with whom he once plundered Italy. And from old memory, he addressed Napoleon as you, although he commanded the consular guard and was an official at the court, where the ruler is not "poked." This manner of the first consul, getting used to flattery and retinue intrigues, gradually began to be perceived as a claim to a special position.
If Lann had one, it was more like a reputation as an unspoken leader of the "systemic opposition." A whole group of Republicans by conviction - Massena, Bernadotte, Augereau, MacDonald, Lecourbe - expressed dissatisfaction with the transformation of the residence of the first consul into a royal palace.
It was bitter for the defenders of the revolution to see how the words "freedom" and "equality" turn into an empty phrase. When, on Easter 1802, Bonaparte, not without difficulty, drove them to Mass at Notre Dame, and asked the opinion of these atheists about the Te Deum service, General Delmas answered for everyone: “Very beautiful, my general, only there is not enough million Frenchmen who went to death to end these capuchinade." Napoleon did not like these words so much that he decided to roughly punish the lead singer of the "republican freemen" Jean Lannes.
Staying at court has always been torture for the general. When Napoleon invited him to dinner at the Tuileries, Lannes told the courier: "If the first consul calls me into the army, I'm ready. And if not, tell him that I've left to shoot larks." Instead of Lannes, General Bessieres was appointed commander of the consular guards, who was entrusted with the revision of the guards treasury.
As head of the guard, Lannes signed all bills without looking. He acted according to the word of the first consul: "For the guard, nothing can be too good." Gunsmiths, tailors and horse breeders supplied all the best and most expensive. Unsuspecting, Lann went over budget. Bessières found the treasury of the guard not just empty, but in huge debt. Further events are quite worthy of the pen of Dumas-father.
Bonaparte called Lannes to him and said that 300 thousand francs were missing from the guards treasury.
“But I didn’t take anything,” exclaimed Lannes, “not a single sou, you you know that very well!
“Three hundred thousand are not enough,” repeated Bonaparte.
- You he told me to order it all!
- I did not give a written order, - the first consul said in an icy tone. - Stop squandering! At you eight days, General, to make up that amount, or you appear before the council of war.
The military council tried state criminals. Lannes didn't expect this from an old friend. He grabbed his saber and silently ran out of the room, not saluting.
300 thousand is a monstrous amount. Even after selling his mansion furnished in the latest fashion and with the help of his wife's family, Lannes was not able to find that kind of money in 8 days. The next morning, the general was awakened by a knock on the door: a notary appeared with 300,000 francs. Lannes decided at first that Bonaparte was sending him his money, because service is service, and friendship is friendship. But no, it was the "Republican" General Pierre-Francois-Charles Augereau who sold all his annuities in order to save an old friend and colleague. Why not a scene from The Three Musketeers?
Burdened with debt, Lannes was removed from the capital. He was sent as ambassador to Portugal with an impossible task: to wrest this country from the sphere of English influence and bring it into the orbit of French commerce.
Upon arrival in Lisbon, Lannes saw the English fleet in the raid, English troops in the city, and the first minister appointed at the choice of the British ambassador in the palace. How to deal with this force without an army and capital?
It turned out that Lann still has some resources.

Portugal was ruled by a regent, the future king Joan VI.
The official head of state was Queen Mary I, who died in 1816. For twenty years, after a cerebral hemorrhage in 1792, she suffered from a mental disorder: she kept imagining her father, King José I, charred, on a throne of red-hot iron.
So, the regent, soft by nature, was flattered by the acquaintance with a real heroic general, the winner in several battles. He liked talking to Lann. When the general's son was born, the regent presented the ambassador with a gift: a handful of Brazilian diamonds for Lannu himself, the woman in labor and the baby. With these diamonds, the general finally managed to repay his debts.
After recovering from childbirth, Madame Lannes joined the diplomatic struggle. She simply conquered the local nobility, arranging "real Parisian balls." Sensing how the pro-English party was weakening, the first minister, Almeida, organized an attack on the carriage of Lannes, who was returning from a reception at the regent. The embassy carriage was stopped on a dark street by six disguised police officers, demanding money or life. But they didn't know who they were dealing with. Lannes jumped out of the carriage, knocked five robbers off their feet and grappled with the ringleader. He took out a pistol and put it to the ambassador's chest. Then Lann in front of his young wife strangled this man with his bare hands. The accomplices fled in horror.
Some time later, a trade agreement was signed, giving French merchants advantages over English ones.
With a diplomatic victory Lannes returned to Paris in triumph. The army was waiting for him again.


The European peace of 1802-1803 lasted only 14 months. More France did not live a day without war, until the capture of Paris in 1814.
Lannes performed new feats, but relations with Napoleon deteriorated more and more. Having proclaimed himself emperor, Bonaparte appeased the "republican" generals, making them marshals of the Empire. Then he brought one or the other closer to him, playing on their ambition and old friendship.
For example, in 1807 Lannes wrote to his wife: “I have always been the victim of my attachment to him. But he only loves you when he needs you."
On May 6, 1807, Lannes is in complete despair: "I have made a decision. I will retire and be by your side, my dear friend, and with our children. That is where I will find true friendship."
Around the same time, in Warsaw, Lannes told Napoleon in front of the grenadiers that "the whole of Poland is not worth the blood of even one Frenchman."
- If you are dissatisfied, - the emperor answered, - leave.
- Not, you you need me.
And Napoleon had to swallow it because Lannes told the truth. The campaign of 1807, where the Russian army was the enemy, turned out to be extremely difficult. At such a moment, Lannes could not abandon Napoleon, even realizing all his hypocrisy.
But on June 17, after the victory at Friedland, where Lannes played an outstanding role, the marshal wrote to his wife in a completely different tone:
“Today I saw the Emperor, and he said to me: “Lann, I will soon give evidence of my friendship.” You know, my dear Louise, how I love him! I am happy: he finally said that he has friendly feelings for me ... "As you can see, Napoleon was a master of manipulation.


But even with the most outstanding skill, one cannot fight without losses. In the battle of Essling on May 22, 1809, Lann's hour struck. The bridge over which the commissaries of the Grand Army brought ammunition across the Danube broke, and the French guns fell silent. Lann's cavalry, which had rushed forward to cut down the already broken Austrians, who were ready to take flight, was now forced to cover the retreat of their own. Here Lannes was mortally wounded: his leg was crushed by a cannonball.
May 30, dying of gangrene in the arms of Napoleon, Lannes turned to him with the last word. This speech is known from a note made by friends:
"There is no need to recommend my wife and children to you; and since I die for you, your glory tells you to take care of them. So I am not afraid to spoil your attitude towards them with a last friendly reproach. you have lost your best friend, that will not fix you. Your ambition is insatiable; it will destroy you. You sacrifice unnecessarily and without hesitation the people who served you best, and when they die, you do not regret them. All around you are flatterers. I do not see there is not a single friend among them who dares to speak the truth. You will be betrayed, you will be abandoned. Hurry up to end the war, everyone wants it. You will never have more power, but perhaps you will be loved more. Forgive these truths to the dying, because this dying loves you".
These are the heights of eloquence to which the former dyer's apprentice, who never read books, rose. Perhaps it was the influence of his highly educated wife. However, Lannes always spoke and wrote well.
Napoleon didn't answer. Then, on May 30, 1809, he was last seen crying. Bonaparte felt the proximity of his own death. He wrote to the Empress Josephine: "The loss of the Duke of Montebello (the title bestowed by him on Lann) had a strong effect on me. Ainsi tout finit (That's how it all ends)."
If someone were to make a film about the events of 1809, the best soundtrack for the last scene with Lannes would be Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, written just a year earlier. Here fate knocked on the door of the hero, and he understands his doom. He is tormented by the bitterness of loss and despair, but for that he is a hero, in order to finally make a decision, even if it is difficult.
In order to prevent the collapse of the French Empire in the event of the physical death of the emperor, Napoleon needed an heir. The barren Josephine could not give birth to him. Consequently, it was necessary to divorce her and take a new young wife from the imperial house - either from Vienna or from St. Petersburg.
First, they wooed the Russian Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna, but she was in the midst of an affair with Bagration, one of the most consistent opponents of Bonaparte. Perhaps, with the ambitious character of Ekaterina Pavlovna, Napoleon would have been a suitable match for her, but the moment was unfortunate. Having been refused, Napoleon immediately asked for the hand of the Austrian Princess Marie-Louise, and Minister Metternich agreed immediately, without even asking the opinion of the bride. At the wedding ceremony in Vienna, the role of the absent Napoleon was played by Archduke Karl - the same commander who defeated Lann at Esling.


Here it was the turn for Madame Lannes to go down in history on her own, and not just as the beautiful wife of her husband.
She was only 27, but no one else heard about her novels or plans for a second marriage. After the mourning year, the Spanish king Ferdinand VII, who lived in captivity in France, wooed her. Louise rejected the Bourbon crown with the words: "A woman who belonged to Lannes will not settle for anything less."
Napoleon, who always set Madame Lannes as an example to the windy wives of marshals and courtiers, made her a lady of state with his young wife Marie-Louise. By this he thought to stop talk about the existence of any foreign party in the environment of the empress. In addition, he believed that the widow of the marshal killed by the Austrian nucleus would never get close to the young Austrian. This is where Napoleon made a mistake.
When Louise saw her husband's body in a coffin, she hated Bonaparte with all her heart. Before, he was an evil boss for her, sending her husband on long and dangerous business trips. Marshal Lannes constantly wrote to her about disagreements with Napoleon, so that the emperor was a source of constantly bad mood for the deceased. Now he has become the cause of his death.
Marie Louise, who at first thought that a spy had been assigned to her, was very pleased when she got to know her lady of state better. Both women did not have warm feelings for Napoleon, and this hostility brought them closer. They became true friends. Not a single fact that Marie Louise wanted to hide from Napoleon became known to him: Madame Lannes put considerable effort into this.
In 1814, everything happened that the dying Lannes predicted. Napoleon was abandoned by his entourage, he abdicated. His court disappeared, the lady of state Marie-Louise was no longer required. Madame Lannes sold her mansion in Paris and retired to her castle, devoting herself to raising her children - her daughter and four sons. The elder was then ambassador to St. Petersburg, and the younger bought vineyards and created the world-famous Alfred de Montebello wine-making house, which existed before the crisis of 1929.

My personality depends on the circumstances. Sometimes they see me as a fox, sometimes I become a lion with a fluffy mane. The secret is in the time and place of his transformation.

For an idle person, love is an occupation, for brave warriors it is entertainment, and an underwater reef is for the sovereign of the empire. – B. Napoleon

The brave hero plays a blitz chess game on the battlefield to checkmate, regardless of the final.

Fools are always pleased with themselves and society, which differs from an educated person with a far-sighted character.

Endurance, stamina and patience - these are my requirements for soldiers. Courage and courage are secondary matters.

Customs make you do stupid things, and I don’t want to become their slave.

Bonaparte Napoleon: The theater of military operations is the commander's chessboard. The choice of place determines the ability of the military leaders or the ignorance of the generals, where everyone plays by his own rules.

Justice protects the social order by bringing order to society. Judges are always in sight, their place is in the box of the social hierarchy in elite places. All honors to judges are appropriate and necessary for the service of duty. Signs of respect cannot become excessive for judges due to responsibility and enormous risk.

The art of management is to send people on time for a well-deserved rest, gradually updating personnel.

Read the continuation of the famous aphorisms and quotes of Napoleon on the pages:

The latter are always right.

Military forces are not enough to defend the country, while the country defended by the people is invincible.

The surest way to keep your word is not to give it.

Victory is not won by numbers. Alexander defeated 300,000 Persians at the head of 20,000 Macedonians.

In misfortune, they usually do not respect the one in whom greatness was previously revered.

General, you are exactly one head taller than me, but if you are rude to me, I will immediately eliminate this difference.

Success is the most eloquent speaker in the world.

To wage war, I need three things: first, money, second, money, and third, money.

Big politics is just common sense applied to big things.

Remember that I have a habit of either winning or staying on the battlefield!

Prostitutes are a must. Otherwise, men would attack decent women in the streets.

The last word always remains with public opinion.

A journalist is a street cleaner working with a pen.

What does a million human lives mean to a man like me?

Wake me up only if bad news comes; and if good - in any case.

I am either a fox or a lion. The whole secret of management is knowing when to be this or that.

It turns out that out of a hundred former royal favorites, at least ninety-five were hanged.

First you need to get involved in a serious fight, and then you'll see.

More likely to meet a good ruler who came to power by inheritance than by election.

The art of war is a science in which nothing succeeds except what is carefully calculated and carefully thought out.

These pathetic trinkets can control people!

There are two levers that can move people, fear and self-interest.

Marriage should not be granted to couples who have known each other for less than six months.

Only those who want to deceive and rule the people can keep them ignorant.

Never consider what party a person who seeks justice from you belonged to.

The leader is like a merchant who has invested his money in a business and expects a profit.

It is very difficult to manage if done in good faith.

Those who are ready to take control must be prepared for the fact that they want to kill them.

Public opinion is a public wench.

Politics has no heart, only a head.

Love is a stupid thing done together.

Marriage is not provided for by nature.

What is history but a lie that everyone agrees on?

The great and beautiful truths of the French Revolution will live forever - with such brilliance, such monuments, such miracles we have surrounded them! These truths will remain immortal. We washed away the first stains of the revolution with floods of glory.

Medicine is a collection of illogical prescriptions that do more harm than good.

You can make a stop during the ascent, but not during the descent.

Success is what creates great people.

Revolutions are made with the belly.

Strength is never funny.

Write briefly and clearly.

The sages are elevated by the calamities that have befallen them, and the fools are finally broken.

Wise men are above calamities, and fools are below them.

He who stands high and in front of everyone should not allow himself impetuous movements.

The cowardly one flees from the one who is wickeder than him; the strongest wins over the weak: this is the origin of political right.

Put a swindler in plain sight and he will act like an honest man.

The art of management is not to let people grow old in their position.

The big battalions are always right.

True heroism consists in being above the misfortunes of life.

It is easier to make laws than to execute them.

Do you want to know if your friends are reliable? For this, one must be in misfortune.

Those who cannot speak will not make a career.

The people, like women, have only one right: to be governed.

Among those who seek death, there are few who find it at the very time when it would be to their advantage.

The throne is just a chair upholstered in velvet.

He who prefers wealth to glory is a spendthrift who takes from the usurer and is ruined on interest.

Common sense creates gifted people; self-love is just the wind that blows the sails and leads their ship straight to the pier.

Only the truth is offensive.

If you want to succeed in this world, promise everything and deliver nothing.

Nothing so numerically multiplies battalions as success.

A whip and spurs are needed to control the seal.

Anything can be done with bayonets; you just can't sit on them.

Victory belongs to the most stubborn.

Revolution is a conviction backed by bayonets.

The French sense of national honor always smolders under the ashes. Just a spark is enough to ignite it.

In love, the only victory is flight.

Impossibility is a word from the dictionary of fools.

In every big business, you always have to leave some part to chance.

When they say about a monarch that he is kind, it means that he is not good for hell.

I showered gold on my companions: but I had to understand that, having become rich, a person no longer wants to expose himself to mortal danger.

Success is what makes great people.

History is just a version of what happened as we interpret it.

You must first get involved in the battle, and then we'll see.

God fights on the side that, other things being equal, has more troops.

If you put rams at the head of lions, then lions become rams, but vice versa, even a ram will have a lion's heart.

The greatest of all immorality is to take on a job that you do not know how to do.

When the enemy makes a mistake, you should not interfere with him. It's not polite.

There are two levers that can move people - fear and self-interest.

The nations, the people, the armies, all the French, must not forget their past, for it is their glory.

There is nothing more arrogant than powerlessness that feels supported.

In essence, the name and form of government are of no importance: as long as justice is provided to all citizens, if they are equal in rights, the state is well governed.

The greatest general is the one who makes the fewest mistakes.

Everyone is right in their own way.

One bad commander-in-chief is better than two good ones.

Each soldier's pack contains a marshal's baton.

Wake me up only if bad news comes; and if they are good, no way.

There are no fearless people among those who have something to lose.

From the great to the ridiculous one step.

Immeasurable are the depths of baseness to which man can fall.

An ignoramus has a great advantage over an educated person - he is always pleased with himself.

Chance rules the world.

An army of rams led by a lion will always triumph over an army of lions led by a ram.

It is in the interests of the state that officials be constantly replaced: if this principle is not observed, then appanage possessions and seigneurial justice inevitably appear.

A people that does not want to feed its own army will soon be forced to feed someone else's.

Soldiers are figures who solve political problems.

A beautiful woman is pleasing to the eyes, but kind to the heart; one is a beautiful thing, and the other a treasure.

One bad commander in chief is better than two good ones.

Wealth does not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use that they know how to give them.

Governments in which opposing opinions are expressed are good as long as peace reigns.

God gave me a crown. Woe to whoever touches her.

In revolutions, we encounter two kinds of people: those who make them and those who use them for their own purposes.

The human spirit has not yet matured for the rulers to do what they must do, and the ruled to do what they want.

Prostitutes are a must. Otherwise, men would attack decent women in the streets.

It is bad if young people comprehend the art of war from books: this is a sure way to educate bad generals.

A state without religion is like a ship without a compass.

Impossibility is a word from the dictionary of fools.

You can stop when you rise, but not when you fall.

Military art is the art of being stronger than the enemy at a certain moment.

Great careers, great achievements are born from the meeting of character, genius and luck.

There is no strength without skill.

Those who seek happiness in luxury and extravagance are like those who prefer the brilliance of candles to the radiance of the sun.

Everyone is right in their own way.

Anyone who does not seek to earn the respect of his contemporaries is not worthy of it.

The battle was won not by the one who gave good advice, but by the one who took responsibility for its implementation and ordered it to be carried out.

Skillful flatterers are usually no less skillful slanderers.

Love for the motherland is the first virtue of a civilized person.

In order to destroy the fatherland, even one villain is enough: there have been many examples of this in history.

A man who allows himself to be pushed around by a woman is neither a man nor a woman, but simply nothing.

The most important thing in politics is to follow your end: the means mean nothing.

In order for the people to gain true freedom, it is necessary that those who are ruled be sages, and those who govern are gods.

There should be no half-responsibility in management: it inevitably leads to the concealment of waste and non-enforcement of laws.

Fortune follows a great man.

Chance is the only and legitimate king of the universe.

There are no roads in Russia - only directions.

Literally immediately after the invasion of Russia, Napoleon began to look for opportunities to negotiate with Emperor Alexander. Initially, he planned either a border battle or one decisive battle in order to win the battle at once and sign a profitable peace. However, as time went on, there was still no battle. In mid-August - fighting for Smolensk, and again no one is going to fight in the last battle, Russian troops continue to retreat.
Emperor's Wrath

Napoleon is annoyed. Through Pavel Tuchkov, who was captured near Smolensk, he conveys a message to Alexander.

Tuchkov himself recalled this episode in this way: “Napoleon asked me: what do I think, will we soon give a general battle or will we all retire? I answered him that I did not know the intention of the commander in chief. Then he began to speak very unfavorably about him, saying that his German tactics would not lead us to anything good, that the Russians are a brave, noble, zealous nation, which was created to fight in a noble way, honestly, and not to follow German stupid tactics. “I love your emperor, he is my friend, despite the war. War means nothing. Government benefits can often divide siblings as well. Alexander was my friend and will be ... So, you will please me if you bring to the attention of the sovereign that I want nothing more than to stop our military actions by peace. We have already burned enough gunpowder, and enough blood has been shed, and that someday we must end it. What are we fighting for? I have nothing against Russia."

This message remained unanswered, Alexander forbade everyone and especially Kutuzov to enter into negotiations with the enemy, and his main principle was the rejection of any agreements with Napoleon.

When Colonel Michaud brought him to St. Petersburg a notice of the surrender of Moscow, the emperor said: “Napoleon - or I, or he - or I; we can no longer reign together!”
Peace Party

However, Alexander also had opponents - the "peace party" in St. Petersburg, to which the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duke Konstantin, Arakcheev and even Kutuzov belonged. They considered the war with Napoleon unnecessary and harmful, which means that they should get rid of the victims and make peace as soon as possible.

Britain was interested in continuing the war. To keep an eye on Kutuzov and some generals, Alexander I sent the English general Robert Wilson, who in 1812 was the main military representative of England under Alexander and the Russian army, into the army.

Then Borodino happened, the army retreated, Moscow was set on fire. On the fifth day after entering the city, Napoleon already spoke with Major General Tutolmin, who remained at the orphanage. With his mediation, Maria Fedorovna received a letter for Alexander. Napoleon wanted to make peace with two conditions: Lithuania was withdrawn from France, and the continental blockade of England was strictly observed.

There was no answer, and a day later Napoleon wrote directly to Alexander: “I am waging war with Your Majesty without enthusiasm; a letter from you, before or after the last battle, would stop my march, and I would be able to sacrifice the benefits of entering Moscow.

In fact, it was an invitation to peace negotiations. Alexander was silent.
Save only honor!

On September 3, Marquis Lauriston, the former ambassador to St. Petersburg, went to Kutuzov with a request for a truce and a further trip to St. Petersburg to Alexander. At the same time, Napoleon uttered his famous “I need peace, I absolutely need it, by all means, save only honor!”.

At dawn, a truce arrived at the Russian outposts under a white flag with a letter from Napoleon: “Prince Kutuzov! I am sending you one of my adjutant generals to negotiate with you on many important subjects. I would like Your Lordship to believe what he tells you, especially when he expresses the feelings of respect and special respect that I have long felt for you. Not being able to say anything else in this letter, I pray to the Almighty, Prince Kutuzov, that he keep you under his sacred and good cover. Napoleon."

But we know about the future from two sources, and their versions are absolutely opposite.
One Actor Theater

Here is a well-known popular story. Kutuzov asks: “Is your emperor healthy?” Loriston answers and wants to talk about the case, but Kutuzov does not give: “I think that he lives with us in Moscow very cheerfully?” “Yes,” Lauriston answers, “and he instructed me ...” The ambassador is again not allowed to speak. Kutuzov is interested in beauty: “Does the emperor often go to the theater?” "Sometimes," Lauriston replies. “In vain, in vain,” Kutuzov ironically. “If I were him, I would go twice a day.”

Finally Lauriston announced that he had been sent with a request for a truce. To which Kutuzov replies: they say, he does not have the authority (although the power of the commander in chief gave the right to conclude such an agreement). He does not accept letters addressed to the Russian emperor. On that they parted.

Napoleon stayed in Moscow until 19 October. And on October 9, in a conversation with the Marquis Caulaincourt, he correctly noted: “Kutuzov is kind, because he would like to finish the job, but Alexander does not want this. He's stubborn."
Wilson version

And here is what the historian Alexander Nemirovsky tells, based on Wilson's book "The Narrative of the Events that Happened During the Invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte into Russia."

Kutuzov decided to personally meet with Lauriston at night in no man's land and conclude "an agreement on the immediate retreat of the entire enemy army from Russia." Our commanders, who wanted to fight to victory, sent for an Englishman.

The English general tried to dissuade Kutuzov. Then he was forced to say that he had instructions from Alexander to intervene and stop any peace negotiations.

Nemirovsky believes that Kutuzov could make peace. The army would not mind, because the enemy leaves on his own, without a fight. The worst thing that threatened Kutuzov was an honorable resignation.

When Abbot Vignali left, the emperor again turned to the conversation
to Dr. Antomarchi and reproached him for his unbelief. "Is it possible
deluded to such an extent? he said. - Is it possible to have
doubt about what all nature proves, everything that exists in
nature? The greatest minds were convinced in mind and heart in this
truth." Antomarchi replied that he never thought to doubt
in a truth so obvious, and that the emperor was mistaken in expressing
his face. "You are a physician, doctor," said Napoleon, and then added
in an undertone: - These people see matter everywhere and never do anything
will believe!"

Despite the continuous weakening of forces, the emperor was still so
strong that in the last days of April he got out of bed and went into
living room; his bedroom, in which the air was spoiled, became to him
intolerable. The people around him suggested that he take it to
hands. "No," he answered, "carry me when I die; and
Now just help me, support me."

The next day, after a night spent in torment, in spite of
increased fever, he ordered to call Dr. Antomarchy
and gave him the following instructions with amazing peace of mind:

"After my death, which is already very close, I want you to
opened my body; I also want, I demand that you promise me that
no English doctor will touch my corpse. If
you had an indispensable need for a helper, I allow you to use
Dr. Arnaud, but by him alone and not by anyone else. Wish,
so that you take out my heart, keep it in alcohol and deliver it to
Parma to my dear Marie-Louise. Will you tell her how dearly I loved
her that he never stopped loving her; tell her everything
have you seen; everything that pertains to my position here and to my
of death. I especially instruct you to look more closely at my
stomach, make a detailed report about it and present it to my
dear son... Nausea, which constantly torments me,
makes me think that all my illness is in the stomach;
I am very close to the idea that I suffer from the same disease that
brought my father to the coffin, that is, the scirrh in the stomach ... When I
if he doesn't, go to Rome to my mother and my family;
tell them everything you have learned here about my position, about my
sickness and death; everything that happened on this sad and
unfortunate cliff. You will tell them that the great Napoleon died in
the most miserable position, lacking everything that was his
necessary, abandoned with himself and his glory. You say
them that, dying, he bequeathed to England the shame and reproach of the latter
my minutes."

Soon the delirium joined the fever. The strong mind of Napoleon,
who seemed inexplicable and supernatural to the world, submitted
the general law of mankind. "Stein-gel! Desaix! Massena!" shouted
Napoleon. - BUT! Victory is ours! Forward! Hurry! Attack better!
They are ours!" Then he jumps out of bed, rushes to run into the garden
and falls on his back at the very moment when Antomarchy hurries
embrace him. They carry him to bed; he is still delirious and
wants to go to the garden. Finally the paroxysm stops
fever ceases to torment him, the great man comes to his senses and
appears with his usual calmness. "Do not forget, -
he says to Dr. Antomarchy, - to fulfill everything that I have instructed you
to do when I am no longer in the world. With special care
make an anatomical study of my corpse, especially
over the stomach... Doctors in Montpellier predicted that the scirr would
hereditary disease in our family ... If only I could save
son from this terrible disease! You will see him, doctor, you will say
what should he do; you will save him from the suffering that
torment me; this is the last favor I can expect from you."

About three hours later (May 2, at noon) the fever returned, and
famous sufferer said to his doctor with a deep sigh: "I
feel very ill, doctor; I feel like I'm about to die."
As soon as he finished these words, he fell into unconsciousness.

"The end of it was approaching," says Antomarchi, "we saw that
we lose it. Each of us tried to show more diligence, more
efforts, wanted to prove his devotion to him for the last time.
His faithful servants, Marchand, Saint-Denis and myself, we have provided
the exclusive right to sit by his bed and spend the night
without sleep; Napoleon could not bear the light: we were forced
lift him up, change his linen, give him help,
which he constantly needed, and did everything in perfect
darkness. Fear multiplied our weariness; chief marshal
completely exhausted, General Montolon could hardly move his legs,
and I was no stronger than them. We gave in to urgent requests
Frenchmen who lived in Longwood and allowed them to share with us
sad duties that lay upon us. Pierron, Courtauld, one
in a word, all were with Napoleon and served him together with us.
Their diligence, their selfless devotion and love touched
emperor; he entrusted them to the care of his close favorites;
wanted to be helped, to be supported and not forgotten. "BUT
my poor Chinese! he added. - They, too, should not be forgotten;
give them a few dozen napoleondores: I need to go with them
say goodbye and leave them something to remember.

Abbot Vignali waited only for the orders of the emperor to come to
him with the gifts of religion. The great man wished to see the abbot in
three o'clock in the afternoon, the third of May. The fever has stopped
time; Napoleon let everyone go and was left alone with the worthy
abbot. A few minutes later the ceremony was completed, and the dying
accepted gifts from the hands of the abbot Vignali.

An hour later, the fever increased tremendously; but the patient was
still in full memory. He took advantage of these minutes and repeated
to his executors, Bertrand, Montolon and Marchand, the former
an order that after his death no English physician
did not dare to touch his corpse, except for Dr. Arno. Then he
said to them: "I will soon die, and you will return to Europe; I must
give you some advice about the future of your behavior and
deeds. You shared exile with me, you must stay
faithful and to my memory; don't do anything that might hurt her
harm or insult. I have always tried to establish order; i entered
him into my laws and have always been guided by him in all my
deeds; in no way did I cheat on him. Unfortunately,
the circumstances were difficult; I had to give in
good deed until another time. The age of calamity soon arrived; I
could not lower the drawn bow, and France lost everything that I
prepared for her. She judges me favorably, not harshly,
knows how to appreciate my intentions, loves my name, my victories. imitate
yeh, stay true to the opinions you defended and the glory,
which you have already purchased; if you do otherwise,
cover yourselves with shame and dishonor."

The next night a violent storm broke over the island of St.
Helena. Nearly every tree in Longwood is uprooted.
The favorite willow of the emperor, covering him with its branches and
which gave him shade during his walks, did not escape the common fate.

All the next day (May 4) the agony continued. At dawn
on the 5th, the body itself showed that life leaves the great
person; it was cold as ice. However, Napoleon was still breathing;
but in delirium he uttered only two words: "Head ... army!"
The solemn moment comes; the case of the British is approaching
end; soon Europe will know about the death of a great man; hero
France reaches the limits of its wonderful and glorious career, and
meanwhile Sir Goodson-Love is waiting for his last breath, burning with impatience
give the news to England that his victim is dead, and the commission,
given to him is brought to an end.

A touching spectacle takes place in the last minutes of the hero's life.
Madame Bertrand, sick herself, but forgetting her own
suffering for Napoleon and who was constantly with the dying
emperor, orders to call his daughter and three sons, so that
they could for the last time enjoy the sight of the great
person. The children immediately appear, rush to the emperor's bed,
take his hands and cover them with kisses and tears. Young Napoleon
Bertrand, overcome by grief, falls unconscious. All
those present shed tears; moans and sobs are heard everywhere...
A great event is being prepared for the world... at six o'clock, without
Eleven minutes later, Napoleon passed away.

After completing 4 anatomical studies, about which the emperor
so often said to Dr. Antomarchy, Napoleon's body was
displayed on a camp bed and covered instead of a cover with blue
a cloak that served the hero during the battle of Marengo. All
the inhabitants of the island crowded together for two days about this
glorious hearse. When the mortal remains of a great man were
interred, everyone tried to save some thing that
served him or whom he touched, and cherished her as
priceless treasure.

Napoleon's funeral took place on May 8. He was buried on
one mile from Longwood. From the first day his grave
became the subject of universal respect; started visiting non-stop
her. Goodson Love, implacable enemy of the hero of France, not disarmed
even by his death, grieved by this zeal and placed near the grave
guards so that no one can come close to the ashes of Napoleon,
saying that the guards will stand here forever. Despite such
precaution, the last dwelling of the hero has always been very often
visited. These visits could not offend anyone, for they had
source of love for glory and served as a sign of general attention to
great names, convincing everyone and everyone that a genius in all places
and at all times always inspires surprise and respect.

But Napoleon could only have a temporary grave on St.
Helena. In one of his wills, dated April 16, 1821, he himself
appointed the site of his permanent grave. "I wish," he wrote,
so that my ashes rest on the banks of the Seine, among the French
the people I loved so much."

To fulfill the last will of the great man, it was necessary
the confluence of many circumstances and the removal of some obstacles;
France itself needed to change. The Bourbons left
the banks of the Seine; Napoleon's prediction came true, and in that very era,
as he predicted. His ardent desire finally came true,
the French people received the gift bequeathed to them, the ashes of their hero.

As the news of Napoleon's death spread throughout Europe, the people
did not want to believe her; the idea of ​​immortality is so closely associated with the name
Napoleon, which seemed to everyone - there is nothing mortal in him; all
revered his life inseparable from his glory! This folk
incredulity was sung by Beranger in a song called Les souvenirs
du peuple 5 ; she is the true apotheosis, which can only
wish great people in our time.

"At the beginning of this century," says one of the eloquent
French writers - France represented the majestic
spectacle. One man filled it, and France, glorified and
exalted by him, filled the whole of Europe. This husband of the humble
origin, the son of a poor Corsican nobleman, the fruit of two
republics: Florentine in origin, and French,
by itself, reached in a short time such a height of regal
majesty that the astonished
story. And genius, and fate, and his exploits - everything was in him
truly royal, everything showed in him the executor of the will
providence. Events and the unanimous voice of the people elevated him to
throne and anointed to the kingdom created by the revolution; elected
was crowned by the pope by the people; kings and generals, themselves marked
fate, according to a premonition inspired by them still dark and mysterious
his future, predicted his glorious lot. He was told
Kleber, dying in Egypt: You are as great as the universe! He was told
Desaix, dying at Marengo: I am a soldier, and you are a general! He predicted
Walber, dying at Austerlitz: I'm going to the grave, and you go to
throne! How great is his military glory, how immeasurable are his
conquest! Every year he pushed the limits of his empire beyond
majestic borders laid by the god of France. Like Carl
Great, he destroyed the Alps; like Louis XIV, equalized
Pyrenees; like Caesar, crossed the Rhine and was almost transported,
like William the Conqueror, across the English Channel. under power
this man France considered one hundred and thirty departments; With
on one side it stretched to the mouth of the Elbe, and on the other to
Tiber. He was the master of forty-four million Frenchmen and
patron saint of one hundred million Europeans. Instead of boundaries, he put
within their own state, two duchies: Savoy and
Tuscany, and five ancient republics: Genoa, Rome, Venice, Valais and
Netherlands. He erected his monarchy, like a citadel, in the center
Europe, and surrounded it instead of bastions and advanced fortifications
ten states, which he related to his empire and with
by his family. He crowned all the children of his brothers with crowns,
relatives and cousins ​​who once played with him in a cozy yard
his parental home, in Ajaccio. He married his adoptive
to the Bavarian princess, and the younger brother to the princess
Wirtemberg. Having taken the German Empire from Austria and made up of
her Confederation of the Rhine, took Tyrol from her and, giving it to Bavaria,
annexed Illyria to France and himself married with
archduchess. All the deeds of this man were majestic and
colossal; like a wonderful vision, he towered over Europe.
Even at the dawn of his power, he decided in a corner of Italy to exalt
the name of the Bourbons; Duke of Parma, Louis, he gives the title of king
Etrurian. By imperial decree he divides Prussia into four
department, declares England under blockade, and Amsterdam
- the third city of the empire; Rome was only second. He assures the world
that the House of Braganza ceased to reign. When he passed
across the Rhine, the German Electors electing the emperor,
met him at the borders of their states in the hope that he,
maybe rename them kings. ancient kingdom
Gustav-Vase, who did not have an heir to the throne and was looking for
ruler, asks him to sovereign himself one of his marshals.
Successor of Charles V, great-grandson of Louis XIV, king of Spain and both
India asks him to marry one of his sisters. how good
understood him, how they grumbled at him and how the soldiers adored him,
old grenadiers, who easily treated their emperor and
death! On the eve of the battles, he had those great conversations with them, which
great deeds are supplemented and verified and which turn
history into an epic. There is something in his power, in his greatness
simple, crude and formidable. Doge of Venice did not serve him
ober-shenk, like the Eastern emperors; duke of Bavaria
sent with him the posts of chief equestrian, as in the German
emperors; but he sometimes happened to put the king under arrest,
commanding his cavalry. Between the two wars
he built canals and roads, assigned maintenance to theaters,
enriched the academies, caused the discovery, erected majestic
monuments or drew up codes in the Tuileries Palace and argued with
by state advisers until it was possible
him in the text of the law to replace the legal skill with a higher, simple
the thought of a genius. Finally, the last feature that complements the marvelous
the image of this enormous glory, - with his exploits he entered
into history that I could say: my predecessor was Charlemagne, and
alliances to such an extent akin to the monarchy that in his mouth
the words did not seem strange: my uncle Louis XVI!

August 15, 1769 was born the great commander, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. In just a few years, he managed to conquer almost all of Europe. We decided to compile a list of Bonaparte's most striking quotes

About love.
A beautiful woman is pleasing to the eyes, but kind to the heart; one is a beautiful thing, and the other a treasure.
Love for an idle person is an occupation, for a warrior it is entertainment, for a sovereign it is a pitfall.
A man who allows himself to be pushed around by a woman is neither a man nor a woman, but simply nothing.
Marriage is not provided for by nature.
Prostitutes are a must. Otherwise, men would attack decent women in the streets.
In love, the only victory is flight.
Love is a stupid thing done together.

Philosophical.
Wake me up only if bad news comes; and if good - in any case.
The surest way to keep your word is not to give it.
In misfortune, they usually do not respect the one in whom greatness was previously revered.
In every big business, you always have to leave some part to chance.
There are no roads in Russia - only directions.
Skillful flatterers are usually no less skillful slanderers.
Everyone is right in their own way.
The sages are elevated by the calamities that have befallen them, and the fools are finally broken.
Impossibility is a word from the dictionary of fools.
You can stop when you rise, but not when you fall.
From the great to the ridiculous one step.
Write briefly and clearly.
Glory wears out.
Chance rules the world.
Only the truth is offensive.
The fool has a great advantage over the educated man: he is always pleased with himself.
Success is what creates great people.
You have to want to live and know how to die.
Inspiration is a quick calculation.
The leader is the merchant of hope.
You should not be afraid of those who do not agree with you, but of those who do not agree with you and are afraid to tell you about it.
The greatest of all immorality is to take on a job that you do not know how to do.
History is just a version of what happened as we interpret it.
There are two levers that can move people - fear and self-interest.

About the army.
One bad commander-in-chief is better than two good ones.
It is bad if young people comprehend the art of war from books: this is a sure way to educate bad generals.
From a soldier, first of all, endurance and patience are required, courage is a second matter.
Each soldier's pack contains a marshal's baton.
A people that does not want to feed its own army will soon be forced to feed someone else's.
Soldiers are figures who solve political problems.
I showered gold on my companions: but I had to understand that, having become rich, a person no longer wants to expose himself to mortal danger.
The enemy can be forgiven, but first he must be destroyed.
You can do anything with bayonets, but you can’t sit on them.

About war.
First you need to get involved in a serious fight, and then you'll see.
An army of rams led by a lion will always triumph over an army of lions led by a ram.
Military forces are not enough to defend the country, while a country defended by the people is invincible.
To wage war, I need three things: first, money, second, money, and third, money.
The art of war is a science in which nothing succeeds except what is carefully calculated and carefully thought out.
Revolutions are made with the belly.
When the enemy makes a mistake, you should not interfere with him. It's not polite.

On the administration of the state.
Big politics is just common sense applied to big things.
There should be no half-responsibility in management: it inevitably leads to the concealment of waste and non-enforcement of laws.
It is very difficult to manage if done in good faith.
The art of management is not to let people grow old in their position.
Those who cannot speak will not make a career.
It is easier to make laws than to follow them.
The most important thing in politics is to follow your end: the means mean nothing.
When they say about a monarch that he is kind, it means that he is not good for hell.
Politics has no heart, only a head.

About religion.
A people without religion is a miserable ship without a compass. Without religion, a person walks in darkness. Only religion points man to his beginning and end. Christ is useful to the state.

About medicine.
Medicine is a collection of illogical prescriptions that do more harm than good.