Reading this cutting-edge book by Vincent Cronin, Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography, for our homeschool studies has been quite interesting.
Our first big peek into Napoleon’s thoughts was during the dreadful French Revolution.
FAMILY MOVED FROM CIVIL WAR TO TERROR
As the Reign of Terror began, Napoleon rescued his family (mother, brothers, and sisters) from the Civil War in their home of Corsica, to refugee in France.
Upon their arrival in France, the Rule of Twelve had risen to power, with Robespierre as their leader.
They believed that: goodness was republicanism, as defined by themselves, and that everything else, being evil, must go…what constitutes the Republic is the complete destruction of everything that is opposed to it. –Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p70
CHRISTIANITY ATTACKED
Beginning their dictatorial attack on religion, The Twelve removed Christian holidays from the calendar, including Sundays and feast days.
They created a calendar with months named for seasons.
Within each month, there were now only three weeks, each with ten days.
Extra days in the solar calendar were lumped at the end and called complementary days.
The Republic, not the Incarnation, became the point of reference, and 22 September 1792…was deemed the beginning of the year 1. – Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p70
The Twelve: showed a hatred unparalleled since the Revolution began…they began to kill these people for their political and religious opinions, often without a trial, and without mercy…-Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p70-71
Many Frenchmen refused to accept this new wave of Terror. Ten départements, from Brittany to the Saintonge, had risen against the Committee, some protesting against the imprisonment of ‘suspects’, others against the scarcity and high price of bread. Lyon was in revolt, so was Toulon. Much of the Marseille area was up in arms. Not only was France at war with five other nations, she was at war with herself. – Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p71
NAPOLEON’S THOUGHTS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Obeying orders, Napoleon rejoined his regiment which attacked the Avignon region.
Upset by the carnage of French people, Napoleon took ill.
When he took respite at a nearby town, Napoleon wrote down his conflicted feelings in the form of a dialogue.
Creating copies of his dialogue, Napoleon distributed them to hopefully end the civil war, but nothing changed.
Sickened by civil war and purges, Napoleon wrote to the War Office asking to be posted to the Army of the Rhine. It was France’s enemies he wanted to fight, not Frenchmen, and before the month was out he got his chance…-Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p72
