Paul R. Hanson\u27s entry for June 23 in the  Book of Days 1988 

Hanson, Paul R,

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Butler UniversityDigital Commons @ Butler UniversityScholarship and Professional Work - LAS College of Liberal Arts & Sciences1987Empress Josephine, 1763-1814Paul R, HansonButler University, phanson@butler.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papersPart of the European History CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Digital Commons @ Butler University. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Butler University. For moreinformation, please contact fgaede@butler.edu.Recommended Citation"Empress Josephine, 1763-1814," in The Book of Days: 1988 (Pierian Press, Ann Arbor, 1987). Available from:digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers/509/Other Events 011 this Day:1750: Jonathan Edwards was forced to resign as pastor byhis congregation. (Please see the guide on <?ctober 25.). .1802: The First Factory Act was passed m Great Britain,(Please see the guide on August 29.) .1897: Stanislavski formed the Moscow Art Theater, w.lthVladimir 1. Nemirovich-Danchenko, (Please see the guideon August 7.) . .1933: The Social Democratic and Communist parnes wereforbidden in Germany. (Please see the guide on March 23.)1975: Name changed from British Solomon I~landsProtectorate to Solomon Islands. (Please see the guide onJuly 7.)June 23(225 years ago)Empress Josephine, 1763-1814by Paul R. HansonOn 23 June 1763, Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de laPagerie, who became the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, wasborn in Martinique, the daughter of an aristocratic sugarplanter. Her father arranged her marriage on 13 December1779 to Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais, a Frenchnobleman whose family had lived in Martinique duringJosephine's youth. Although they had two children,Eugene, born 1781, and Hortense, born 1783, their marriagesoon ended in formal separation. They were broughttogether again, if only briefly, during the FrenchRevolution. Alexandre was arrested in March 1794, chargedwith treason, and executed on July 24. Josephine, too, wasarrested, one month after Alexandre, but escaped execution,saved perhaps by the intervention of the future Madame deTallien, or perhaps by Delperch de la Bussiere, a clerk forthe Committee of Public Safety who was reportedly in thehabit of eating the dossiers of prisoners for whom he feltsympathy! This last version of Josephine's good fortune hasbeen memorably captured by Abel Gance in his film,Napoleon.In the relaxed Parisian atmosphere after the Terror,Josephine frequented the salon of Madame de Tallien, whereshe met Napoleon Bonaparte. They were married in a civilceremony on 9 March 1796, two days before Napoleon leftfor the Army of Italy. In his absence she kept the companyof other men, including the Director Paul Barras, who hadbeen her lover before her marriage to Napoleon, andHippolyte Charles, a captain in th~ army. In this periodJosephine reportedly also used her influence to secure warsupply contracts for the Bodin Company, in which Barrasand Charles apparently also had interests. All of thisdispleased Napoleon, but their marriage seems to have beena happy one after his return from Egypt in 1799. At hisown coronation as Emperor on 2 December 1804, Napoleoncrowned Josephine as Empress of France. She was the onlyFrenchwoman ever to hold this title. Less than six yearslater, however, in January 1810, their marriage en~ed indivorce. Josephine had failed to produce an heir forNapoleon, who by that time was anxious to secure hisalliance with Austria. Josephine retired in comfort to herhome at Malmaison, West of Paris, where she died on 29May 1814. Even after the divorce Josephine contin~ed toinfluence imperial affairs. Her son, Eugene, became Viceroyof Italy and her daughter, Hortense, married Napoleon'sbrother, Louis, and became queen of Holland.Reference Sources:• Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution, 1789-1799, edited by Samuel F. Scott and Barry Rothaus. 2 vols.Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984.Excellent resource tool, arranged alphabetically for alltopics relating to the Revolution.• Napoleon: From Eighteen Brumaire to Tilsit, 1799-1807and Napoleon: From Tilsit to Waterloo, 1807-1815, byGeorges Lefebvre. 2 vols. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press, 1969.Thorough history of Napoleon and the period ?y themost respected modem historian of revolutionaryFrance.• French Revolution, Napoleonic Era, by Owen Connelly.New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971.Good introductory text with frequent reference toJosephine.Adult Works about the Subject:• Empress Josephine, by Ernest John Knapton. Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press, 1963. Reprint. 1982.The most balanced and thorough biography in English.• Josephine and Napoleon, by Margaret Laing. New York:Mason/Charter, 1974.Focuses on the marriage years, with illustrations.• Letters of Napoleon to Josephine, by Napoleon Bonaparte.Edited by Leon Cerf. Translated by Henry W. Bunn. NewYork: Brentano's 1931.Claims to be a complete collection of the knownletters.Young Adult Works about the Subject:• Josephine: The Empress and her Children, by Nina Epton.New York: Norton, 1976.More information on Eugene and Hortense than otherbiographies.• Josephine: Portrait of a Woman, by R. McNair Wilson.New York: Gordon Press, 19?A new edition of a 1930 publication.• Napoleon, by Manfred Weidhorn. New York:Macmillan, 1986.Grade 12 and up, with illustrations.Children's Wori{s about the Subject:• More than a Queen: The Story of Josephine Bonaparte, byFrances Mossiker; illustrated by Michael Eagle. New York:Alfred A. Knopf, 1971.A romantic treatment.354• Napoleon, by Manuel Komroff. New York: JulianMessner, 1954.An entertaining biography of Napoleon, carefullyresearched, with extensive references to Josephine.Recordings:• Napoleon. (CBS Records).Soundtrack of Carmine Coppola's original music forFrancis Ford Coppola's reissue of the 1927 Abel Gancefilm.• Napoleon: 1812. by Nigel Nicolsen. (Books on Tape,1904). 8 cassettes. 60 min. each.Feature Films:• Napoleon. (WESTI, 1926). Black &.whit~ 16mmavailable from EmGee Film Library. 240 nun. VIdeotapeavailable from Image Film. SilentAbel Gance's monumental epic covering Napoleon'searly life and the first years of the Revo!ution.. Includesscenes depicting Josephine in Pans SOCIety andNapoleon's courtship of Josephine.Other Audio-Visual Resources:• Napoleon: The Making of a Dictator. directed by VictorVicas. (Learning Corporation of America, 1970). ~olor16mm and videotape available from Learning Corporation ofAmerica. 27 min.Principally focuses on Napoleon and his rise to power.• The Napoleonic Era. (Coronet, 1957). Color and bla~k&white 16mm and videotape available from Coronet FIlms.14 min. .• Napoleon: The End of a Dictator. directed by Victor VICas.(Learning Corporation of America, 1970). Color and bl~ck& white 16mm and videotape available from LearningCorporation of America. 26 min.Discussion and Project Suggestions: .'1) Show a slide of Jacques-Louis David's pamtmg ofNapoleon's coronation and discuss the importance of theimperial aura and symbolism. .2) Discuss the role a spouse can play in political ~ffaIrs.Would a husband of a ruler or political leader playa differentrole than a wife?3) Write your own letters from Josephine to Napoleon.Sources of Further Information:Harry Bache Smith Collection &W. H. Hoyt CollectionUniversity of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC 27514 .Contains 6000 volumes on the French RevolutIOn andthe Napoleonic era. Also personal correspondence ofNapoleon.Norton Napoleon CollectionWestern Reserve Historical Society10825East BoulevardCleveland, OH 44106One of the largest Napoleon collections in the UnitedStates.Napoleon CollectionSeattle UniversitySeattle, WA 98122Most items are 18th and 19th century.Cross-Reference Dates:13December 1779: Josephine married Visede Beauhamais. OuntAlexandre9 March 1796: Josephine ~arried Napoleon.2 December 1804:Josephme was crowned E29 May 1814: Josephine died at Malmaison mppress., ranee.This resource guide has been prepared by Pa I RAssistant Professor, Department of His~ . Hanson,University, Indianapolis, Indiana. ory, ButlerJune 24(40 years ago)The Berlin Blockadeby Ronald A. FranciscoOn 24 June 1948, the USSR sealed all I dB I· an routesbetween er m and West Germany. Germany wa I Idi id d d W B I' '. s reso ute YVI e an est er m grunly Isolated in the spri f hTh f di . . mg 0 t atyeru:. e weapon 0 rvrsion was currency reform b t thSoviet blockade of the "island" city underscored with'seu . e. . h I" I' armgintensrty t e po mea Importance of the West's decision toreplace the mo~etary sys.tem. The euphoria that followed~e.~efeat of Hitler had in three years given way to bitterdivls.lOnsbetween the ~estern powers and the Soviet Union.Berh~ beca~e a. crucible ?f the resulting cold war, sinceonly m Berlin did the Soviets rule cooperatively with theWestern powers. When it became clear that the USSRwould not permit a unified Germany with a WesternpOlitica.1system, the United Stat~s, United Kingdom, andFrance introduced a new currency m their zones of Germanyeffectively cutting them off from the East. The Soviet~resp~n~ed in kind, but .sought additionally to integrate WestBerlI? into the emergm~ East German economic system.Heedmg pleas from Berhn, the Western powers introducedthe new Western currency in West Berlin. The USSRresponded by. blockading Berlin-sealing all land routesbetween Berhn and West Germany. Stalin threatened tostarve 2 million Berliners in order to gain control of thecity.The West was perplexed. How could the blockade be runwithout direct military conflict with the USSR? It isdoubtful that Stalin had ever envisioned the West's bold andingenious response: the Berlin airlift. US General LuciusD. Clay persuaded a skeptical group of superiors inWashington and London that West Berlin could be suppliedby air alone. President Truman rejected the advice of hisadvisers and decided to back Clay's bold scheme, tentati~~lyat first, but by July 12 with full commitment. The Britishhad been resolute from the outset. For the duration of the355

Empress Josephine, 1763-1814

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Empress Josephine, 1763-1814

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