Napoleonic History- Crucial Information Resources

[OotKust]

**Edited Title from ‘Critical Resources’ as it was meant to be “Crucial Information” and ‘Critical’ may have been misunderstood. Now contemporary research material is much more widely available due to copyright expiration AND willingness of archivists and museums to divulge their horded treasures! -dw12may22-

Napoleonic History-

Critical Resources, the internet is full of opinions and no shortage of touts pointing them out.

To add to the ‘academic resources’ and study of the period, I had been mentioning these sites and to some extent I believe as many as possible should be visited, and regularly.

One such is the site run by and in collaboration with other groups:- http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/index.htm

This is a French language site and brings an amazing wealth of historical and contemporary commenary. The most useful area is : http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm “Liste des articles en ligne” by multiple authors, including Monsieur Frederic Berjaud himself.

He has just recently updated a large number of the regimental histories, albeit this time with late wars information predominantly (1813) from newly deciphered imperial documents.

As well as factual pieces of data and information, a wide array of uniforms are presented, albeit some with caveats on interpretations being offered.

regards

davew

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[OotKust]

Another reference site of use, based firmly in the ‘Museum Quarter’ is:-

https://histoire-image.org/fr/recherche-avancee?keys=napoleonienne&auteur=&theme=&mots_cles=&periode=14&type=All&lieu=All

A key to unlocking some details of famous paintings and painters. Leaves a few questions unanswered but at least expands on the often narrow interpretations of those ‘sponsored’ artworks.

Regards davew

[tag]Paintings,[/tag] [tag]Art History,[/tag] [tag]Defined[/tag]

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[OotKust]

I guess I should have called this thread ‘Crucial’ or ‘Information’- can we alter it now?

A useful French compilation, referenced from N-S are the first two volumes of:

https://gallica.bnf.fr/services/engine/search/sru?operation=searchRetrieve&version=1.2&collapsing=disabled&rk=21459;2&query=%28gallica%20all%20%22Mullie%20C%22%29%20and%20dc.relation%20all%20%22cb37309550z%22#resultat-id-2

Be great to locate the others!

Excellent cross-referencing tool and full OCR’d for a change, so searchable!

Enjoy,

davew

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[Guy Farrish]

OotKust wrote:

I guess I should have called this thread ‘Crucial’ or ‘Information’- can we alter it now?

I think you might be able to edit the title yourself as you created it. I have never done it but did wonder about one of mine as it sounded rather desperate (it was meant to be more comedic – but there you go!) I remember I could, having clicked ‘edit’ on the initial post, type new words into the title block -I decided against in the end so don’t know what would have happened if I’d hit submit.

Worth a try?

 

PS the Bibliothèque Nationale (your ref above) is a superb resource

[willz]

Yes you can alter your title, just go into the original post and change the title in the title box.

[Sir Able]

Great sites there – thank you.

sirablebrush.blogspot.com/

[OotKust]

Thanks guys- after an earlier ‘fail’ with a title I was too scared to try!

–––––––

dave

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[OotKust]

On Russia

If like me, you find the earlier period of greater interest than the mammoth defiance of 1812, then this expedition to the source may help.

I have with needing to research some of this army, a much greater appreciation of their men and leaders, and far better understanding of the difficulties they overcame without a lot of usual rhetoric from distant and repetitive intermediate interpreters.

From an intermediate French language site (TBD later) I was led to the Russian site translated as “Interregional public organization
PUBLIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
200th ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUSTRIAN CAMPAIGN
RUSSIAN ARMY IN 1805
under the command of M.I. Kutuzov
in the Franco-Austro-Russian War
(“ORGING COMMITTEE 1805″) ”

The ‘ORGING’ I trust is failure of the translation software as it is repeated often.

http://www.museum.ru/1812/Memorial/1805org/index.html

It is both an explanation and an invitation to other organisations. A good read of only a handful of pages, inter-weaving a story of actual history with the internationally reknowned Tolstois’ War and Peace.

A most interesting part for me was the acknowledgement that:- “The situation for Russia in the upcoming anniversaries of the Franco-Austrian-Russian wars of 1805-1807 is very difficult.

This war was lost by the allies, so the Austrian campaign of the Russian Imperial Army under the command of M.I. Kutuzov is not included in the list “On the days of military glory (victorious days of Russia)”.  Accordingly, the anniversary has no state funding.”

As my new favourite memoirist, Yermelev, is quoted as a source of information , if not inspiration, I was pleased to learn more on the early campaign combats involving the Russians.

regards -davew-

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[OotKust]

The French- Nobility etc.

Quick reference wikis should be useful to track down some other personalities, if not for general knowledge anyway.

1- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility_of_the_First_French_Empire

The English version, translated from the French site and lacking much of the artwork. Use this instead:-

2- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noblesse_d’Empire

Which however is the academic ‘regs’ if you like. For people, go:-

3- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_membres_de_la_noblesse_d’Empire

For the ‘Ancien Régime, we have:-

4- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_de_familles_éteintes_notoires_de_la_noblesse_française

cheers-davew

 

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[OotKust]

Don’t worry chaps- I’m not about to ‘tango’ my way into your lives…. heheh… but you know sometimes the cleanest sites go unnoticed and back on my main research, this one is an absolute, frequently consulted  fave:~

https://obscurebattles.blogspot.com/p/battles-by-year.html

The erudite Jeff Berry, a once was military schemer, then big in the PR business (helping find suckers to part from their money :-)) and wonderful at laying out and defining our best battles!

Really  great site, analysis and explanations, along with best efforts OB that may or may not agree on such things with ‘authorities’. Challenging and informative, what more could you want!?

cheers dave

 

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[OotKust]

Also, not unknown, but I was helping someone with their knowledge of the cross-fertilisation of uniform styles, and where better than Markus Steins’ recent update with contemporary, if unknown artitistic work:-

http://uniformenportal.de/index.php?/category/131

From the Introduction – In addition to the contemporary series of pictures from the Wars of Liberation that have already been published here, such as the Landecker series , the Elberfeld Illuminated Manuscript is an extremely valuable source for uniform research on the troops of the years 1813-1815.

This I think means ‘Illustrated’. As a secondary interest for me, and yes I have a recreation 1813-14 Allied army too (tho no French as there are many others able to offer those)  they are quite invaluable artworks for many commonly known and few other, units.

Just be aware, the thumbnail captions may have more information than the plates themselves!

Enjoy the motherload,         regards -davew

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[OotKust]

We are lucky to have some resources, and despite their ‘pitch’ or longevity, can be difficult to navigate and use, when they have been taken over or ‘reformulated’. One such is the area under https://www.napoleon-series.org/biographies/.

In my area of interests, Alexander Mikaberidze provides this translation of the  ‘report’ from the very centre of the Allied Army, near and under the recalcitrant Kutuzov who was reluctantly keeping the Russian hopes alive.

https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/russianarchives/austerlitz/c_miloradovich.html

Confirms some interesting Russian tactical information and provides what I can only say are speculative propositions on the French actions. Of course the numbers of troops involved are grossly overstated.

Similarly his ‘recollection’ is marred I think by citing “the village of Schlapanitz” as a target, when it is plain and clear that no such advance could ever have existed on the day, and instead he has misquoted for Pratze village, beyond which the Russians barely penetrated.

Obviously the report wasn’t well received anyway, as the Novogorod Musketeers seem to have been ‘sanctioned’ with dishonour for several years for losing two banners to St.Hilaires Division.

It is apparent that calling company handsfull of men ‘battalions’ is an academic ruse and that these Russian units were combined into singular bodies after their other campaign losses.

Further research available:- https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_russianarchives.html

and if like me you rejoice in using non-tracked interference free browsing use :- https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Anapoleon-series.org+Memoirs+from+the+Russian+Archives&t=ffab&atb=v270-1&ia=web

[simply replace the ‘search phrase’ with your own, my default is ‘carabiniers’ which reliably means I can see changes any time I activate it].

Best regards- davew

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[OotKust]

Just a note that mainly for 1813/14 period, units have been updated on the first article posted here: http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/articles_en_ligne.htm “Liste des articles en ligne” by Monsieur Frederic Berjaud.

A lot of work to update every individual unit when, in fact a lot of repition of indices is the source. A whole lot of work!

On another theme if you ever wanted to read more on the 1799 ‘Allies’ campaign in Switerland, here is an adequate version: https://www.rbth.com/history/329231-crossing-devils-bridge

Enjoy, cheers d

 

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