The recently released movie ‘Napoleon’ focuses on the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and the woman Napoleon called Josephine.
Scott says that the film portrays Napoleon as a man who tries to conquer the world in an attempt to win Josephine’s love, and when he fails to win Josephine’s love, he decides to destroy her. conquered the world for, and destroyed himself in the process.
When news broke that Vanessa Kirby would play Josephine, historians were stunned. This is because Joaquin Phoenix, who played the role of Napoleon, is 14 years older than Kirby, but Josephine was actually six years older than Napoleon, but the age difference between Josephine and Napoleon had a profound effect on their lives and love. .
Widowed during the French Revolution, Josephine had two children and her future was uncertain.
He might not be considered a teenager, but he tried his best to become a part of Paris’ fashion-loving society and even tried to befriend a politician named Paul Berras.
Marriage to Napoleon
She was persuaded to marry Napoleon Bonaparte, a young Corsican general who took a liking to her.
Shortly after meeting Josephine and then marrying them in March 1796, Napoleon was sent to Italy to lead the revolutionary army.
From Italy he wrote many loving letters to Josephine. The letters included ’emotional blackmail’ and expressed love so often that it felt less sentimental and more threatening.
In one of the letters it was written that you never write to me. You do not take care of your husband.
“I have not heard anything from you,” wrote another. I’m sure you don’t love me anymore.’
Another letter read, ‘I am very angry with myself for not loving you now, but don’t I love you more now than before?’
Even when Josephine came to live in Italy, Napoleon followed her every move. By this time Napoleon’s passion had waned but he wanted to keep Josephine under his control.
Napoleon realized the benefits of knowing his wife and also accepted that they had different levels of feelings for each other.
By 1797 the novelistic style had changed, and then by 1800 it had cooled. After that the letters changed to the official language. These letters are very important to understand their relationship.
A powerful couple
A decorated war hero’s wife, Josephine probably used her political orientation to her advantage to escape Napoleon’s controlling attitude.
People knew how effective Napoleon and Josephine could be as a team. So critics, including Napoleon’s relatives, spread rumors to tarnish Josephine’s image.
Josephine’s letters to her lover, Hippolyte Charles, show how distressing the situation had become for her.
Napoleon was on a campaign in Egypt when he was presented with evidence that Josephine was having an affair with someone else. In this regard, Napoleon sent a letter to his brother, but it was leaked in the middle and published in Britain.
Soon everyone in France knew about it. Napoleon was initially unhappy but later forgave Josephine when he went to Paris.
Josephine also assisted her husband in his political maneuvers and rose to power after a coup d’état in 1800.
Napoleon benefited from Josephine’s gentle diplomacy and coming from the aristocracy to overcome the factionalism caused by a decade full of revolutions.
Josephine was happy to play her part in creating the New France. In 1796 she was reluctant to go to Italy and live with her husband but later supported him everywhere.
It was very important to Josephine that Napoleon not be attracted to another young woman.
Napoleon did not take Josephine with him on his trip to Poland in 1807, where he had a long affair with Maria Walewska, a woman from a large family, but his letters during this period show that he was still in love with Josephine. used to. Still, the threat of their divorce was looming.
In 1804, Napoleon tried to run the monarchy on a dynastic basis. His family was constantly pressing for an heir. Josephine could not give him an heir.
One of Josephine’s servants, Aurelian, wrote of this period that the two were very close to divorce and very distant from each other. When they divorced in 1809, Josephine was devastated.
‘Unbreakable Relationship’
This divorce was portrayed as a sacrifice for the needs of the country. Napoleon continued to meet and write letters to Josephine until his marriage to Marie Louise, Archduchess of Hapsburg, an Austrian royal family.
Josephine congratulated Napoleon on the birth of her son in 1811 and said that our destinies could never be different and that she would always be happy for him.
Before leaving for Russia in 1812, Napoleon visited with Josephine at Malmisse, his favorite place outside Paris. This was their last meeting, after which Napoleon never saw Josephine again as Josephine died in 1814.
After the defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon spent time in Malmisse before being exiled to Saint Helena.
It is not easy to draw any conclusions about what the relationship between the two was like, as very few of Josephine’s letters have survived to reveal their relationship.
Did she love Napoleon at first? maybe not. Did she later fall in love with Napoleon? maybe yes. Napoleon did not care about Josephine’s age and criticism about it and took good care of her children.
Both Josephine and Napoleon loved power more than the other. They realized the benefits of working together and quickly rose to the top.
Napoleon’s need for a son eventually undermined both his power and his marriage, but his visit to Malmesse before leaving the country shows how important Josephine was to him.
She may not have been trustworthy but she was loyal and proved to be a blessing to Napoleon.
Napoleon had a dream shortly before his death in 1821. A marshal loyal to Napoleon wrote that ‘Napoleon stated that he had seen Josephine and had spoken to her.’
Napoleon hoped to be with Josephine soon.