Napoleons' Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812

Excerpt from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812:

Napoleon, a king of kings, was also a king of words and facts, the sons of heaven, while words are the daughters of earth, and their progeny, the Genii of the Code, still dominates Christendom. In the hurly-burly of the French War, on the chilling morrow of its balance-sheet, and in the Janus alliance of the Second Empire, we could not get rid of the nightmare of the Great Shadow. Most modern works on the Napoleonic period, with Lord Rosebery's "Last Phase" being a brilliant exception, seem to be either too long or too little confined to contemporary sources. The former fault, especially if merely discursive enthusiasm, is excusable, but the latter is pernicious.

Napoleon was not only a powerful military leader, but also a master of language and a wielder of facts, which are the true offspring of the divine, while words are the earthly counterparts. The Genii of the Code, the progeny of this fusion of language and reality, still hold sway over the Christian world. The chaos of the French War, the sobering aftermath of its financial reckoning, and the complex alliance of the Second Empire all failed to diminish the looming presence of the Great Shadow, the enduring legacy of this remarkable figure.

Modern scholars, in their attempts to capture the essence of the Napoleonic era, have often fallen into one of two traps. Some have produced works that are simply too lengthy, their enthusiasm leading to discursive meanderings. Others, in an effort to maintain objectivity, have relied too heavily on contemporary sources, neglecting the broader context and deeper analysis that can enrich our understanding. Lord Rosebery's "Last Phase" stands out as a rare exception, a work that avoids these pitfalls and provides a compelling and insightful exploration of this pivotal period in history.

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