Armand de Caulaincourt is a French military and political figure, known for his memoirs dedicated to Napoleon's campaign in Russia, as well as close friendship with the leaders of the two great empires that came together in a bloody battle in 1812.
Childhood and early service
The father of the future adviser to Napoleon and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France was a military man and lived with his family in the hereditary castle of Caulaincourt, in the department of Aisne. On December 9, 1773, his long-awaited heir was born. The boy was named Arman.
Since the family was noble, the child received education at home, and already in 1778, Armand de Caulaincourt, following in the footsteps of his father, began his military career. At the age of fifteen, the boy was enlisted in the foreign regiment of the royal cavalry with the rank of private. At sixteen and a half, Caulaincourt was already a second lieutenant, and from 1791 he served as an aide-de-camp to his own father.
Persecution
1792 brought the young man not only joyful events, but also serious troubles. First he was promoted to the rank of captain, and then unexpectedly firedfrom the army. The reason for this was the title of nobility, which aroused the suspicions of the French revolutionary government, which at that time just started a war with Austria and carried out a purge in the ranks of the military.
But Armand de Caulaincourt was not one to give up so easily. In the same year, he asked to join the Parisian National Guard (to the Red Cross department) as a volunteer, and very soon, having gained confidence in the leadership, he became a senior sergeant at one of the Parisian battalions. Further, Caulaincourt fell into the ranks of the grenadiers, and a little later - the horse rangers. It seems that everything went like clockwork, but here again the aristocratic origin made itself felt. Considering the young man extremely suspicious, he is again arrested and thrown into prison, from which, however, he soon escaped.
Things are getting better
since 1794, Caulaincourt's career is going uphill very quickly. In just a year, he reached the rank of squadron commander of a cavalry regiment, while serving as an adjutant to General Ober-Dubayte (a close friend of the family). In 1796, Aubert-Dubite becomes ambassador to Constantinople, and Armand de Caulaincourt follows him.
The young soldier returns to France in 1797 and serves as an assistant general in the army of Meuse and Sambre. Next were the German, Mayenne and Rhine armies. Calencourt is promoted to the rank of colonel, he commands a regiment of carabinieri. Participates in the battles of Stocks and near Wenheim. During the latter, he was wounded twice, but still did not leave for the reserve. The battles of Nersheim and Moskirche also fell to his lot.
Takeoff
In 1799In France, the Directory was overthrown and the Napoleonic era actually began. Bonaparte has not yet become emperor (this will happen only in 1804), but he was already the first consul and played a huge role in the life of the state.
This period turned out to be a real take-off for Caulaincourt's career. And all thanks to the patronage of another old friend of the family - Talleyrand, who served under Napoleon in the rank of "Minister of Foreign Affairs of France." This man made sure that it was his protégé who went to St. Petersburg with congratulations from Bonaparte for Alexander the First, who ascended the throne.
The visit began in 1801 and ended in 1802. During the year of his stay in Russia, Caulaincourt was able to ingratiate himself with Alexander, and thereby "doomed" himself to the mercy of Napoleon, who was grateful to him for his good service.
Upon returning to his homeland, the successful diplomat became Napoleon's adjutant, and soon he was entrusted with the honorary function of inspecting the consular stables.
A little later, Caulaincourt, who was not even thirty years old, took over the command of a cavalry regiment of the Army of the Rhine.
Serious damage to reputation
In the year of Napoleon's ascension to the imperial throne, an unpleasant story happened to Armand de Caulaincourt. The command instructed him to hand over to the Prince of Baden a message containing a demand to disband military formations in Baden. There was nothing terrible in this commission itself, but the organizers of the crime used the duke as a screen. He was kidnapped and Caulaincourtbegan to be considered directly involved in this case.
The Colonel's reputation was shaken as after a serious blow. But in the eyes of Napoleon, his favorite did not fall. The emperor admitted the idea that Caulaincourt had simply been set up. Bonaparte expressed confidence in the even greater zeal of his pet and, in addition to overseeing the stables, entrusted the latter with control over the observance of etiquette at the imperial court.
A sacrifice made in the name of service
Service at the court flattered the vanity of Armand de Caulaincourt, who in 1805 received the rank of divisional general and at the same time was awarded an honorary imperial order. But such high career achievements, alas, were not without victims. Bonaparte's location was costly, and one of his demands was Caulaincourt's break with the woman he loved very much.
Napoleon adhered to bourgeois morality that did not welcome divorce. And the former maid of honor of the Empress, Madame de Canisi, was divorced. Caulaincourt really wanted to marry her, but could not.
Between Napoleon and Alexander
In one of the battles, Armand blocked Napoleon with his cannonball, and the emperor began to favor his protégé even more. He granted him a ducal title, and in 1807 Caulaincourt received a new position - "Ambassador of France in Russia." True, the patriot of his native country was not eager to go to St. Petersburg, but he did not dare to disobey Bonaparte either.
Arman spent five years in Russia, and all these years he tried to stopwhat was inexorably approaching was a war between two empires. And Alexander, with whom he became very close, and Napoleon Caulaincourt deeply respected and loved. This prevented him from taking one side. He did not agree to spy for France, as requested by Bonaparte, but he provided a spy for Alexandra. True, this happened involuntarily - just a man with whom the duke introduced the Russian emperor, his longtime patron Taileran, succumbed to the influence of Alexander and conveyed valuable information to him from the French court.
Caulaincourt had more than once talked with Napoleon about the inadmissibility of war, and in the end the emperor decided that the Russian Tsar had recruited him. The result was the duke's resignation as consul. Caulaincourt returned to France in 1811.
War of 1812
But in 1812 the war still broke out, and the duke ended up in Russia again. Only now in the role of not a diplomat, but an occupier.
Almost all the time he spent next to Napoleon and continued to speak out against military action. Once this happened in the presence of a representative of Alexander the First, during negotiations. Bonaparte was so angry with his protégé that he did not speak to him for several weeks. And he did not even show sympathy for the death of his younger brother Caulaincourt in the battle of Borodino.
The emperor and the duke were once again brought together by the hardships experienced together: the anxious days spent in the burning capital of Russia, and then the inglorious return home.
After the war
The War of 1812 ended very badly for France and forNapoleon personally. As you know, he was forced to abdicate in favor of his son. But Caulaincourt was even waiting for a promotion. While still emperor, Bonaparte managed to make an important appointment, and his favorite received a serious post - "Foreign Minister of France." In this role, he repeatedly negotiated a truce, and also begged Alexander for Napoleon to be isolated on the island of Elba instead of probable death.
Bonaparte's abdication had a positive impact on Caulaincourt's personal life. He was finally able to marry his sweetheart.
The restoration did not affect the duke either - every single one of his estates remained with him. This was probably the result of warm relations with the Emperor of Russia.
But soon Caulaincourt lost his favor at the French court. The newly-made king deprived him of all posts. The duke was minister until 1814.
Resurrection and fall
On the first day of the spring of 1815, Napoleon returned to France and began to rule it again. And the first-class French diplomat again found himself in the chair of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He continued to bend his line, that is, to try to bring together Bonaparte and Europe offended by him. But in vain. Napoleon longed for war, and the European countries wanted to finally get rid of him, which eventually happened - Bonaparte lost his last battle.
In June 1815, Caulaincourt became a peer of France, and in July the Bourbons returned to the throne. Napoleon was overthrown. Exactly one hundred days had passed from the moment he returned to the fall.
Arman was supposed to be arrested, but his Russian friend, the emperor, helped him again. Caulaincourt refused the offer to move to St. Petersburg, the rest of the days he lived in his homeland, no longer holding high positions and completely isolated from politics.
Devoted a lot of time to writing memoirs about the war of the twelfth year ( Napoleon's Campaign in Russia). He died in 1827, the nineteenth of February. At the time of his death he was fifty-three years old.
Armand de Caulaincourt: "Napoleon's Campaign in Russia" (memoirs)
In his memoirs about the war with Russia, the author of the memoirs described the events of those years in great detail. He was next to Napoleon around the clock, so he managed to thoroughly study his personality and splashed out his observations on paper.
In addition to the characteristics of Bonaparte, there are also stories about other important people in the French army, as well as Alexander.
An experienced commander not only describes the war, but also conducts analytical work, discussing the reasons for the outbreak of hostilities and such an inglorious end for France.
Armand de Caulaincourt's memoirs are written very vividly, easy to read. The book was first published only in 1833, and is a valuable source for historians, as well as for all those who are interested in Napoleon's war with Russia, which killed the great emperor.
