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Militaria and Political Auction
Lot 1284:
Napoleon Bonaparte
AM Various Ca. 1797 n.p. File Foreign SSVKUD (P)
Emperor of France. Born on Corsica, Napoleon served in the French army and won battles in Italy and Egypt. In 1799, he overthrew the government and became the ruler of France. He conquered most of Europe and Egypt, sold Louisiana to America, and appointed his brothers as heads of Holland, Italy, Naples and Westphalia. He invaded Russia, but his retreat destroyed his army. After his defeat at Leipzig, he resided on Elba. Escaping to France, he was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, and was sent to St. Helena, where he died.
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian Campaign; Manuscripts Re: French Takeover of Arsenal of
Venice
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian Campaign; Manuscripts Re: French Takeover of Arsenal of Venice
Two French language manuscripts, both apparent drafts of an official document pertaining to the governance and administration of the Arsenal of Venice, ca. 1797. Both manuscripts are inscribed overall in secretarial script on watermarked cream laid bifold paper. The first manuscript is 4pp, and has expected light folds, wrinkles, and isolated edge darkening (7.875" × 11.25"). The second manuscript is 3pp and has expected folds (8" × 12.375")
There are slight variations in the wording and ordering of the articles, and the second document lacks a ninth article, viz., the content of the first document’s fifth article. Each manuscript comes with a complete transcript translated into English.
The documents, both entitled "Draft of the Rules for the Interior Functions of the Arsenal of Venice", provided guidelines for both Venetians and French following the May 12, 1797 collapse of the Venetian Republic and the subsequent French takeover. Venetian service personnel, vessels, and materials were commandeered for French
Use.
In part:
"Article 1
The dispositions of all work relating to the construction and arming of the three ships and frigates destined for the French Navy, within the arsenal workshops, will be administered by the French Navy in accord with the committee of the Venetian Navy.
Article 3
All Engineers, overseers, and managers of workshops will satisfy the demands of the French administration.
Article 5
The orders will always be given, in the workshops and warehouses, by the officers of the Venetian Navy: but the orders will have been discussed with the administration of the French Navy. Article 9
The commissioner of the French Navy will oversee all accounting concerning the two nations. He will sign the roll sheets of workers employed in the construction and armament of the three ships and two frigates, only as comptroller; but he will keep a record of expenditures of materials and days [used] for each French ship: thus nothing will be delivered or used on either a worker or ship belonging to the French Republic without it being signed by him. The administration will give knowledge to the Committee of the Navy of the name of the administrator in charge, and an example of his signature."
27-year-old Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), a scrappy Corsican, led the French advance into Italy during the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797). The French had concluded their purging Revolution by this time, and were busy fighting European neighbors including the Hapsburg Empire. Venice capitulated in the spring of 1797 after the last doge abdicated and declared the republic abolished. Napoleon’s Italian campaign (1796-1797) resulted in the subjugation of most of the Italian peninsula.
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