#54 - Napoleon Bonaparte – the man, the legend, the weird stuff!

In this episode we explore the life of a truly legendary figure. He died more than 200 years ago but his legacy is as relevant in France today as it was then. He was one of the most powerful men in the world. He was loved by some, hated with a passion by his enemies. He was a complicated man, who from modest beginnings on the island of Corsica rose to the become Emperor of France.

Enter one Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon is one of those characters that even now people have strong feelings about, and France has been indelibly marked by his presence.

Let’s find out more about the legend of Napoleon – what he was really like and some fun facts from his favourite food to the romantic novel he wrote…  

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Podcast 54: Napoleon Bonaparte TRANSCRIPT

Janine: Bonjour and welcome to the Good Life France podcast – everything you want to know about France and more. I’m Janine Marsh, your host and I’m an author and travel writer and maid to 53 animals – I’ve gone up one since I last spoke to you as a tiny kitten arrived a week ago and has decided we are his family – he’s ginger and white and we don’t have a name yet! I’m both British – born in the UK, and French – in my heart. I live in the far northern tip of France, known as Pas-de-Calais and travel all around France researching for articles for my website and free magazine The Good Life France and for the books I write. And when I’m not travelling, being a maid to the animals, renovating my old farmhouse or writing, I love to chat to you on this podcast with my podcast partner Olivier.

Olivier: Bonjour tout le monde, a very big welcome to you wherever you are – it’s astonishing to know that we have listeners in more than 150 countries – we’re so happy you like the podcast! Well, I am French, though I lived in England for a long time and loved it there. I’m a radio presenter – the drive time slot on a big radio station in Lyon, and my favourite thing – chatting to you here on the podcast! And now, let’s get stuck right into the topic du jour, today’s topic. Janine, what are we going to be talking about?

Janine: Today we’re going to look at the life of a truly legendary figure. He died more than 200 years ago but his legacy is as relevant in France today as it was then. He was one of the most powerful men in the world. He was loved by some, hated with a passion by his enemies. He was a complicated man, who from modest beginnings on the island of Corsica rose to the become Emperor of France. Enter one Napoleon Bonaparte.

Oli: Ah Napoleon, he is one of those characters that even now people have strong feelings about and yes you are right, France has been indelibly marked by his presence. Let’s find out more about the legend of Napoleon – what he was really like and some fun facts…  

Ok first, a little bit of background. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, just a few months after the island was transferred to French control from Genoan rule. He was the second of eight children in a family of minor noble Italian ancestry. His father, Carlo Buonaparte was Corsica's representative to the court of Louis XVI of France.  When he was born, no one could have foreseen what would become of baby Napoleon. 

Janine: Absolutely, Napoleon’s rise began in the military. Educated at military schools in France, he quickly rose through the ranks, distinguishing himself as an artillery officer. He spoke Italian and Corsican as a boy and only learned French when he went to school in France aged 10. He had a strong accent all his life and couldn’t spell well in French. His first major political and military triumph came during the Siege of Toulon in 1793, where he was instrumental in recapturing the city from the British, earning him a promotion to brigadier general at just 24 years old.
 
 Oli: Military campaigns are where Napoleon truly shone. Between 1796 and 1797, he led the French Army to a series of victories in Italy, forcing Austria and its allies to make peace. This not only affirmed his military genius but also boosted his popularity back in France where he was making a name for himself following the French Revolution a few years earlier. 

Janine: During this time he changed his name from the Italian sounding Napoleone di Buonoparte (sorry for my terrible Italian accent) to the more French sounding Napoleon Bonaparte and he also met and married Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie whom he called Josephine, and we’ve done a whole episode about her, she was a fascinating character in her own right. 

Oli: Napoleon’s ambition didn’t stop at military conquests. By 1804, he had declared himself Emperor of the French, marking the start of a new dynasty.

Janine: As emperor, Napoleon embarked on extensive reforms that fundamentally transformed French society. He established the Napoleonic Code, which laid down principles of justice, freedom of religion, and property rights that are still foundational to French law. Never a modest man, Napoleon once said ‘My real glory is not the forty battles I won, for Waterloo’s defeat will destroy the memory of as many victories.…What nothing will destroy, what will live forever, is my Civil Code.’

French judicial law is still largely based on Napoleonic civil codes that are redrafted, expanded and elaborated on as required.
 
 

Oli: His conquests spread revolutionary ideas across Europe, reshaping national boundaries and ending feudalism in many parts of the continent. However, his expansionist policy also led to widespread conflict, culminating in the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, which significantly weakened his forces
 
 

Janine: Well, that’s a very short history of Napoleon. But we want to get a feeling for what he was really like, the man behind the legend. It doesn’t seem to matter where you go in France, there always seems to be a connection with Napoleon. There are the big well-known places – The Chateau of Fontainebleau where he gave his famous goodbye speech to go into exile, the Chateau of Malmaison where he lived with Josephine, Les Invalides Paris, where he is buried, he was dressed in the uniform of the cavalry of the Imperial Guard complete with boots and hat.  There was even talk of a Napoleon land theme park a few years ago. But there are many other places where he is remembered that are less well known.  In Bessières, not far from Toulouse, every year they make a 15,000-egg omelette in honour of the fact that Napoleon once passed through the town with his troops and ate an omelette which he was so enamoured with that he ordered the town to make an omelette big enough for his army.

Oli: On the island of Corsica of course he is remembered, his former home is now a museum. But also there is an ice cream parlour where they sell an ice cream flavoured with clementine, mandarin and macquis – sort of herby scrubland that grows on the island. And there is a legend that the ice cream was invented when Napoleon fell in love with a local woman and gave her a coral necklace – and in return she gave him an ice cream made to that recipe!

Janine: I’ve had one of those ice creams – delicious! On the island of Aix, off the coast of La Rochelle, at the former Governor’s house which is now a museum, they have a bed which Napoleon slept on for one night. 

Oli: In the cellars of Moet et Chandon in Epernay, Champane, you will find one of his famous tricorne hats which he left behind after a champagne tasting session! He once said I cannot live without Champagne. If I win, I deserve it; If I lose, I need it.’

Janine: I’m with him on that one! Talking of his hats, a South Korean chicken mogul bought one of his two-pointed hats for a whopping $2.4 million in 2014 – Napoleon souvenirs are worth a small fortune.

Oli: There is a very robust market in Napoleon memorabilia – from socks to handkerchiefs, letters and furniture. And let’s not forget that even cheese carries a memory of Napoleon - Valencay, the Loire Valley made cheese shaped like a pyramid with a flat top of which it is said that when Napoleon was served the cheese after a loss in Egypt, he cut the top off in anger!

Janine: And baguettes! Legend has it that when Napoleon ordered that bread be made thin enough for his soldiers to carry in their pockets on marches. 

Oli: Though it was said that he himself didn’t care much about food, Napoleon ate his meals quickly and in silence – a meal rarely lasted longer than twenty minutes. His favourite meal was roast chicken with fried potatoes and onions.

Janine: From Corsica to Paris, from the south to the north, the east to the west of France – Napoleon left his mark. There’s even a legend in France that it’s illegal to call a pig Napoleon as it would be disrespectful. It’s actually not true! Though what is true is that until quite recently there was a law in place to prevent rulers of France being insulted – presidents only, the rest of the gang is fine to insult! 

Oli: The law was enforced several times when Charles de Gaulle was president, and last exercised in 2013 at a protest against then President Nicolas Sarkozy when someone held up a banner reading caisse-toi pauvre con – very rude, the polite version is ‘get lost A. Hole’. 

Janine: Anyway, later the ruling was overturned as the European Court of Human Rights said that the protestor’s freedom of expression had been violated. So now you can insult presidents. And you can call a pig Napoleon if you want to. I think I may call my new kitten Napoleon as he is very much a little fighter! 

Oli: Napoleon is sometimes referred to as the Le Petit Caporal, the little Corporal, but he wasn’t actually that small, he was average for the times, almost 5 feet 7 inches. It was the English who said he was short, propaganda to belittle him. But the nickname Le Petit Caporal was actually a term of affection as he was popular with his men, especially when he won battles. Plus, in his Elite guard, he liked to have very tall soldiers which made him look shorter. Nowadays when we say le Petit Caporal, we mean someone who is bossy or authoritarian at work! 

Janine: The English also used to call Napoleon, Boneyman which became Bogeyman, and they would scare their children threating that it they didn’t behave, the Bogeyman would get them and tear them to pieces. Clearly in those days they were less worried about the effects that might have on children’s nightmares than they do now, and kids grew up genuinely terrified that the bogeyman would get them. It’s where the word boogeyman of Halloween legend comes from! If I’d told that story to my son Harry when he was little, I’d never have got a good night’s sleep! 

Oli: He was a very superstitious person. believing that some people were doomed to bad luck. He always asked of his generals, ‘Is he lucky?’ He believed that Josephine brought him good luck. He always carried a portrait miniature of her with him on campaigns and when it was dropped or damaged, believed it augured ill. 

Janine: Napoleon had a ‘lucky star’, which he would seek out in the sky. ‘I myself see my star; it is that which guides me’ he said.

Oli: Well, his luck ran out eventually. Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815 by his arch enemy the English. But did you know that he almost escaped to America after this. Strangely King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette also almost escaped to America, they were recognised though as they made their escape, partly because the King loved cheese so much, he made them late to depart as he had to have his fromage first! 

Janine: Napoleon actually began packing all his things up to embark on a warship to take him across the Atlantic, but the British wouldn’t let him go and took him to the island of Saint Helena off the coast of Africa and 1200 miles from the nearest land. They weren’t taking any chances that he would escape after he already managed to escape from exile on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.

Oli: He remained on St Helena, despite several attempts to rescue him including by submarine, until his death on May 5 1921 aged just 51. 

Janine: It’s said that part of the reason that Napoleon may have lost at Waterloo is that he wasn’t 100% focussed as he was suffering terribly from haemorrhoids. He was known to love very hot baths which gave him relief from the pain they caused. 

Oli: Napoleon always wore a packet of poison on a cord around his neck that could be swiftly drunk should he ever be captured. When he finally went to use it in 1815, it had lost its potency and only succeeded in making him violently ill.

Janine: He didn’t spend all his time war mongering though. Behind the ruthless, battle-hardened facade, Napoleon had a soft side too. He wrote passionate love letters to Joesephine, Oli, could you read a little bit from one please…

Oli: “Sweet and incomparable Josephine,” he wrote to her in 1795, soon before their marriage, “what a strange effect you have on my heart! […] I draw from your lips, from your heart, a flame that burns me. […] I will see you in three hours. In the meantime, mio dolce amor, here are a thousand kisses; but give me none, for they burn my blood.”

Janine: He was very romantic at times. He even wrote a romantic novel when he was  26, the year he met Josephine. He called it Clisson et Eugénie and it’s just 17 pages long and very sentimental - and according to most reviews, fails to establish him as a lost literary genius. But despite the fact he loved Josephine, he divorced her to marry someone younger who could give him a son and heir. 

Oli: Yes, he married Marie-Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria, They had never met year other and all that she knew about him was from small wooden statues of him, like toy soldiers. 

Janine: She later said that she never had any feelings for him but pretended she did because that was her job. Must have been pretty awful for her really since another daughter of an Austrian ruler had been married off to a ruler of France – Marie-Antoinette, and that did not end well. 

Oli: Napoleon had some strange habits. At the height of his powers, he used to dress up as a lower-class bourgeoisie and wander the streets of Paris. Apparently, he wanted to find out what the man on the street really thought of him and he reportedly asked random passers-by about their Emperor’s merits. 

Janine: I wonder if anyone ever didn’t recognise him and say something awful about him – power mad that Napoleon, can’t stand him! 

Oli: We French always find it a bit strange that the other nations seem to like him so much. He divides opinion in France – he’s not always popular. I think most people see him as a great hero who changed the history of France in a mostly positive way, but others see him as a cruel dictator. But the British in particular seem to be fond of him!  

Janine: I know, considering he was so hated when he was alive, now we Brits are total fans! I think probably it’s about the fact that he rose from humble beginnings as we said at the start, to become such an icon, but also we know so much about him, his personality, his eccentricities, and its such an incredible story, so human, he rose so high and then he fell and he was in the end, just a man, a clever, manipulative, strong, brave, horrible sometomes but an incredible man. A man who loved a woman passionately and who was grief stricken when she died even though he’d divorced her to marry a woman he didn’t love so that he could create a dynasty as his true love was unable to have a child with him, He made mistakes, he suffered. I think we like that he’s sort or relatable in a way. And I think that was one of his strengths. When he escaped from exile on the island of Elba and landed in France, he had no idea what would happen. He had 1000 soldiers and marched to Paris and when he got there the army stopped him, loyal to the new French government that had been put in place and he opened his coat and said “If there is any soldier among you who wants to kill his emperor - here I am!” For a long moment there was silence. But then the opposing soldiers started to cheer “long live the emperor!” and rushed to embrace him and his men. I mean it takes real guts to have done that. He had a dark side we know, but he was also someone we can identify with at times, he did great things and on the whole we choose to remember that. 

Oli: We hope you enjoyed this episode about Napoleon Bonaparte. He remains one of the most studied figures in history, a man whose life story is as dramatic as the era he shaped. His impact on France and Europe was profound and is evident in the legal systems, borders, and societies of contemporary Europe.

We just want to say a huge thank you to all of you listening to our podcast and to everyone for sharing it too. We really love sharing the France we know and love with you, the authentic and real France with its wonderful history, culture, gastronomy, wine and more. It always amazes us that people are listening in about 150 countries around the world!

Janine: Yes thank you so much everyone, wherever you are, we really appreciate it. You’ve been listening to me Janine Marsh and Olivier Jauffrit. You can find me and a ton of information about France – where to visit, culture, history, recipes – everything France - at thegoodlifefrance.com where you can subscribe to the podcast, a weekly newsletter about France and my totally brilliant, completely free magazine which you can read at magazine.thegoodlifefrance.com.

But for now, it’s au revoir from me.

Olivier: And goodbye from me.

Janine: Speak to you soon!