Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Deputy to the Estates-General for the First Estate | |
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In office 12 April 1789 – 9 July 1789 | |
Constituency | Autun |
Personal details | |
Born | Paris, Kingdom of France | 2 February 1754
Died | 17 May 1838 Paris, Kingdom of France | (aged 84)
Political party |
|
Education | Bishop of Autun (1788–1791) |
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (
He was Napoleon's chief diplomat during the years when French military victories brought one European state after another under French hegemony. However, most of the time, Talleyrand worked for peace so as to consolidate France's gains. He succeeded in obtaining peace with
Talleyrand polarises opinion. Some regard him as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history, while some believe that he was a traitor, betraying in turn the
Early life
Talleyrand was born in Paris into an aristocratic family which, though ancient and illustrious, was not particularly prosperous.[3] His father, Count Charles Daniel de Talleyrand-Périgord, was 20 years of age when Charles was born. His mother was Alexandrine de Damas d'Antigny. Both his parents held positions at court, but as the youngest children of their respective families, had no important income. Talleyrand's father had a long career in the French Royal Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant general, as did his uncle, Gabriel Marie de Périgord, despite having the same infirmity from which Talleyrand would suffer throughout his life. His father served all through the Seven Years' War.[4]
From childhood, Talleyrand walked with a limp, which caused him to later be called le diable boiteux[5] (French for "the lame devil") among other nicknames. In his Memoirs, he linked this infirmity to an accident at age four, but recent research has shown that his limp was in fact congenital.[6] In any case, his handicap made him unable to follow his father into a military career, leaving the obvious career of the Church.
The latter held out the hope for Charles-Maurice of succeeding his uncle,
He was not ordained a priest until four years later, on 19 December 1779, at the age of 25.
French Revolution
Shortly after he was consecrated as Bishop of Autun, Talleyrand attended the
Just before his resignation from the bishopric, Talleyrand had been elected, with Mirabeau and the Abbé Sieyès, a member of the department of Paris. In that capacity he did useful work for some eighteen months in seeking to support the cause of order in the turbulent capital. Though he was often on strained terms with Mirabeau, his views generally coincided with those of that statesman, who before he died is said to have advised Talleyrand to develop a close understanding with England.[17]
In 1792, he was sent twice, unofficially, to London to avert war, and he was cordially received by
The ship he took to the US was forced by rough weather in the Channel to stop at Falmouth where Talleyrand recounts[20] an awkward chance meeting with Benedict Arnold at an Inn.
During Talleyrand's stay in the US, he supported himself by working as a bank agent, involved in commodity trading and real estate speculation. He was a house guest of
After
Under Napoleon
Talleyrand, along with Napoleon's younger brother,
Talleyrand was an integral player in the
While helping to establish French supremacy in neighbouring states and assisting Bonaparte in securing the title of First Consul for life, Talleyrand sought all means of securing the permanent welfare of France. He worked hard to prevent the rupture of the peace of Amiens which occurred in May 1803, and he did what he could to prevent the Louisiana Purchase earlier in the year. These events, as he saw, told against the best interests of France and endangered the gains which she had secured by war and diplomacy. Thereafter he strove to moderate Napoleon's ambition and to preserve the European system as far as possible.[24]
Napoleon forced Talleyrand into marriage in September 1802 to longtime mistress Catherine Grand (née Worlée). Talleyrand purchased the Château de Valençay in May 1803, upon the urging of Napoleon. This later was used as the site of imprisonment of the Spanish royal family in 1808–1813, after Napoleon's invasion of Spain.
In May 1804, Napoleon bestowed upon Talleyrand the title of
Talleyrand was opposed to the harsh treatment of Austria in the 1805
Changing sides
After his resignation in 1807 from the ministry, Talleyrand began to accept bribes from hostile powers (mainly Austria, but also Russia), to betray Napoleon's secrets.[29] Talleyrand and Joseph Fouché, who were typically enemies in both politics and the salons, had a rapprochement in late 1808 and entered into discussions over the imperial line of succession. Napoleon had yet to address this matter and the two men knew that without a legitimate heir a struggle for power would erupt in the wake of Napoleon's death. Even Talleyrand, who believed that Napoleon's policies were leading France to ruin, understood the necessity of peaceful transitions of power. Napoleon received word of their actions and deemed them treasonous. This perception caused the famous dressing down of Talleyrand in front of Napoleon's marshals, during which Napoleon famously claimed that he could "break him like a glass, but it's not worth the trouble" and added with a scatological tone that Talleyrand was "shit in a silk stocking",[30] to which the minister coldly retorted, once Napoleon had left, "Pity that so great a man should have been so badly brought up!"
Talleyrand opposed the further harsh treatment of Austria in 1809 after the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was also a critic of the French invasion of Russia in 1812. He was invited to resume his former office in late 1813, but Talleyrand could see that power was slipping from Napoleon's hands. He offered to resign from the council in early 1814, but Napoleon refused the move. Talleyrand then hosted the tsar at the end of March after the fall of Paris, persuaded him that the best chance of stability lay with the House of Bourbon, and gained his support.[31] On 1 April 1814 he led the Sénat conservateur in establishing a provisional government in Paris, of which he was elected president. On 2 April the Senate officially deposed Napoleon with the Acte de déchéance de l'Empereur; by 11 April it had approved the Treaty of Fontainebleau and adopted a new constitution to re-establish the Bourbon monarchy.
Bourbon Restoration and July Monarchy
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2014) |
When Napoleon was succeeded by Louis XVIII in April 1814, Talleyrand was one of the key agents of the
Talleyrand, having managed to establish a middle position, received some favours from the other countries in exchange for his support: France returned to its 1792 boundaries without reparations, with French control over the
Napoleon's return to France in 1815 and his subsequent defeat, the
In December 1829, Talleyrand funded the foundation of the
After resigning from his position as ambassador in London in November 1834, Talleyrand stopped playing an active role in French politics. He split his time between Château de Valençay and
By a
Private life
Talleyrand had a reputation for
Aristocratic women were a key component of Talleyrand's political tactics, both for their influence and their ability to cross borders unhindered. His presumed lover
Talleyrand's venality was notorious; in the tradition of the ancien régime, he expected to be paid for the state duties he performed—whether these can properly be called "bribes" is open to debate. For example, during the
Described by biographer
Talleyrand has been regarded as a traitor because of his support for successive regimes, some of which were mutually hostile. According to French philosopher Simone Weil, criticism of his loyalty is unfounded, as Talleyrand served not every regime as had been said, but in reality "France behind every regime".[49]
Near the end of his life, Talleyrand became interested in Catholicism again while teaching his young granddaughter simple prayers. The Abbé
Today, when speaking of the art of diplomacy, the phrase "he is a Talleyrand" is variously used to describe a statesman of great resourcefulness and craft, or a cynical and conscienceless self-serving politician.[52]
Honours
- Pair de France.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross in the Legion of Honour[53][54]
- Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit[55]
- Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Andrew.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Eagle.[53]
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant.[53]
- Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun.[53]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Saxony.[53]
- Member of the American Philosophical Society (elected 1796).[56]
Anecdotes
- In 1797 a rumor spread that the King of Great Britainhad died. A banker, hoping to make a profit from inside information, appeared at Talleyrand's door seeking information. Talleyrand replied along the lines of, "But of course. I shall be delighted, if the information I have to give be of any use to you." The banker listened with bated breath as Talleyrand continued: "Some say the King of England is dead; others, that he is not dead: for my own part, I believe neither the one nor the other. I tell you this in confidence, but I rely on your discretion."
- The Spanish Ambassador complained to Talleyrand that the seals on his diplomatic letters had been broken. Talleyrand replied, "I shall wager I can guess how the thing happened. I am convinced your despatch was opened by some one who desired to know what was inside."
- Germaine de Staël's novel Delphine allegedly depicted Talleyrand as an old woman, and herself as the heroine. Upon meeting Madame de Staël, Talleyrand remarked, "They tell me that we are both of us in your novel, in the disguise of women."[57]
- Talleyrand had a morbid dread of falling out of bed in his sleep. To prevent this, he had his mattresses made with a depression in the centre. As a further safety measure, he wore fourteen cotton nightcaps at once, held together by 'a sort of tiara'.[58]
- Following the arrival of the Allies, Talleyrand's mansion hosted Tsar Alexander. Later, his bedroom became the center of government in the provisional government. It was actually quite common to hold important occurrences in one's bedroom as it was warm for the host while the attendants had to stand in the cold night air.[citation needed]
- On hearing of the death of a Turkish ambassador, Talleyrand is supposed to have said: "I wonder what he meant by that?" More commonly, the quote is attributed to Metternich, the Austrian diplomat, upon Talleyrand's death in 1838.[59]
- During the occupation of Paris by the Louis-Philippe.
- A district of Levenshulme in Manchester, England, is called Talleyrand. There is a local tradition that he stayed there, presumably in 1792–94.
Gallery
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Arms of Talleyrand under theNapoleonic Empire
-
Arms of Talleyrand under the Bourbon Restoration
-
Talleyrand's orthopedic shoe, now in the Château de Valençay
-
Inscription at the Hôtel de Saint-Florentin
-
Empire style state bed (lit de parade) made for Talleyrand, c. 1805
Notes
- ^ "Talleyrand-Périgord". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
- ^ "Remembering Talleyrand". Restorus. 17 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-85773-570-6.
- ISBN 978-3-382-50769-5.
- ISBN 978-0-87413-968-6, p. 138: "Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was the essence of the metamorphic talent inherent in French aristocracy. The so-called Diable boiteux (lame devil), born in 1754 was not fit for armed service."
- ^ Waresquiel 2004, p. 31.
- ^ Greenbaum 1957, p. 226–236.
- ^ a b Rose 1911, p. 373.
- ^ "il est admis, ... en 1770, au grand séminaire de Saint-Sulpice": http://www.talleyrand.org Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d "(Layman) Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord †". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.
- ^ Greenbaum 1963, pp. 473–486.
- ISBN 978-0813209203.
talleyrand laicization.
- ISBN 978-1-1346-6503-7.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 87–89.
- ^ . Samuel F. Scott and Barry Rothaus, eds., Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution 1789–1799 (vol. 2 1985), pp 928–32, online
- ^ Bernard 1973, p. 90.
- ^ a b c Rose 1911, p. 374.
- ^ Jacques Godechot, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord at the Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ "Memoirs of Bertrand Berère". p. 21.
- ^ "Memoirs of the Prince de Talleyrand" (PDF). p. 174.
- ^ "Full text of "Cazenove journal, 1794 : a record of the journey of Theophile Cazenove through New Jersey and Pennsylvania"". Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- ^ Hall, John (1890). Memoirs of Matthew Clarkson of Philadelphia, 1735-1800. Philadelphia: Thomson Printing Company. p. 68.
- ^ Bernard 1973, p. 152.
- ^ a b c d e f Rose 1911, p. 375.
- ISBN 978-0-67943-253-1.
- ISBN 3-458-32097-0
- ^ H. A. L. Fisher, "The French Dependencies and Switzerland", in A. Ward et al. (eds.), Cambridge Modern History, IX: Napoleon (Cambridge, 1934), p. 399.
- ISBN 0-313-30328-2. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-312-37297-2.
- Independent.co.uk. 12 November 2006.
- ^ a b Rose 1911, p. 376.
- ^ Traité sécret d'alliance défensive, conclu à Vienne entre Autriche, la Grande bretagne et la France, contre la Russie et la Prussie, le 3 janvier 1815
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 486–492, 495.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 512–513.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 527–530.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 540–558.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 585–596.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 598–606.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 610–620.
- ^ Rose 1911, pp. 376–377.
- JSTOR 44850143.
- ^ Brodie, Fawn M., Thaddeus Stevens: Scourge of the South (1959), p. 26.
- ^ Spiegel, Taru (2 March 2019). "Talleyrand: A Diplomat Par Excellence | 4 Corners of the World: International Collections and Studies at the Library of Congress". blogs.loc.gov. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Bernard 1973, pp. 266, 368 fn.
- ^ The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace, and the Course of History by Philip Bobbitt (2002), ch. 21.
- ^ Daudet, Ernest (1903c). Wikisource. . Revue des Deux Mondes (journal). 5 (in French). 18: 436 – via
- ^ Oman, Charles (1902). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. 1. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 55–56.
- ^ J.A.Gere and John Sparrow (ed.), Geoffrey Madan's Notebooks, Oxford University Press, 1981, at page 12
- ISBN 0-415-27102-9.
- ^ "newadvent.org".
- ^ Talleyrand's short biography in Napoleon and Empire website, displaying photographs of his castle of Valençay and of his tomb
- ^
- Gérard Robichaud, Papa Martel, University of Maine Press, 2003, p.125.
- Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), H.M. Stationery Off., 1964, p. 1391
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Verslag der handelingen der Staten-Generaal, Deel 2. p 26
- ^ Almanach Du Département de L'Escaut Pour L'an 1809–1815, Volume 1;Volume 1809. lA.B. Stéven. p. 6.
- ^ Bernard 1973, p. 495.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ On me dit que nous sommes tous les deux dans votre roman, déguisés en femme.
- Empress Marie-Louise.
- ^ Brooks, Xan (1 January 2009). "Happy birthday Salinger". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Works cited
- Bernard, Jack F. (1973). Talleyrand: A Biography. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-3991-1022-4.
- Greenbaum, Louis S. (1957). "Talleyrand and His Uncle: The Genesis of a Clerical Career". Journal of Modern History. 29 (3): 226–236. JSTOR 1872380.
- Greenbaum, Louis S. (1963). "Talleyrand as Agent-General of the Clergy of France: A Study in Comparative Influence". Catholic Historical Review. 48 (4): 473–486. JSTOR 25017140.
- public domain: Rose, John Holland (1911). "Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 373–377. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Waresquiel, Emmanuel de (2004) [2003]. Talleyrand: Le Prince Immobile (in French). Paris: Fayard. ISBN 2-2136-1326-5.
Further reading
Biographies
- Brinton, Crane. Lives of Talleyrand (1936), 300 pp scholarly study online
- Cooper, Duff (1932). Talleyrand. New York: Harper.
- Greenbaum, Louis S. (1970). "Talleyrand and Vergennes: The Debut of a Diplomat". Catholic Historical Review. 56 (3): 543–550. JSTOR 25018659.
- Kurtz, Harold. (1958) "Talleyrand (part I)" History Today (Nov 1958) 8#11 pp 741–750. and Part II, (Dec 1958) 8#12 pp 847–871.
- Lawday, David (2006). Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0-224-07366-0., popular biography online review
- Madelin, Louis. Talleyrand (1948), a scholarly biography. online
- Orieux, Jean. Talleyrand: The Art of Survival (1974) 677pp; scholarly biography
- Pflaum, Rosalynd. Talleyrand and His World (2010) 478pp, popular biography
Scholarly studies
- Blinn, Harold E. "New Light on Talleyrand at the Congress of Vienna." Pacific Historical Review 4#2 1935, pp. 143–160. online
- Earl, John L. "Talleyrand in Philadelphia, 1794–1796." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 91#3, 1967, pp. 282–298. online
- Ferraro, Guglielmo. The Reconstruction of Europe: Talleyrand and the Congress of Vienna, 1814–1815 (1941) online
- Kelly, Linda (2017). Talleyrand in London: The Master Diplomat's Last Mission. London: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-78453-781-4.
- Neave, G. "Monsieur de Talleyrand-Périgord's Qualities" Higher Education Policy 19, 401–409 (2006). online
- Norman, Barbara. Napoleon and Talleyrand: The last two weeks (1976) online
- Ross, Steven T. European Diplomatic History, 1789–1815: France Against Europe (1969)
- Sked, Alan. "Talleyrand and England, 1792–1838: A Reinterpretation", Diplomacy & Statecraft (2006) 17#4 pp. 647–64.
- Stinchcombe, William. "Talleyrand and the American Negotiations of 1797–1798." Journal of American History 62#3 1975, pp. 575–590. online
- Swain, J. E. "Talleyrand's Last Diplomatic Encounter." The Historian 1#1 1938, pp. 33–53. online, ambassador to Britain
Historiography
- Moncure, James A. ed. Research Guide to European Historical Biography: 1450–Present (4 vol 1992); 4:1823–33
Primary sources
- Memoirs of the Prince de Talleyrand ed by Albert de Broglie. (1891) online
- Dilke, Charles Wentworth. "The Talleyrand Memoirs." The North American Review, vol. 152, no. 411, 1891, pp. 157–174. online
- Talleyrand, Prince. The Correspondence of Prince Talleyrand and King Louis XVIII during the Congress of Vienna (Kessinger Publishing, 2005).
Non-English language
- Tarle, Yevgeny (1939). Talleyrand. Moscow.
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External links
- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1754–1838
- Career of Mme Grand, Talleyrand's wife
- Bishop Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Catholic Hierarchy website
- Talleyrands letters and dispatches translated into English
- Painting of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord by Baron Gérard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Works by prince de Bénévent Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord at Internet Archive