Arman de Colencourt, French diplomat. "Napoleon's campaign in Russia"

Arman de Caulaincourt is a French military and political figure, known for his memoirs dedicated to Napoleon's campaign in Russia, as well as a close friendship with the first persons of the two great empires that came together in 1812 in a bloody battle.

Childhood and the beginning of service

The father of the future adviser to Napoleon and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of France was a military man and lived with his family in the hereditary castle of Caulaincourt, which is located on the territory of the Ene department. On December 9, 1773, he had a long-awaited heir. The boy was called Arman.

As the family was notable, the child received education at home, and in 1778 Armand de Caulaincourt, following in the footsteps of his father, began his military career. At the age of fifteen, the boy was enrolled in a foreign regiment of royal cavalry in the ranks of an ordinary soldier. At sixteen and a half, Caulaincourt was already a lieutenant, and from 1791 he served as adjutant to his own father.

Persecution

1792 brought the young man not only happy events, but also serious troubles. First, he was promoted to the rank of captain, and then unexpectedly fired from the army. The reason for this was the noble title, which aroused suspicions among the French revolutionary government, which at that time was just starting a war with Austria and conducting purges in the ranks of the military.

But Armand de Caulaincourt was not one of those who simply surrenders. In the same year, he asked to go to the Paris natsgvardiyu (to the Red Cross) as a volunteer, and very soon, having entered the confidence in the leadership, he became a senior sergeant at one of the Parisian battalions. Further, Kolenkur got into the ranks of grenadiers, and even later - mounted horsemen. It seems that everything went smoothly, but again aristocratic origin again came to light. Considering the youth extremely suspicious, he is again arrested and thrown into prison, from which he, however, soon fled.

Everything is becoming better

Since 1794, the career of Kolenkur very quickly goes uphill. In just a year he reached the rank of squadron commander in the cavalry regiment, while serving as adjutant to General Ober-Dyubeit (close family friend). In 1796, Ober-Dubate became Ambassador to Constantinople, and Armand de Caulaincourt followed him.

In Fratsia, a young military man returns in 1797 and serves as an assistant to the general in the army of Meza and Sambra. Next were the German, Mayen and Rhine armies. Kolenkur is favored by the rank of colonel, he commands the regiment of carabineers. Participates in the battles at Stockach and near Wenheim. During the latter was twice wounded, but still did not leave for the reserve. He also fell to the battle of Nersheim and Moskirch.

Takeoff

In 1799 the Directory was overthrown in France and the Napoleonic era actually began. Bonaparte had not yet become an emperor (this would 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 really a take-off for the career of Kolenkur. And all thanks to the patronage of another old friend of the family - Talleyrand, who served under Napoleon as "Minister of Foreign Affairs of France." This man made sure that his protege would go to St. Petersburg with congratulations from Bonaparte for Alexander the First, who came to the throne.

The visit began in 1801 and ended in 1802. For a year in Russia, Kolenkur was able to gain favor with Alexander, and thereby "doomed" himself to the mercy of Napoleon, grateful to him for his good service.

Upon his return to his homeland, a successful diplomat became adjutant to Napoleon, and soon he was entrusted with the honorary function of inspecting consular stables.

A little later, Caulaincourt, who was not yet thirty years old, received the command of a regiment of cavalrymen of the Rhineland in his own hands.

Serious damage to reputation

In the year of the ascent to the imperial throne of Napoleon with Arman de Colencourt an unpleasant story happened. The command instructed him to hand over to Prince Baden a message containing a demand to dissolve the military formations in Baden. In this very commission there was nothing terrible, but the organizers of the crime took advantage of the duke as a screen. He was kidnapped, and Kolenkur was considered directly involved in the case.

The colonel's reputation began to stagger like a serious blow. But in the eyes of Napoleon, his favorite did not fall. The emperor assumed the idea that Kolenkura was simply framed. Bonaparte expressed confidence in the even greater zeal of his pet and, in addition to supervising the stables, entrusted the latter with control over the observance of etiquette at the imperial court.

Victim brought in the name of service

The 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 the honorary imperial order. But such high career achievements, alas, were not without sacrifice. The location of Bonaparte was expensive, and one of his demands was the breakage of Caulaincourt with a woman whom he loved very much.

Napoleon adhered to bourgeois norms of morality, who did not welcome divorce. And the ex-maid of honor of Empress Madame de Canizi was divorced. Kolenkur really wanted to marry her, but he could not.

Between Napoleon and Alexander

In one of the battles, Armand overshadowed Napoleon himself at the rupture of the cannonball, and the emperor became even more pleased with his protege. He granted him the ducal title, and in 1807, Kolenkur received a new post - "ambassador France in Russia. "True, in St. Petersburg the patriot of his native country did not go with desire, but he did not dare disobey.

In Russia, Arman spent five years, and all these years trying to stop what was inexorably coming - a war between the two empires. And Alexander, with whom he became very close, and Napoleon Kolenkur deeply respected and loved. This prevented him from taking any one side. He did not agree to spy in favor of France, as Bonaparte asked, but he provided the spy to Alexander. True, this happened involuntarily - just a man with whom the duke introduced the Russian emperor, his long-time patron Tyleran, succumbed to the influence of Alexander and brought him valuable information from the French court.

Caulaincourt often had talks with Napoleon about the inadmissibility of war, and as a result the emperor decided that the Russian tsar had recruited him. The result was the resignation of the duke from the post of consul. Caulaincourt returned to France in 1811.

The War of 1812

And in 1812, however, a war broke out, and the Duke again found himself in Russia. 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 it happened in the presence of the representative of Alexander the First, during the negotiations. Bonaparte was so angry with his protege that he had not spoken to him for several weeks. And he did not even show sympathy for the death of his younger brother, Kolenkur, in the Battle of Borodino.

Once again, the emperor and the duke brought together the hardships experienced together: the troubled 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 for Napoleon personally. As you know, he was forced to abandon the throne in favor of his son. But Kolenkura even waited for a raise. While still an emperor, Bonaparte managed to make an important appointment, and his favorite received a serious post - "French Foreign Minister." In this role, he repeatedly negotiated a truce, and also solicited from Alexander for Napoleon isolation on the island of Elba instead of a possible death.

Renunciation Bonaparte positively affected the personal life of Kolenkur. He finally managed to marry his lover.

Not touched the Duke and the restoration - all of his one estate remained with him. Probably, this was the result of warm relations with the emperor of Russia.

But soon mercy at the French court Kolenkur lost. The newly-made king stripped him of all his posts. The Duke was Minister until 1814.

"Resurrection" and falling

On the first day of the spring of 1815 Napoleon returned to France and again began to rule it. And the first-class French diplomat again found himself in the chair of the foreign minister. He continued to bend his line, that is, to try to bring Bonaparte closer and Europe, which was offended by him. But in vain. Napoleon craved war, and European countries wanted to get rid of him completely, 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. From the moment of his return to the fall, exactly one hundred days passed.

Armana was to be arrested, but he again helped a Russian friend - the emperor. From the offer to move to St. Petersburg, Kolenkur refused, the rest of the days he lived in his homeland, no longer occupying high posts and completely isolated from politics.

He devoted much time to writing memoirs about the war of the twelfth year ("Napoleon's campaign to Russia." He died in 1827, on February 19. At the time of his death, he was fifty-three years old.

Arman de Caulaincourt: "Napoleon's Campaign to Russia" (memoirs)

In his memoirs about the war with Russia, the author of the memoirs described the events of those years in the smallest detail. Next to Napoleon, he was around the clock, so he had time to thoroughly study his personality and threw his observations on paper.

In addition to the characteristics of Bonaparte, there are also stories in the memoirs of other important personalities of the French army, as well as of 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.

Written memoirs of Armand de Caulaincourt are very vivid, easy to read. For the first time the book was 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 destroyed the great emperor.