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king fortunes out of the Revolution. vast income and enormous
During these years Talleyrand, who bribes that he received
thought that a hefty bribe was in Talleyrand bought the
the interest of both parties, became magnificent Château de
even wealthier. It was also at this Valençay in the Berry
time that he met Catherine Grand, a region -- in fact, Napoleon
courtesan who became his mistress ordered him to buy it!
and, as we shall see, his wife. Tall,
blond, beautiful and good natured, In return, Talleyrand hoped
she also had the well-earned reputa- to hold back Napoleon's
tion of making inane remarks. Every reckless military ambitions
absurd joke in Paris at this time was that were likely to end in
attributed to Mme Grand ... and, as disaster: "War is much too
we shall see, subsequently to Mme serious a thing to be left
de Talleyrand. to military men." Up until
1805 he had exercised a
It was evident that the whole rotten modest degree of restraint,
edifice of the Directory was doomed. but by 1807 he became alarmed by Power at the conference table and
Everyone was looking for a strong Napoleon's insatiable appetite for Talleyrand was able to obtain the
national leader. Within a week of conquest, and resigned. "I never best terms for a defeated nation.
taking office, Talleyrand wrote a abandoned anyone," he remarked, During the Hundred Days of Na-
flattering letter of admiration to a "until they had first abandoned poleon's brief return to power in
young army general -- Napoleon themselves." For his part, Napoleon 1815 he remained in Vienna. Howe-
Bonaparte. Napoleon quickly reali- was disillusioned with his minister's ver, his actions in Vienna alienated
sed that the support and advice of venality. Nevertheless, Napoleon the Tsar, and subsequently Louis
Talleyrand were extremely valuable continued to consult Talleyrand un- XVIII accepted his resignation (24
-- although he did not always lis- til the end of his regime. September 1815) because the roya-
ten. However, the time was not yet list members of the National Assem-
quite ripe for a military dictatorship. For instance, in September 18o8 Na- bly considered him a revolutionary.
poleon took Talleyrand with him to a For the next fifteen years Talleyrand
Napoleon's ambitions were wild and gathering of European sovereigns at lived in retirement writing his me-
fantastic. His most preposterous ac- Erfurt in Germany. Talleyrand held moirs, living off his accumulated
tion at this moment was a hazardous secret talks with the Tsar of Russia, wealth and a dignified sinecure that
military expedition to Egypt across Alexander I, urging him to oppose gave him access to the royal court.
the Mediterranean Sea controlled Napoleon. Talleyrand and the Tsar In 1830, he was appointed by the
by Nelson and the British Navy -- thereafter kept up a clandestine cor- new King Louis-Philippe as Am-
which, apparently, Talleyrand ur- respondence. In March 1814 when bassador to London. In contrast
ged him to do. The Battle of the Nile Napoleon's regime collapsed and with his treatment in 1792, he was
duly took place in August 1798 and the Allied Armies entered Paris, the now received with full diplomatic
Napoleon found himself cut off in Tsar stayed at Talleyrand's house. At honours. He subsequently played a
Egypt. After a perilous journey, he this critical moment only Talleyrand fundamental role in the creation of
arrived back in Paris on 16 October knew what to do: he convinced the the new Kingdom of Belgium.
1799. His coup d'etat took place on Tsar that France needed the Bour-
the following 9 November, known as bon King Louis XVIII, who upon his This venerable old gentleman of
the 18 Brumaire in the revolutionary return immediately appointed Tal- French politics died on 17 May 1838
calendar. leyrand as his First Minister. in Paris and is buried at his château
at Valencay. Despite his gambling,
Talleyrand, who had resigned from Talleyrand exhibited his diplomatic his womanising, his cynicism, his ve-
the Directory in June 1799, found skills to the full at the Congress of nality, his deceit and his witticisms,
himself five months later appointed Vienna in 1814-1815. Having pen- Talleyrand can be regarded as a poli-
as Napoleon's Minister of Foreign sioned off his wife, Talleyrand tra- tical realist: "There are no principles,
Affairs and would remain in this velled to Vienna with his beautiful only events." He was the statesman
post until August 1807. Napoleon "niece", Mme la Comtesse Edmond who brought peace and order to
performed two personal services for de Périgord -- he was 60, she 21. Europe at the Congress of Vienna in
Talleyrand: he obliged the Pope to She would remain his companion 1815. Given his avowed support for
forgive him his religious errors; and until his death. In Vienna, he ma- freedom of the press, it is ironic that
he insisted that Talleyrand marry naged to drive a wedge between the his story is also a wonderful illus-
his mistress, Catherine Grand. In four Allies: England and Austria on tration of the vast progress that has
due time, he appointed Talleyrand one hand; and Prussia and Russia taken place in the last 200 years in
Grand Chamberlain of the Empire, on the other. Even though France political ethics and accountability.
Vice-Elector and, finally, Prince had lost the war, through this ma-
and Duke of Benevento. With the noeuvre it became the fifth Great HAYWARD BEYWOOD

44 History
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