were spectacular winners. Joseph had successfully marginalized Berna
dotte on 9 November, taking him for lunch outside Paris while the
Directory was being dissolved. Next day Bernadotte did manage to get
some half-hearted messages through to the Jacobin Societe du Manege,
urging opposition to Bonaparte, but it was Jourdan and Augereau who
did the (unavailing) spadework outside the Chateau of St-Cloud. Later an
apocryphal story was bruited about to the effect that Bernadotte panicked
on the evening of 19 Brumaire, fled in disguise with Desiree (dressed as a
boy), and hid for three days in the forest of Seuart. Though blatantly
false, the story did express symbolically the depth of Bernadotte's
humiliation. According to Lucien's memoirs, Bernadotte later reproached
himself bitterly for not having taken more vigorous action. He explained
his ineptitude partly as weakness of will and partly because Desiree and
Julie bound him ineluctably to the Bonapartes. Napoleon, as always,
forgave him his disloyalty for Desiree's sake and because, through
Joseph's marriage to Julie Clary, he was 'family'. Early in 18oo Napoleon
made him a member of the Council of State with lavish emoluments and
gave him command of the Army of the West.
As Bernadotte's fortunes dipped (albeit only momentarily), those of his
fellow Gascon Murat rose, to the point where he aspired to the hand of
Napoleon's sister Caroline. Now thirty-two, Murat cut a dashing figure.
With thick, jet-black curls, dark-blue eyes and good features marred only
by a coarse, sensual mouth, Murat was the idol of the cavalry; he usually
charged with his men in the front rank and was both adored and
respected by them. A vulgar man with a Jacobin past and a strong Gascon
accent, Murat was among the least intelligent of those in Napoleon's
inner circle. Napoleon despised him for being an innkeeper's son and
having been a draper's assistant and strongly opposed his bid for
Caroline's hand. But he allowed himself to be persuaded by Joseph, with
the result that the marriage took place at the Luxembourg on 18 January
18oo. All the Bonaparte clan (including Bernadotte) was present except
Louis, and Joseph gave Murat an appropriate wedding present by
inducting him into the secrets of property speculation.
Talleyrand, who would sacrifice any person and any principle for
money, had pocketed two million francs from Brumaire. Some scholars
have protested that Barras's inactivity on 19 November is inexplicable,
and that Talleyrand must have given him at least some of the bribe - a
figure of half a million francs is sometimes mentioned. But the plain fact
seems to be that Talleyrand got clean away with all the loot. Duplicity of
a different kind was practised by Joseph Fouche who waited until dusk
on 19 Brumaire to see how events would fall out. He closed the gates of
marcin
(Marcin)
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