Napoleon in Egypt Read Online Free PDF Page B

flatter him.
    Yet Napoleon also knew how to put such things to good use. In his speech of acceptance at the Institute, he went out of his way to make a favorable impression on his fellow members, declaring: “The real conquests, those that leave behind no regrets, are those made over ignorance.” If he was to make his Egyptian expedition something more than a mere campaign of conquest, if it was to be comparable with Alexander the Great’s mission to “hellenize” the Eastern world, then like Alexander he would need to bring the philosophers of his civilization with him. The Institute of France was where he wished to recruit the savants for his expedition to Egypt.
    In the midst of all this, domestic life at Rue de la Victoire took a dramatic turn for the worse when (not for the first time) Napoleon’s suspicions concerning his wife’s fidelity were confirmed, this time by her maid. Josephine’s affair with Hippolyte Charles had continued on their return to Paris. As on at least one previous occasion in Italy, Napoleon had probably suspected the truth, but only when he was unavoidably confronted with it would it appear to affect him: he would rage at her, threaten her, and almost certainly beat her. (On occasions when he lost his temper he was liable to become violent, as his subordinates, servants and aides knew all too well.) Josephine would weep hysterically, protesting her innocence, denying everything; she would beg him on her knees, cajoling him, pretending to faint when all else failed. There is no doubt that he enjoyed humiliating her, especially when he was aware that she was attempting to manipulate him. Indeed, she was manipulating him just as his mother used to do when she sought to entice him into her grasp so that she could thrash him. All the evidence points to there being a strong undercurrent of sadomasochism in the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine, for despite her infidelities, and his beatings, they remained together. Her need for humiliation must have been as great as his need to humiliate her, and her suspected infidelities must have acted as a necessary humiliation for him. Or so it would appear—for we know what he suspected, and we know her behavior. But as long as neither would admit to the truth, the self-deception could continue. Only when someone brought it to Napoleon’s attention would he confront Josephine, and even then her fervent protestations of innocence were enough to satisfy his need to believe her, as well as his need to deceive himself.
    We can only speculate how much this nexus of self-deception and unconscious behavior derived from Napoleon’s relationship with his mother, though its resemblance is uncanny. And without any resort to psychology, it is also easy to see how such a maternal relationship makes for ideal training for a battle commander: the slightest mistake is liable to bring devastating punishment.
    But the marital upsets of Napoleon and Josephine were contained within the privacy of their home; in public, they managed a suitable façade. At the grand ball staged in their honor by Talleyrand on January 4, 1798, amidst the glittering surrounds of the Hôtel Gallifet, the young couple appeared in icy splendor beneath the chandeliers. Such was their poise that they appeared to many like royalty.
    Napoleon had come to Paris with the idea of joining forces with Talleyrand to put before the Directory his plan for the invasion of Egypt. The Directory needed a nation at war in order to ensure their survival, and it had soon become clear that they felt threatened by Napoleon’s popularity; they wanted him out of the way, and an invasion of Egypt appeared to fulfill the wishes of all concerned. Consequently, it came as a shock to both Napoleon and Talleyrand when their Egyptian plan was turned down. Instead, the Directory ordered Napoleon to take command of the Army of England and prepare for an invasion of France’s sole remaining powerful enemy.
    Napoleon