NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. A remarkable Autograph Manuscript

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. A remarkable Autograph Manuscript

Napoleon reflects on his main steps to power whilst planning his memoirs

 

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. A remarkable Autograph Manuscript, unsigned, one page, folio, n.p. (Saint Helena; the paper featuring a watermark incorporating an image of Boadicea in her war chariot), n.d. (1815-21), in pencil. The manuscript represents Napoleon's initial working draft for his proposed memoirs, listing a table of contents of thirteen chapters (the last of which is left blank) and seemingly drawn up in haste, the handwriting difficult to decipher in places and with several deletions and corrections, in part, 'chap. 1 18 brumaire ch 2 General sense….action of the government .....1800….ch 3 tasks of the legislative body 1800 1801 ch 4 finances 1800 1801 ch 5 war of Vendée1800 and 1801 ch 6 defence ch 7 armies…..ch 8 preli[minaries] of St Julien ch 9 Holland ch…..Italy ch 10….ch 11 negoc[iations] of 1800-1801 Lunéville, Amiens…..Return of peace ch 12 Revolt of the populations. Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Genoa ch 13….'. Autograph material of Napoleon is extremely rare in any form, particularly so from Saint Helena, and the present document (most likely prepared at Longwood House as he dictated his memoirs to Emmanuel, Comte de Las Cases) is of particular historical interest as Napoleon seemingly dismisses the early years of his life for his memoirs and instead concentrates on a decisive period of three years in which he rose from being First Consul to Emperor. Some light overall age wear and a few small, minor tears to the edges, otherwise VG