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Napoleon’s Final Effort for “A suspension of warfare and to stop for the present the outpouring of human blood and the calamities of war”

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NAPOLEON I, EMPEROR OF FRANCE. (1769-1821). Military leader and Emperor of France. DS. (“Napole”). 1p. Folio. Paris, December 30, 1813. Countersigned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs ARMAND-AUGUSTIN-LOUIS DE CAULAINCOURT, DUC DE VICENCE (1773-1827; “Caulaincourt, Duc de Vicence”) and Secretary of State HUGHES BERNARD MARET, DUC DE BASSANO (1763-1839; “Le Duc de Bassano”). In French with translation.

Napoléon by the grace of God and the Constitution, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation: Wishing to hasten insofar as it lies in us to do so, the re-establishment of a sincere, honorable and lasting peace between all the belligerent powers and in order to overcome the difficulties which might retard the opening of negotiations: and having complete confidence, capacity, experience, zeal and fidelity to our service of J. Nompère, Comte de Champagny Duc de Cadore, the Minister of State, Intendant General of our Crown. We shall have granted to him and do hereby grant full authority, permission and mandate that on Our behalf, in Our name, and with the plenipotentiaries who shall be named by the powers at war with us, and who shall be likewise furnished with authority in due form, negotiate, conclude and sign preliminary articles conforming to the outline and principles which have been proposed to Us and to which We have adhered and further negotiate, conclude and sign, if such is the wish of all Allies, such agreement, document or articles shall be deemed necessary to establish a suspension of warfare and to stop for the present the outpouring of human blood and the calamities of war, engaging to find acceptable and to become a definite and lasting party to, to execute and carry out punctually everything that J. Duc de Cadore shall have signed pursuant to this authorization: and to expedite our letter of ratification thereof to be exchanged at a place and according to terms which shall be agreed upon.

In witness whereof we shall have given these presents, signed by Our hand, countersigned and made authoritative with Our Imperial Seal

Given at Paris, the 30th day of December 1813 and of Our Reign the tenth.

The Minister of Foreign Relations

Caulaincourt, Duc de Vicence

By the Order of the Emperor

Napole

Secretary of State

Le Duc de Bassano” 

Following Napoléon’s retreat from Moscow in late 1812, Prussia, Russia, Britain, and Sweden formed the Sixth Coalition hoping to ensure the defeat of the French emperor. Napoléon’s forces engaged the allies at Leipzig from October 16-18, 1813, in what became known as The Battle of Nations – the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoléon was soundly defeated and once again forced into retreat. “Leipzig effectively cost Napoléon control of Germany and brought his enemies to the frontiers of France,” (Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars, Chandler). Also in 1813, the French army lost its foothold in Spain and by November it had lost Holland as well. With a weakened Napoléon, Austria’s foreign minister, Klemens von Metternich, drafted the Frankfurt Proposals, an agreement designed to end the war and confine France to its “natural borders” between the Pyrenees, Alps and the Rhine.

The draft allowed France to retain control of Belgium, Savoy and the Rhineland and for Napoléon to remain emperor. The proposal’s final version was relayed to Napoléon in November 1813, but the Emperor, expecting victories on the field, delayed acceptance until December 2, 1813. However, the Allies withdrew their proposal due to Great Britain’s concern over French occupation of Belgium. Beginning on December 21, 1813, coalition forces crossed the Rhine River near Basel and entered France. In a last-ditch effort to postpone the inevitable, Napoléon signed our document on December 30th, but Paris fell on March 31, 1814, and on April 6th Napoléon abdicated – a month later he sailed into exile toward the island of Elba.

As related in our historic document, Napoléon makes a last-ditch effort to negotiate for peace by authorizing Jean-Baptiste de Nompère de Champagny, 1st Duc de Cadore (1759-1834), a senator and secretary of the Regency to act as a plenipotentiary and attempt “the re-establishment of a sincere, honorable and lasting peace,” most likely intended for his participation at the Congress of Chatillon, the final attempt to reach a peace between the warring factions, begun on February 4 and dissolved on March 17, 1814. Champagny had held a number of important positions in Napoléon’s government including minister of the interior and minister of foreign relations in which capacity he helped devise the continental blockade, the occupation of Spain and Portugal, and negotiate the Treaty of Schönbrunn, which ended France’s 1809 war with Austria, the War of the Fifth Coalition. After 1811, he held the sinecure office of intendant general of the crown and was sent on ministerial missions such as this one.

As secretary of state from 1799-1811 and again beginning on November 20, 1813, Maret was “the government minister responsible for all communications between the First Consul (Emperor) and military and civilian administrative departments,” (An Encyclopedia of Napoléon’s Europe, Palmer). Unlike other ministers of state, Maret traveled with Napoléon and his armies as part of his personal staff and was raised to the nobility in 1809 as Duc de Bassano. According to John R. Elting’s, Swords Around A Throne, Maret was the pivot of Napoléon’s civilian rule. “Genial and fond of witty conversation and clever women, Maret was an outstanding executive, tough under stress, brave under fire.”

Caulaincourt began his military career at the age of 14, fighting in 13 campaigns. His fluency in Russian and other languages allowed him to transition to a diplomatic career when Napoléon sent him to St. Petersburg in 1801 after which he became Napoléon’s aide-de-camp. He negotiated the Treaty of Tilsit with the Russians as well as a potential marriage between Napoléon and Tsar Alexander I’s sister. Despite discouraging Napoléon from invading Russia, he accompanied the emperor on the ill-fated campaign and warned him against wintering there. Upon the death of Géraud Duroc, Caulaincourt succeeded him as Grand Marshal of the Palace, in which capacity he negotiated the Treaty of Fontainebleau and is credited with the provision which confined Napoléon to Elba after his abdication. Nonetheless, he served as Napoléon’s minister of foreign affairs during his Hundred Days. He was made Duke of Vicenza in 1808.

Written on vellum with some age wear along the edges; the ink is a bit light in spots. An important historic document signed at the close of Napoleon’s reign over Europe.

Napoleon’s Final Effort for “A suspension of warfare and to stop for the present the outpouring of human blood and the calamities of war”

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