Few love stories can compete with that of Napoleon Bonaparte and his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, in the level of interest they arouse over time. Director Ridley Scott describes in his new film "Napoleon," which will be released this week, the general's love for Josephine as the only true love in his life, even hinting that it was the motive behind his military conquests. However, some historians have recently debunked the myth surrounding the love of the two, as revealed here with the help of ChatGPT.
"He came out of nowhere to control everything, but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn't, he conquered it to destroy her, and destroyed himself in the process," Scott told Deadline. The historical drama film delves into Napoleon's relentless pursuit of power and global influence, while leading a frustrating marriage due to separation constraints, power games, infidelity and the absence of a long-awaited heir.
How true is it that Napoleon's militaristic ambitions were motivated by his relationship with Josephine? The truth is as complex as the two characters involved.
Napoleon and Josephine crossed paths in 1795. They met in an elegant salon in post-revolutionary Paris. He was only 26 years old, but he had already commanded a brigade and was known as a brilliant strategist. She was 32 years old, a socialite, mother of two children, and widow of a count executed for treason during the terror of the French Revolution. She herself feared for her life when she was suspected of counter-revolutionary activity and arrested, but was released at the end of the Reign of Terror, and was even allowed to inherit her husband's property. Both were ambitious and sophisticated people, attracted to each other's power and influence. However, they were also very different people, with different aspirations and desires: Napoleon was a motivated person, who was always focused on his career, while Josephine was more interested in social life, enjoying the luxury of her position.
As an inexperienced young man, Napoleon was desperately in love with Josephine, while she was simultaneously having an affair with another man without making much effort to hide it - but he forgave her. About six months after their meeting, they were married in an expedited civil ceremony at Paris City Hall. They both lied on the marriage certificate about their age. She took four years off, and he added one. Their union was a union of mutual needs - Napoleon sought aristocratic ties and social sophistication, while Josephine sought economic security and stability after surviving imprisonment during the Reign of Terror.
Just two days after their wedding, Napoleon was forced to leave. These years were the beginning of the glory of the French army: the conquest of Italy and the surrender of Austria. But while the soldier's mind was busy planning tactics on the battlefield, his heart was with Josephine. Napoleon sometimes wrote her letters full of love and passion – sometimes more than once a day. Their letters show great passion and longing, but also possessiveness and accusations. However, the letters also included admonitions from the future emperor about what he considered indifference on her part. After he set out, she returns to her tradition: lovers and luxury. Occasionally, however, he wrote to her declaring his 'unconditional love'. Soon, he asked her to come meet him in Italy, but she continued to drag her feet. She even invented pregnancy, and later abortion, to justify her stay in Paris. In response, he was close to abandoning his armies and returning home to reunite with his elusive love.
During the Egyptian campaign, the situation was repeated: Josephine persevered with her novels, and Napoleon continued to conquer territories for his country. In Egypt, one of his trusted associates told him about Josephine's betrayals, which were already known throughout Paris. He immediately returned to France, mentally but steadfast in his commitment, choosing emotional distance over divorce. The gradual distancing had a strange effect: according to historical evidence, from then on, Josephine seemed jealous and in love, while Napoleon became more distant and even found lovers for himself. Faced with this situation, Josephine responded by emotionally blackmailing and spending exorbitant sums of money on luxuries, jewelry, clothes and renovations of her palaces.
On the other hand, the issue of succession became more and more important - especially in 1804, when Napoleon crowned himself emperor for life at Notre Dame Cathedral in the presence of the Pope. Josephine, who was also crowned empress, took advantage of the visit of the head of the church to get married in the church - a strange step, since at that point the marriage was completely dissolved. There was shouting, arguing and even physical violence. However, for years no one considered divorce. Josephine also seemed to have a special talent for being an empress, and people admired her.
The couple's coronation solidified their status and added another layer of complexity to their public image. But every emperor needs a successor - something that Napoleon did not have. In fact, Josephine's inability to produce a successor was a major source of conflict between them. Unsympathy for her among Napoleon's family exacerbated his frustrations, and he began to contemplate divorce. However, he recognized the political advantages of the family unit and appreciated his wife's diplomatic skills. The role of Josephine was vital to Napoleon's public image, and she embodied his power through grace, manners and a luxurious lifestyle.
The situation continued for another four years. The couple's private war reached a point of no return when one of Josephine's courtiers discovered that she was pregnant with the emperor, and he, fearing until then that he might be infertile, was delighted to discover that he was not. The prospect of an heir from another woman hastened the separation from his wife.
Napoleon eventually divorced Josephine in 1810 and married Marie Louise, an Austrian princess who bore him a son, Napoleon II (who died at the age of 2 from tuberculosis). On his relationship with Marie Louise, Napoleon joked: 'I married a womb.' Many signs testified to Napoleon's continuing feelings for Josephine even after their divorce. The picture that emerges from those days is of a relationship that was missed by circumstances, not by lack of love. He continued to pay her a generous allowance, and her title was not taken from her. They remained close friends until her death in 21 from complications of a cold. Her funeral was attended by more than 1814,20 people. The atmosphere in Paris at the time was also gloomy because of the end of Napoleon's brilliant journey through European history. His success seemed to have something to do with his relationship with Josephine from the beginning. After being defeated in Russia and rejected by his own people, he abdicated as emperor after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 000. He was later exiled by the British to the island of St. Helena. There, for almost six years, he devoted himself to writing his memoirs, until his death in 1815. His last words, it was said, were: "France, the army, Josephine." It turned out that his personal defeats had the same heavy weight as those on the battlefield.
Did one of history's greatest generals really have a dire need for military conquests to impress his elusive wife? The idea, admittedly, is not far-fetched. However, contemporary historical perspectives challenge this idea. It seems that Josephine was undoubtedly a muse, but not a leading motivator in her husband's military conquests. There were a number of other significant motives for this:
personal fame - Napoleon was a very ambitious man, who wanted to be remembered as one of the greatest military commanders in history, and he believed that the only way to achieve this was to conquer as many territories as possible;
Nationalism - Napoleon was an ardent patriot, who believed that France was destined to rule the world. He saw himself as the embodiment of French nationalism, and believed it was his duty to expand the territory of France;
Ideology - Napoleon was a supporter of the French Revolution and its ideals: liberty, equality and fraternity. He believed that his mission was to spread these ideals throughout Europe, even if it meant the use of force;
Economic gain - Napoleon was aware that France faced economic difficulties in the years after the revolution. He saw conquest as a way to enrich France and its citizens by plundering occupied territories and gaining access to new markets and resources;
Defence: Napoleon believed that France was surrounded by dangerous enemies, and saw conquest as a way to create a buffer zone around the country for defensive purposes.
It is likely that Napoleon, a complex man with a wide range of ambitions and motivations, was motivated by a combination of all these factors. He had a great love for Josephine, but it probably wasn't the motive for his military conquests.
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