#(Failed Soldat | June)

[corruptedbunny-multimuse]

“And here we are!” Acacia looked up when they heard the automated voice, and they looked to see... what seemed to be a bunch of mercenaries looking at Lethe. Acacia smiled a little bit and waved to them.

~~~

Meanwhile, a certain scientist had created a little surprise for his previous creation...

~~~

[June, Quiet, Rosir, Monufel, Reek, Hades, Orvenaq, Craig, Doge, Buck, Colton, Lethe, Acacia, and Blythe have been added!]

#(New Party Member | New Muse) #(Failed Soldat | June) #(Meaningful Name | Quiet) #(Youngest Chaser | Rosir) #(Eldest Tactician | Monufel) #(Middle Gymnast | Reek) #(Trying Their Best | Hades) #(It's For Science | Orvenaq) #(Stop the Science | Craig) #(Mr. Funny Man! | Doge) #(Rodeo Clown | Buck) #(Glowstick Sheriff | Colton) #(Imperfect Being | Lethe) #(Perfect Fluffball | Acacia) #(Giggly Tickler | Blythe)

[josefavomjaaga]

Napoleon and Jérôme, summer 1810

Looking for a letter Napoleon wrote to Louis I came across another one he wrote to his youngest brother Jérôme, for whom he had created the kingdom of Westphalia. This correspondence imo gives a nice impression of how Napoleon treated his »vassal kingdoms«. It takes place immediately after Louis had despaired of his situation in Holland and had abdicated in favour of his son, which then had led to Napoleon annexing Holland, ignoring his own nephew’s rights to inherit the crown.

On July 20, 1810, Napoleon has just learned about Louis’ whereabouts and informs Jérôme of it.

On August 18, 1810, he lets Jérôme know that, as he’s already busy annexing Louis’ former kingdom, he’ll also occupy a part of Jérôme’s territory in the process.

In a letter from August 22, 1810, he tells that »the troops that I have in Westphalia« (and for which Jérôme was to pay) »complain of not being paid, their salary for June, July and August being overdue«.

In a letter from September 11, he finally goes into detail about the finances of Jérôme’s kingdom, telling his brother that he will not forward any money to him, »the income of Westphalia will suffice you, if you govern it well«. Jérôme is to not raise his own, Westphalian army to a large extent, because Napoleon estimates that German soldiers will not be of great help against Prussia. »My system would be in great danger if I regarded those 20.000 Westphalian soldiers as ‚soldats surs’«.

What this means is, of course, that the only soldiers available would be French, making the kingdom utterly dependent on France and de facto turning it into a territory occupied by foreign troops. This also explains why Jérôme’s Westphalia was of so little help in 1813.

And then Napoleon dedicates a whole passage to the question of »donataires«, i.e., the marshals and generals who received money that was taken from the revenue of Westphalia:

My recipients are ruined by the measures you take, albeit my intention had been to give them some free income. The existence of a big number of families is based on that. […] My soldiers have gained these compensations in the wars that created your kingdom. This is a secret debt and I must protect it. I know that there are donataires whom people want to hold responsible for the debts of their predecessors, when I gave them goods free of all charge. These annoying talks are painful to me; it is your task to make them stop and to not listen to the local mood. Your ministers don’t see the big picture.

Here the second half of the letter’s draft was crossed out but is still readable on the »minute«: »[…] and do not put themselves into a suitable position to find the true means of grandeur and enlargement of the kingdom.« Those means being obedience against your own better interests - and saying thank you to Paris on top of it, I presume.

As for those »donataires«: As the footnotes to this letter state, no less than 18 (!) marshals received donations from Westphalia (tax-free), the sum of which made up 20% of all of Westphalia’s revenues. One fifth of the country’s income of that year had gone directly into the pockets of French generals! And that on top of having to pay the salaries of the French troops that were stationed in Westphalia (and most likely quartered in private houses, meaning the inhabitants had to take care for their lodgings), and of having a portion of Westphalian territory annexed to France.

To sum up, Jérôme’s job is to foot the bill and make sure nobody pays attention to the »local mood« .

I fail to see how this »system« was ever supposed to work.

#1810 #napoleon #napoleon's family #kingdom of westphalia #jérôme bonaparte