Fire and Sword

by Simon Scarrow

  Alexander looked closely from side to side, noting the decorations on the chests of the veterans lining the route. ‘A most impressive body of men.’

  ‘Indeed.’ Napoleon smiled. ‘I can assure you that they can fight as well as put on a smart display.’

  ‘So I have been told,’ Alexander replied wryly, and flashed a smile back at the Emperor.‘Those of my officers who faced them at Eylau say they will never forget how hard they fought to dislodge us from the town.’

  ‘And today they are assembled to greet you, Alexander. To welcome you as a new ally of France.’

  The Tsar nodded his head in grateful acknowledgement and at his side the King of Prussia shot his erstwhile friend a quick look of anxiety.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind,’ Napoleon continued in a conversational tone, ‘but I have given instructions that your accommodation is to be furnished from my personal stores. I have taken the liberty of sending you my best campaign bed.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Alexander replied. ‘Most kind of you.’

  ‘It was my pleasure,’ said Napoleon. He turned to the King of Prussia, who was wearing a wretched expression. ‘Sadly, my stores are somewhat limited by virtue of being on campaign, and I have been able to send you only what is left after having provided for the Tsar. I am sure you understand.’

  ‘Of course.’ Frederick William nodded. ‘I appreciate it.’

  The procession wound through the streets until it reached the headquarters of the Grand Army.There a banquet had been laid out for the guests, and once Napoleon had formally greeted the Tsar and the King of Prussia before the assembled officers and courtiers, toasts were drunk and the officers fell to talking. As Napoleon had ordered, his marshals and generals approached their opposite numbers and engaged with them in an animated manner regarding the features of the recent campaign. The reception continued through the hot afternoon, and Napoleon turned every measure of his charm on the Tsar, flattering him in every credible way while at the same time making clear their similarities and those of their respective nations and national interests. Meanwhile the King of Prussia stood by, occasionally included in the conversation and looking more and more bereft and humiliated as the hours wore on.

  Late in the afternoon the Tsar took leave of his host, and the Russian retinue, and the handful of officers accompanying Frederick William, drifted off towards the accommodation prepared for them. As the last of them left imperial headquarters, passing once again between the ranks of the guardsmen, Napoleon watched them go with a weary sigh.

  ‘Well, that’s done.’

  ‘Thank Christ for that,’ Ney muttered sourly.‘Never had to entertain such a bunch of dunderheaded dandies in all my life.’

  ‘This is only the start of it.’ Napoleon yawned. ‘I want to put the Grand Army on display while we conduct our negotiations. I want Alexander to be in no doubt about the quality of the men he must face if he ever decides to wage war on France again. Pass the word to Berthier. He is to give orders for a review of each corps.We’ll start with the Guard in two days’ time.’

  ‘Yes, sire.’

  Now that the strain of the day’s preparations and performance were over, weariness descended on Napoleon like a dead weight. He rolled his head to ease the stiffness in his neck.‘I am retiring to my quarters to rest. I am not to be disturbed.’

  ‘Yes, sire.’

  Napoleon turned away, and then paused. ‘Don’t forget to have the Imperial Guard dismissed. Poor fellows have been out there for the best part of six hours.’

  Ney grinned. ‘Do ’em good, sire. Keep them on their toes ready for action at the drop of a hat.That’s what I say.’

  Napoleon stared at him and shook his head. ‘The Grand Army has had its fill of war for the present, Michel. We need peace. Time to rest the men and rebuild our strength.’ He turned away, adding under his breath, ‘Ready for the next time it is needed.’

  Chapter 32

  While the preliminary articles of the peace negotiations were drawn up by the staff officers of the Emperor and the Tsar, Napoleon entertained his guests with a series of military pageants and reviews. A makeshift parade ground had been prepared by the engineers outside Tilsit complete with a grandstand where Napoleon, Alexander and the wretched Frederick William could sit in comfort as formation after formation of infantry, cavalry and artillery performed drills for their audience.

  Napoleon intended these displays to serve two purposes. First to awe the Russians with the quality and quantity of troops at his disposal, and second to buy time until the diplomats gathered at Tilsit to begin the process of agreeing the precise terms of the treaty and drafting the final document for ratification and signatures.

  A room had been set aside at the imperial headquarters to serve as the negotiating chamber, and the moment Talleyrand arrived from Berlin the talks began in earnest. The foreign minister arrived at night and was immediately ushered into Napoleon’s private quarters, where he was met by the Emperor in a loose dressing gown.The air was humid and heavy, as if a storm was about to be unleashed over the Prussian countryside.

  ‘Sire.’ Talleyrand bowed his head. ‘May I congratulate you on your victory over the Russians. I imagine that the news has reached Paris by now and all France is celebrating.’

  ‘I’m sure of it,’ Napoleon replied curtly. ‘Sit down. I have sent for refreshments. I trust you had a comfortable journey.’

  ‘It might have been comfortable had these barbarous Prussians ever bothered to maintain proper roads. As it was my internal organs feel as if they have spent the last few days in a butter churn.’

  Napoleon chuckled. ‘You were never one for the hard life, Talleyrand.’

  ‘Indeed, sire. Some are bred for the harsh conditions of waging war, and some are naturally inclined to the comforts of the salon. Sadly, I fall into the latter category and would be of little use to my country on the battlefield.’

  ‘True, you are weak and soft,’ Napoleon mused, and then decided it would be of benefit to humour his foreign minister. ‘But your skills at the negotiating table are every bit as valuable to me as the martial talents of my generals.’

  ‘Thank you, sire.’ Talleyrand nodded, and then leaned back in his chair and pulled out a silk cloth to dab his heavy jowls. ‘Once I have had some rest I will be ready to talk to our new friends.’

  ‘You can sleep later,’ Napoleon responded.‘Once we have conferred.’

  ‘Can we not wait until morning?’Talleyrand glanced down at his fob watch and saw that it was already past midnight.‘Dawn is no more than five hours away.’

  ‘We will talk now.’

  There was a light tap at the door and a moment later it was opened and two servants entered carrying a platter of meat, cheese and bread, and a bottle of wine and two glasses. They set them down and retired in silence, closing the door behind them. Napoleon gestured to the food. ‘Eat, if you are hungry.’Then he poured them each a glass of wine and eased himself back in his chair. He held the glass in both hands and fixed his stare on the foreign minister. Talleyrand hurriedly picked at some of the food before he took a sip from his glass and cleared his throat.

  ‘Well then, sire, what advantage do you intend to wrest from this situation?’

  Napoleon drank from his own glass before he replied. ‘The real threat to us is Russia. So, we must make Russia the partner of our labours. At the moment I have the Tsar eating out of my hand. He believes us to have everything in common, and I have indulged him in that thought. I have let him believe that it is my intention to divide Europe into two spheres of influence.While France is to be given power over the western half of the continent, Russia will have a free hand in the east. I have also said that I will not oppose any action the Tsar decides to take against the Turkish possessions in the Balkans.’

  Talleyrand sighed. ‘Sire, I have only recently concluded an agreement with the Sultan to improve relations between France and Turkey.’

  ‘That does not matter now,’ Napoleon cu
t in dismissively.‘I only ever intended to befriend the Turks in order to open a second front against Russia. Now that Russia is about to become an ally, we can offer them Turkish lands to sweeten an agreement with the Tsar.’

  Talleyrand drew a breath and continued patiently. ‘Diplomacy is a long game, sire. It takes time to build trust, to persuade others that we share common interests and ambitions. It is not an ad hoc process. It has taken years to win the Sultan round. If we abandon him now, I doubt we will be able to repair the damage to our relations for a generation at least. As for Russia, a month ago they were our mortal enemy. Now you would have them as our dearest friend. It is my experience that any friendship of value takes time to build. A friendship forged on the expediency of the moment is of little value, and can be broken just as swiftly as it was cobbled together. I urge caution, sire.We are not dealing simply with playing pieces that we can arrange on a board as the whim takes us.We are dealing with people, their instincts, their prejudices and their traditions. It is a sophisticated process, sire.’

  ‘I thank you for the lesson,’ Napoleon replied tersely. ‘But like all teachers, you are prone to see complications where a more direct approach works just as well, if not better. It is my judgement that Russia will serve as a powerful and useful ally.Therefore it is my command, and your duty, to see that Russia is befriended.’

  Talleyrand stared at the Emperor for a moment, as if considering further protest. Then he took a sip of wine and laced his fingers together. ‘Very well, sire. What else do you intend to ask of our new friends?’

  Napoleon set his glass down on the table and folded his arms. ‘First, in exchange for giving the Russians a free hand against the Turks we will be permitted to occupy some of the islands and coasts around the Adriatic. That will help consolidate our hold on Italy. Second, Russia is to join our embargo on trade with Britain, and put pressure on the other Baltic nations to follow suit.Third, the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain are trading openly with Britain.That must cease forthwith, and if it doesn’t it is my intention to remove their royal dynasties and replace them with monarchs selected from amongst my brothers. In these matters we will clearly need the consent of the Tsar.’

  ‘Clearly,’ Talleyrand agreed and pursed his lips doubtfully. ‘In your estimation, do you think Alexander can be persuaded to support such sweeping demands?’

  ‘Yes. I am sure of it. And with your silver tongue, my friend, our demands will be irresistible.’

  ‘Let us hope so.’ Talleyrand helped himself to another slice of cold sausage. ‘And what of Prussia? What terms do we offer King Frederick William?’

  Napoleon laughed coldly. ‘For our dear cousin, the King of Prussia, I have little but contempt. Only when all seemed to go against me before Austerlitz was that coward prepared to throw in his lot with our enemies. The present war was caused by his folly and his ambition to humble France.’ Napoleon paused. ‘There can only be one fate for Frederick William and his nation: abject humiliation. We will strip Prussia of her present borders and offer to share the spoils with Russia. We will demand reparations, the scale of which will cripple her for years to come, during which time French troops will be garrisoned on Prussian soil. Furthermore, Prussia will be obliged to uphold the trade embargo against Britain, and declare war on Britain if I deem it necessary. Finally, I will require Frederick William to recognise the existing and any future kingdoms that I confer upon members of my family and other monarchs nominated by me.’

  Napoleon smiled with satisfaction as he concluded his list of demands.Talleyrand was quiet for a moment before he responded. ‘Are you quite serious, sire? You propose nothing less than the dismantling of Prussia as it now stands.’

  ‘That’s right. Let it serve as a warning to any nation who even considers dealing dishonestly with France, and her Emperor.’

  ‘Is it wise to go that far, sire?’

  ‘Wise?’ Napoleon frowned.

  Talleyrand shifted uneasily. ‘It appears to me that you are pinning your hopes on winning the Tsar over as a permanent ally, sire.’

  ‘Yes. So?’

  ‘Is that prudent? I think not. To my mind Russia poses the greatest of dangers to European nations. Her influence spreads from the Baltic in the north to Turkey and India to the south. Given time, I dare say the Tsar would consider swallowing up Poland, the Baltic states, and possibly Scandinavia. Unless those nations that lie in her path have the wherewithal to defend themselves, what is to prevent the Tsar from expanding his borders right up to the lands we claim for ourselves? Rather than allying ourselves with Russia we would be better off building an alliance with Austria, and providing Prussia with generous enough terms to swing their loyalty over to us, sire. Magnanimous terms for Frederick William could change Prussian opinion. Besides that, we would need to make sure that the Prussians retained sufficient military potential to discourage any further Russian expansion into Europe.’

  ‘I will not permit Prussia to retain any such potential while that scheming witch Queen Louise is able to influence her husband and the Prussian court against me. I have not defeated an enemy only to present them with the chance to do me further harm at a future date. No. Prussia will be made to suffer so that she learns the cost of defying me. As for the Tsar, you will do what is necessary to secure the best terms for France while offering Alexander anything that might cement the peace between our nations. Within reason, of course.’

  ‘Of course.’ Talleyrand nodded. ‘Though I would still ask your majesty to consider what I have said. Russia is not our natural ally, and it would serve France better to end the war with Britain than take Russia as an ally against her.’

  ‘Thank you, Talleyrand. I have noted your opinion. You have your instructions, and I require you to carry them out. Is that clear?’

  ‘Yes, your majesty.’ Talleyrand bowed his head.

  ‘Then you may go.’

  The foreign minister eased himself up and walked stiffly to the door, where he bowed again before leaving the room. Napoleon stared at the door for a moment, his lips compressing into a thin line. He felt a cold rage in his heart at Talleyrand’s questioning of his judgement. The foreign minister seemed to think that diplomacy must be conducted at the speed of a glacier. The truth was that people had short memories. Yesterday’s villain was interchangeable with today’s hero. Napoleon sniffed with derision. He knew that the very same mob in Paris that had cried out for the blood of the Tsar would be cheering him the moment peace was announced. Talleyrand was wrong. Diplomacy was like war. It was largely a question of arranging the pieces correctly, with a certain amount of bluff and luck. Rising from his chair, Napoleon yawned. As he made his way back to his sleeping quarters he decided that he must write to Fouché and order him to have his agents watch Talleyrand closely. It would be an easy step from disagreeing with the Emperor to plotting against him.

  July had arrived and the days were long and hot. Even though the tall windows of the chamber were left open, the atmosphere inside was uncomfortable and heavy. There were no concessions to the summer temperature, however, and all those in attendance wore their finest uniforms and coats. Sweat pricked out on every man’s brow and the hours dragged on as the terms of the treaty were put forward and debated. Some sessions were attended by representatives of all three nations, but most concerned only the Russians and the French, and the hapless Prussians were excluded.

  As Talleyrand set out the harsh terms demanded by his Emperor as the price of peace with Prussia, Frederick William’s envoys were shocked by the scale of the humiliation being heaped upon their nation. Their protests were met with cold disdain by the French diplomats, and on the sixth day of July the Prussians decided to try a more personal appeal for mercy.

  Napoleon was seated at his desk, reading through the latest correspondence to reach imperial headquarters, when a clerk entered and proffered a sealed letter.

  ‘What’s this?’ Napoleon looked up irritably. ‘Why has it not been opened?’

  The
n he saw the royal seal of Prussia neatly applied to the folded paper. He took it and waved the clerk away. It had been addressed to ‘his imperial majesty, Napoleon, for his personal attention’, in a neat, fine hand. He broke the seal and opened the letter.

  Your imperial majesty, it is a tragedy that our two nations should have been locked in so bitter a struggle for so many months. Now that peace is at hand Prussia looks forward to a new era of friendship with France. In token of this, I wonder if I might meet with you in person to convince you of the lasting benefits of an equitable peace between our nations. I look forward to your response.