Auguste Charles Joseph Flaud de La Billarderie ( fr. Auguste Charles Joseph Flahaut de La Billarderie ; April 21, 1785 , Paris - September 2, 1870 ) - French general and diplomat.
| Charles Joseph de Flao | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | |
| Date of death | or |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Occupation | , , |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | and |
| Awards and prizes | names carved under the Arc de Triomphe |
Biography
Officially, he was considered the son of Alexander Sebastian de Flao, but contemporaries were convinced that Flao's spouse, Adelaide Filie de Souza-Bottello, gave birth to a son from Charles Moris Talleyrand , her long-term lover. Charles de Flao and Talleyrand for many years had a special friendship. Alexander de Flao was executed in Arras in 1793. Adelaide de Flao emigrated with her son back in 1792. They returned to their homeland in 1798.
At the age of 15, he joined the volunteer battalion accompanying Napoleon in the Italian campaign of 1800. From 1801 - adjutant of Louis Bonaparte , from 1803 - Murat , from 1808 - Bertier. He fought in Portugal, Germany, Spain and Russia.
Flao had a reputation as "one of the greatest seducers in the French army" [5] . Contemporaries described him as a tall blond with blue eyes. According to Hydrangea Beauharnais , he sang well. His lovers were Carolina Murat , Polina Bonaparte , as well as Anna Pototskaya . However, his most famous novel is his relationship with Hortense Beauharnais, who in 1811 gave birth to the son of Charles , the future Duke de Morny, from Flao (there is also a version that Flao was the father of Napoleon III himself) [5] . In the birth certificate, the father indicated “Auguste Jean Hyacinth Demorney, from Santo Domingo, residing in Viltanese, Seine”, and the mother - his wife “Coralie Emily Louise Fleury”.
In 1813 he received the rank of brigadier general, in the same year he became Napoleon's adjutant. Napoleon, who at first had a cool attitude towards Flao, believing that he had no virtues other than appearance, later changed his mind, calling him a man “capable of anything.”
After the battle of Dresden, Flao received the rank of division general (October 24, 1813). The title of Count of the Empire and the rank of commander of the Legion of Honor were awarded to him in 1814. On February 22, 1814, Flao met with plenipotentiaries of Russia, Austria and Prussia to resolve the armistice, but his proposals were rejected.
After the first abdication of Napoleon, during the Restoration of the Bourbons , he switched to their side. During the " Hundred Days " he rejoined the emperor. In 1815, after the second abdication of the emperor, he had the intention to accompany Napoleon to St. Helena , but, under the influence of his mother, refused him. Later, unsuccessfully tried to transfer the throne to the son of Napoleon. The intercession of Talleyrand saved Flao from prison, but he left France.
He settled in England, where he married Margaret Merker Elphinstone, Baroness Kate. The couple had five daughters. Flao returned to France in 1827. During the July monarchy, he began a diplomatic career. Flao had a very good relationship with Louis Philippe , who during his years of emigration was his mother's lover. In 1830, Flao became lieutenant general and peer of France. He was the French ambassador to Berlin and Vienna. He resigned in September 1848, after the fall of the July monarchy , and left for England.
He participated with his son from Hortense Beauharnais, the future Duke de Morny, in preparation for the coup on December 2, 1851 , which was supposed to enthrone the legitimate son of Hortense - Louis Napoleon . After the latter came to power - the senator (since December 31, 1852), the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor. Quickly disappointed in Napoleon III [6] , he soon moved away from politics. Nevertheless, he remained faithful to the regime of the Second Empire , and in 1860 received the post of ambassador to London. He left this post in 1862 due to disagreements with Napoleon III, including in connection with the resignation of Foreign Minister Edouard Tuvnel .
Flao died on the day of the Battle of Sedan , which put an end to the Second Empire. He was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre in Paris. His descendant was a statesman of modern France Michel Poniatowski (1922-2002).
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 http://www.senat.fr/senateur-2nd-empire/flahaut_de_la_billarderie_auguste_charles_joseph0096e2.html
- ↑ 1 2 BNF identifier : Open Data Platform 2011.
- ↑ Léonore database - ministère de la Culture .
- ↑ German National Library , Berlin State Library , Bavarian State Library , etc. Record # 116587342 // General Normative Control (GND) - 2012—2016.
- ↑ 1 2 Brandys M. Historical Tales. - M .: Progress , 1975 .-- S. 376.
- ↑ He wrote to his son: “What a difference, my God! Between him and his uncle! ”
Literature
- Frédéric Masson (1847-1923), Le Général Cte de Flahaut. Une rectification (Paris, impr. De Dubuisson, 1881);
- The Secret of the Coup d'État: an unpublished correspondence of prince Louis Napoleon, MM. de Morny, de Flahault, and others, 1848 to 1852 , edited with an introduction by the earl of Kerry and a study by Philip Guedalla. London: Constable. IX-263, 1924); Le Secret du coup d'État, correspondance inédite du Prince Louis-Napoléon, de MM. Morny, de Flahault et autres , traduction française de l'ouvrage ci-dessus, par le baron Jacques de Maricourt (Paris, éditions Emile-Paul frères, 1928, 315 p.);
- Françoise de Bernardy, Charles de Flahaut, 1785-1870, que deux reines aimèrent (Paris, Hachette, 1954, 279 p.);
- Françoise de Bernardy, Flahaut: 1785-1870, fils de Talleyrand, père de Morny (Paris, Perrin, coll. "Présence de l'histoire", 1974, 383 + 16 p.).