The sun., 1907-12-01


with his appointment 70 the command Of
the Army Of Italy II was at this juncture
that Napoleon began to SigD himself Bona
parte.
In a chapter devoted to the Italian cam
paign, which ended with the Peace OF
Campo FOrmiO, the author says that whom
Napoleon returned definitely co Paris
everything had united TO raise this one
man above the world around him and 60
conduct him to the summit Of the Capitol.
Not only ths fame Of his victories In Italy
these. moreover, such as the old annals OF
France hardly knew-but also circumstance.
chance. fortune had Oonspred to lay on
his shoulders the chief burden OF tho con-
dict and at the same time 10 place on his
head the most abundant laurels. All parties
saw In Napoleon their man. and 30 far As
appearance went were justified in 30 re-
garding him. though in point OF fact he
had never belonged to any OF them.
In the chapter ON Napoleon "Tn the East '
the author Of this book shows how little
real ground there was for the slander which
his enemies soon put into circulation and
which has since been repeated a thousand
times and developed into elaborate theories
and accusations. namely, the story that
Napoleon basely deserted his comrades and
acted against the orders Of the Directory
in leaving Egypt, with no other induCement
than the hope of securing his own advan-
tage, protecting his private interests and
taking advantage Of the defeat and die
organization of France to obtain power
and even the crown itself. DIR. Lenz
demonstrates that Napoleon, even before
he started for Egypt had set his mind
upon getting back to Europe as early as
the autumn Of 1898, and this with a view
to making a direct attack on England.
Such plans were not to be thought Of after
the battle Of the Nile; he then had perforce
to think only Of holding possession Of
Egypt. He had never quite given up,
however, the idea Of returning home,
nor had the Directory itself at any time
thought of restricting his full liberty Of
action in this respect.
Before his Horay into Syria Napoleon
had written more than once to his Govern
ment on the subject, in connection with
the possibility or the imminence Of an
outbreak OF war on the Continent.
little later the return Of the whole expe-
dition was projected. In connection with
this project the Directory had left il to
Napoleon's discretion whether a portion
Of the troops might remain in Egypt. pro-
vided he could answer for their security.
and the Directors had expressly indicated
il to be their earnest desire to see him at the
head of the republican armies in Europe.
He could therefore say to himself that IL
he decided to come back without the army
he would be acting neither against nor with
out the orders OF his Government. He
might have truly said to himself. moreover
that even for Egypt safety could only he
found by his coming to the help Of the
totterinR republic The moment il be-
came clear TO him that the colony. like a
fortress left without hope Of relief from
outside. must soon or late be lost his re-
turn 10 Europe was a necessity. for il was
now only therein that the victory could be
won which the battle Of the Nile had made
impossible on the sea. Napoleon indeed
did not yet know the whole extent Of the
defeat which the republic was just then
suffering in EurOpe-the complete change
Of it's position and its hopelessness. All
this he learned only after his return.
Dr. LsnE also finds IL easy to understand
why Napoleon did not let the French army
in Egypt know OF his decision to return TO
France until he had acted upon II. Our
author cOnfesses however. that il is harder
to explain why his successor in command.
Gen. Kleber. was only informed Of the task
entrusted TO him after his chief had de-
parted. and that one can readily imagine
the depression Of spirits in which Kleber
thereupon reported to the Directory that
the situation was a miserable one. Az
matter OF fact. as Kleber himself soon
showed by his victory at Heliopolis in
March. 1900. over 80. 900 Turks. the state OF
affairs was not 80 desperate, and as Ma
poleon had said at an earlier date, the
colony was tenable. Even the dagger of
the fanatic who slew Kleber did not affect
seriously French rule in Egypt. As il
turned cut Napoleon had actually rees-
tablished peace on the European Conti-
nent when in September. 1901, the Nile
land fell into the hands of England.
Granted says this German biographer.
that Napoleon fought for his own interests.
but Just then his interests were those OF
France. Granted that il was his ambition
to obtain power in France and to have
the decisive direction Of affairs in his hands.
but he might justly say that it was his
work which had been destroyed and that
he was the man who could restore what
the incapacity Of others had brought TO
ruin"