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By Arnie Greenberg
Her name was Marie-Rose de Tascher de la Pageroie, and she was the daughter of a plantation owner from the Caribbean island of Martinique. She married Vicomte Alexandre de Beauharnais. We know that her husband died on the guillotine during the Reign of Terror and that Rose married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796. The bride was eight years older than her husband, and they were divorced in 1809 when Empress Josephine, as she was now called, could not give Napoleon the heir to the crown.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 January 2012 )
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By Robert Korengold
Normandy resident and recipient of a Presidential Award for Sustained
Superior Accomplishment in the conduct of foreign policy, Bud
Korengold, reports on the preparations for the 60th anniversary of the
landings at "Omaha" beach.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 November 2005 )
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By Jean England Freeland
Napoleon was appalled by what was happening in Haiti.
As bits and pieces of always bad news reached France, he began to
re-think his imperialistic strategy. Not accustomed to defeat, Napoleon
was now forced to consider that events in Haiti might be duplicated in
a North American contest. The loss of so many troops did not allow him
the luxury of garrisoning an extensive area so far from Europe.
He
also mulled over the fact that President Jefferson seemed to be alarmed
by a potentially strong French presence in New Orleans, since such a
presence meant the possibility of closing that vital port to U.S.
shipping. When American representatives in Paris began to talk as if
their government might be willing to purchase just enough territory to
ensure that American shipping down the Mississippi River could be
secured, Napoleon decided to solve several problems at once by selling
the whole thing.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 November 2005 )
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By Jean England Freeland
Haiti has been much in the news lately, and quite a bit of the coverage
has exhibited something of a negative tone. But there is actually
a much-overlooked positive link between Haiti and U.S. history that, in
a way, also provides a link to Bonjour Paris...
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 November 2005 )
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By Deborah Head
Remember when Fodor's latest edition was "Europe on $5 a day" and
Cokes, even on the Champs Elysées, were 40 cents? Deborah Head does.
Take a trip back with Deborah to Paris in 1969.
Last Updated ( Monday, 21 November 2005 )
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By Robert Korengold
In France she has more or less the same status as the
Statue of Liberty in the United States. Her bust or portrait or image
in one form or another adorns not only French stamps, banknotes and
official letterheads but virtually every government or local mayor's
office throughout the country. She is and has been the symbol of the
French republic ever since popular revolution overthrew the country's
monarchy in the late 18th century.
Last Updated ( Monday, 21 November 2005 )
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By Jean England Freeland
Our History Doc takes a look at the Merovingians, the rulers from early
France featured in Dan Brown's bestselling The DaVinci Code.
Last Updated ( Monday, 21 November 2005 )
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By Jessica Powell
And so it was that I waltzed into work on
January 5 expecting to see my nicotine-dependent colleagues fashionably
outfitted with nicotine patches and haggard looks. Instead, however,
business went on as usual, with the tobacco team regularly descending
to the first floor for their cigarette break. Had they not heard the
news? Or perhaps they had all spent New Year’s in Belgium and stocked
up on cigarettes to take advantage of the cheaper prices…
Last Updated ( Monday, 21 November 2005 )
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By Monique Y. Wells
The legacy of African-American performers in Paris is legendary. Since
the introduction of jazz to France during World War I, singers, dancers
and musicians have made their way to the City of Light to establish or
enhance their careers...
Last Updated ( Saturday, 19 November 2005 )
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By James T. Walsh
The end of the War in Europe found me, a 19-year-old
infantryman, in a hospital in the city of Eberbach, Germany. After all
the war horrors I had escaped I was confined for a simple ruptured
appendix. At the time, I regretted that convalescence deeply because my
division was preparing to go home to the States, the first combat
division to return from Europe. My regret would have been tempered had
I realized that, after a short leave, our division would also be the
first from Europe to be sent to the Pacific theatre of war to join the
operations against Japan.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 19 November 2005 )
