View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
Friday’s Tall Tales #16
Whenever I photograph a door or gate I wonder about its provenance, who and what has happened across said door or gate. I thought I might pick one from #Thursdaydoors and tell you a bit more about it or……maybe even weave a story about it.
Despite an extensive search, I could find out nothing about this building. However, the date of its construction is significant.
Bonaparte’s campaign of 1796 marked the appearance of the new system of war – the organisation of the Revolution’s methods of warfare and the ideas of previous 18th century reformers into a coherent and immensely effective body of strategic thinking and technique. The changes in the French army’s personnel, logistics and tactics during the Revolution had not been accompanied, until Bonaparte’s assumption of command in Italy, by a corresponding revolution in strategy.
Bonaparte’s first objective at the opening of the campaign was to separate the Austrian and Sardinian forces in the expectation that the defeat of the latter would lead them to fall back on their capital, Turin. The Austrians would thus be obliged to withdraw from them, eastward, to protect Milan and their lines of communication. In this grand strategy, as in the conduct of the individual battles and marches of the campaign, he sought by every means to divide the forces opposing him and to concentrate superior strength at the point that he had chosen for the decisive stroke.
The difference between Bonaparte and other commanders, who had perceived the advantages of such situations, lay in his constant determination to create a favourable opportunity for attack and in his unusual ability to calculate the means by which a successful offensive might be launched, customarily by the use of interior lines and by insistence on superior speed of movement.
After less than three weeks’ campaigning and five engagements, the Sardinians were forced to withdraw from the coalition and to surrender Savoy and Nice to France (Armistice of Cherasco, 28 April, 1796). Bonaparte now turned his forces to attack the Austrian Milanese. His seizure and consolidation of a bridgehead over the Po River at Piacenza demonstrated the limited usefulness of river lines as a means of defence.
View from the Back 
That was an interesting historical accompaniment to the door-via-date, Sheree!
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Tenuous connection but thanks Annie
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Clever, though—and worthwhile.
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The house door do not know maybe a sign of his campaign there in Nice to do his things. I know he lived there in 3 locations 6 rue de Villefranche, 2 rue Saint François de Paule, and 15 de la rue Alexandre Mari, maybe you have the time to check them out. Cheers
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Thanks, I’ll look into it
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Interesting mini history lesson Sheree
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Thanks Alison
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We don’t often hear of his accomplishments (in the US) as we probably should. Thanks!
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Pleasure
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🖤
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It was a really good idea that, given the lack of information about the building you ran with the date – well done
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Thanks Derrick
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he was a ruthless man by the sounds of it!
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Short and ruthless
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How fascinating & creative Sheree.
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Thanks Cindy
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Doors open up all kinds of things both good and evil. Napoleon was never a favorite, but he did have good strategy.
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Sometimes
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It amazes me how these old buildings are still standing from that far back. What fun finding out the history of it Sheree!
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It was, thanks Diane
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