Berthier found his tasks of administratively and politically supporting the nascent Cisalpine Republic and encouraging the formation of new republics in Ancona and Liguria to be uncongenial. As commander of the Army of Italy, which had become largely an army of occupation, Berthier disliked politics and regarded all politicians, especially Italian ones, as suspect or even criminal. In a letter to Bonaparte on December 24th, Berthier sincerely expressed that he would prefer to be Bonaparte's aide-de-camp rather than the commander-in-chief in Italy.
Original Description:
Eschatological study.
Original Title
S.J. Watson. by Command of the Emperor, p. 67, 68. 1957.
Berthier found his tasks of administratively and politically supporting the nascent Cisalpine Republic and encouraging the formation of new republics in Ancona and Liguria to be uncongenial. As commander of the Army of Italy, which had become largely an army of occupation, Berthier disliked politics and regarded all politicians, especially Italian ones, as suspect or even criminal. In a letter to Bonaparte on December 24th, Berthier sincerely expressed that he would prefer to be Bonaparte's aide-de-camp rather than the commander-in-chief in Italy.
Berthier found his tasks of administratively and politically supporting the nascent Cisalpine Republic and encouraging the formation of new republics in Ancona and Liguria to be uncongenial. As commander of the Army of Italy, which had become largely an army of occupation, Berthier disliked politics and regarded all politicians, especially Italian ones, as suspect or even criminal. In a letter to Bonaparte on December 24th, Berthier sincerely expressed that he would prefer to be Bonaparte's aide-de-camp rather than the commander-in-chief in Italy.
Reubell who asserted: "We do not want Court people, but men who are devoted
to the Republic.'2 2 There were, however, some local compensations. Berthier
was able to see much of Madame Visconti during a tour in the middle of September The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, by de Bourrienne, II, p. 34. essential — would seem like disloyalty toBonaparte. Accordingly on The Threshold of Fame (1 798-1 799) But whereas the Holy See was anti-French in outlook, the populace — contrasting their poverty with the Church's riches — were largely anticlerical, and their sentiments were no doubt encouraged by French political agents. The climax came The Army of Italy was now largely an Army of Occupation, and its tasks were primarily administrative and political. Berthier's directive4 had enjoined him to support the nascent Cisalpine Republic and to encourage the formation of a Republic of Ancona and a Ligurian Republic based on Genoa. These tasks he found far from congenial. Unlike Bernadotte he was not inclined to politics, nor had he any ambition to become a ruler himself. He regarded all politicians as suspect, and Italian politicians as criminal: so it was with heart-felt sincerity that he wrote to Bonaparte on 24th December: 'I would prefer to be your aide-de-camp to being Commander-in-Chief here.'