"An Irishman’s Diary on Napoleon and the Irish" Topic

"Napoleon Bonaparte wasn't impressed by the United Irishmen who went to Paris in 1797 and 1798 to urge the French government, the Directory, to invade Ireland. Years later, in exile on St Helena in the south Atlantic, he claimed that if Ireland had sent him honest men he would have made an attempt on the country but he had no confidence in the integrity or the talents of the Irish leaders in Paris. They could offer no plan, were divided in opinion and constantly quarrelled with one another.

In at least one instance, the antipathy was mutual. After meeting France's leading general in December 1797, Wolfe Tone wrote in his diary that Bonaparte's manner was cold, that he spoke little, and, that while he was perfectly civil, it was impossible to augur anything good or bad from anything the writer had seen or heard.

Two months later, Bonaparte carried out an inspection of the army that had been assembled to invade the British Isles and judged that its equipment was inadequate and its officers were untried. Besides, the British navy was too strong and there were no indications of rebellion In Ireland…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Ironically, Napoleon didn't meet the two Irishmen who would be most influential in his life until after his defeat at Waterloo and his abdication and surrender to the British on July 15th, 1815.

I would have thought that the Irishman who was most influential in his life was the one he met a month earlier!

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand