Bart_van_der_Wolf
pro member
Hi Folks,
Today is October 12th, the year is 1804.
Earlier in the year French General Auguste de Marmont has been ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte to prepare an army in the low countries for an invasion of England. General De Marmont has selected a central location in the "Batavian Republic" (proclaimed by William V of Holland after he fled to England from the French invasion), on a hill side that was a remnent of the last Ice age. The location of the camp was situated at the highest point between the villages of Woudenberg, Driebergen, and Zeist. The troops he assembled and trained were some 18,000 men strong.
On Sundays, every 14 days, there were large manoeuvers under fire, with guns and canons that were actually used. That spectacle drew each time
thousands of spectators from a wide area, with people arriving by stage coach or boat after sometimes several days of travel. Merchants seized the opportunity, and many settled in the surroundings of the camp. There were cofee houses, inns, pubs, stables, dance halls, shops, etc.
There was also entertainment for the troops, such as a theater called "De Comedie" with 1500 seats. It featured French commedians, horse plays, Italian rope dancers, and musicians on organ and lute. A soldier wrote home to his parents that nowhere had he experienced more happiness, joy, and pleasure than in this camp.
At the end of the summer of 1804, the general with his engineers instructed the troops to build a monument, in the shape of a 36 metres high pyramid. The pyramid was shaped after the Gizeh pyramids he saw together with Napoleon during a campaign in Egypt. After 27 days of hard labour they finished the monument made from earth and covered with heather on October 12th, and erected a 13 metres high wooden obelisk on top. The monument was to honor Napoleon's heroic deeds, but General De Marmont also hoped to immortalize himself. The monument became known as "Marmont's mountain". To the general's dismay, Napoleon's younger brother (Louis Napoleon) (re)named the monument in 1806 to "The Pyramid of Austerlitz", amongst others in an attempt to unite the 3 surrounding towns and the camp into one large town called Austerlitz. That was in honor of his brother Napolon's victorious battle at the city of Austerlitz in 1805 against the Austrian and Russian troops (today that town is known as Slakov in the Czech Republic).
Soldiers trying to stay warm in the rain:
To be continued...
Bart
Today is October 12th, the year is 1804.
Earlier in the year French General Auguste de Marmont has been ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte to prepare an army in the low countries for an invasion of England. General De Marmont has selected a central location in the "Batavian Republic" (proclaimed by William V of Holland after he fled to England from the French invasion), on a hill side that was a remnent of the last Ice age. The location of the camp was situated at the highest point between the villages of Woudenberg, Driebergen, and Zeist. The troops he assembled and trained were some 18,000 men strong.
On Sundays, every 14 days, there were large manoeuvers under fire, with guns and canons that were actually used. That spectacle drew each time
thousands of spectators from a wide area, with people arriving by stage coach or boat after sometimes several days of travel. Merchants seized the opportunity, and many settled in the surroundings of the camp. There were cofee houses, inns, pubs, stables, dance halls, shops, etc.
There was also entertainment for the troops, such as a theater called "De Comedie" with 1500 seats. It featured French commedians, horse plays, Italian rope dancers, and musicians on organ and lute. A soldier wrote home to his parents that nowhere had he experienced more happiness, joy, and pleasure than in this camp.
At the end of the summer of 1804, the general with his engineers instructed the troops to build a monument, in the shape of a 36 metres high pyramid. The pyramid was shaped after the Gizeh pyramids he saw together with Napoleon during a campaign in Egypt. After 27 days of hard labour they finished the monument made from earth and covered with heather on October 12th, and erected a 13 metres high wooden obelisk on top. The monument was to honor Napoleon's heroic deeds, but General De Marmont also hoped to immortalize himself. The monument became known as "Marmont's mountain". To the general's dismay, Napoleon's younger brother (Louis Napoleon) (re)named the monument in 1806 to "The Pyramid of Austerlitz", amongst others in an attempt to unite the 3 surrounding towns and the camp into one large town called Austerlitz. That was in honor of his brother Napolon's victorious battle at the city of Austerlitz in 1805 against the Austrian and Russian troops (today that town is known as Slakov in the Czech Republic).
Soldiers trying to stay warm in the rain:
To be continued...
Bart
Last edited:
