TALEIRAND Charles Maurice Talleyrand (Talleyrand-Périgord) (1754-1838) - French diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Directory, during the Consulate and Empire of Napoleon, under Louis XVIII; outstanding master of subtle diplomatic intrigue. * * * For success in this world, it is significantly

Charles Maurice was born into a noble family. The parents were absorbed in the service at court, the baby was sent to the wet nurse. Once she left the baby on the chest of drawers, the child fell, and Talleyrand remained lame for the rest of his life Yu.V. Borisov - Talleyrand, p. Those around him noted his restraint, the ability to hide his thoughts. “Caution, that is, the art of showing only part of one’s life, one’s thoughts, one’s feelings, is the first of all qualities,” he later said to 100 great diplomats http://www.maugus-hotels.com/97.php . In 1770, at the urging of his parents, the young Peri-gor entered the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice. Talleyrand spent four years in the seminary, and completed his education at the Sorbonne (1778). At the end of his life, Talleyrand wrote: "All my youth was devoted to a profession for which I was not born." Not yet an episcopalian, Talleyrand became the church's "financial minister," taking over in 1780 as agent general of the French clergy to the royal government, which allowed him to make a fortune on financial speculation. His expenses - for women, for maps, for expensive clothes, for meetings with friends, for a house and books - grew very rapidly. Talleyrand vigorously defended the "inalienable rights of the clergy". In 1785, the assembly of the French clergy heard a report from their general agent. Archbishop of Bordeaux Champion de Sise highly appreciated the work of Talleyrand. For his zealous service to the interests of the church, Talleyrand received a reward of 31,000 livres from the assembly. Noble origin, upbringing, education, ironic, subtle mind attracted many of the fair sex to Charles Maurice. He took care of his appearance and learned to hide his limp. At 29, Talleyrand met Countess Adelaide de Flao. Adelaide lived separately from her husband and was not divorced from him. Her salon was popular in Paris. As a result of this almost family connection, Talleyrand had a son - Charles Joseph (1785). He became a general, adjutant to Napoleon, and then, under Louis Philippe, an ambassador. Talleyrand's interest in politics grew steadily. An important source Information served for him Parisian salons. He rotated in court circles, was familiar with Walter, E. Choiseul, the future writer Baroness de Stael; he was friends with Mirabeau, visited the Masonic Lodge, met the future English Prime Minister William Pitt, who was vacationing in France. By the age of 34, the Pope approved Talleyrand as Bishop of Autun, and after that he was elected deputy of the Estates General from the Clergy of Autun. Talleyrand's parliamentary career was swift and brilliant. He held the honorary posts of member of the first and second constitution committees, chairman of the Constituent Assembly and member of its Diplomatic Committee. Talleyrand spoke at the meeting with a number of important proposals, participated in the preparation of documents that were a milestone in the history of the French Revolution.

Talleyrand's popularity especially increased after, on July 7, 1790, from the rostrum of the Constituent Assembly, he proposed from now on to celebrate the national holiday of the federation on Bastille Day. During the feast, the Bishop of Autun celebrated a solemn mass gathered in the middle of the Champ de Mars. Talleyrand spoke at the Assembly with reports on questions of financial education, etc. Having gone over to the side of the bourgeoisie, he nonetheless! broke with the court, kept in touch with the Duke of Orleans and his entourage. At the beginning of 1791, the king granted Talleyrand's request for his resignation from the post of Bishop of Autun. Talleyrand was elected to an administrative and financial post in the Seine department. But even then he was leaning towards diplomacy. After the death of the head of the Diplomatic Committee of Mirabeau, in April 1791 Talleyrand, the former Bishop of Autun, took his place. Soon he passed through the Constituent Assembly a decision to equip 27 ships for the Spanish fleet. It was alleged that for the extension of the Franco-Spanish treaty of 1761, Talleyrand received 100 thousand dollars from the Spanish ambassador Evgeny Viktorovich Tarle - Talleyrand, graduate School, 1992., p. 12. The powers of the Constituent Assembly have expired. Having ceased to be a deputy of the Constituent Assembly and seeing the approach of a new stage of the revolution, which Talleyrand feared because it posed a threat to the aristocracy, he finally decided to devote himself to diplomacy. They suggested that Talleyrand go to London for negotiations. Talleyrand, who had experience in the Diplomatic Committee of the Constituent Assembly, was ready for his new mission. He analyzed and summarized his first experience in the "Note on the current relations of France with other states of Europe." In the "Note" Talleyrand emphasized that a free people cannot build their relations with other peoples on "ideas and feelings"; he must base "political action on the principles of reason, justice and the common good".

Talleyrand returned to Paris. The first diplomatic mission was completed successfully.

Everything contributed to the success of Talleyrand in the diplomatic field - noble manners, a brilliant education, the ability to speak perfectly, an unsurpassed skill in intrigue, the ability to win over the people of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Prigord - from information portal http://www.worldhistory.ru. Having taken the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Directory, Talleyrand quickly created an effectively functioning apparatus of the department. He took millions of bribes from kings and governments, and not for a radical change in position, but only for the editorial revision of some minor article in the contract. The influence of Talleyrand on the activities of French diplomacy was significant. The minister was a kind of mediator between the Directory and the generals, who personally negotiated and signed peace or armistice treaties. However, the members of the Directory themselves dealt with the most important foreign policy issues. Talleyrand established close relations with General Bonaparte and, after his appointment as minister, hastened to offer the general services and cooperation. They became even closer during the preparation and implementation of the coup d'état on 18 fructidor (September 4, 1797). It was a fight with the right-wing forces, who were striving for the restoration of the monarchy. Talleyrand without hesitation took the side of the republican majority of the Directory, which opposed the return of the Bourbons, but hated the principles of 1793. Napoleon did not find a common language with the Directory and needed the mediation of "his man", his help, timely and truthful information. Talleyrand willingly undertook this difficult mission. On the night of October 17-18, 1797, an agreement was signed between France and Austria, which went down in history as the Treaty of Campoformia. For Austria, the conditions were predatory. But for Bonaparte and Talleyrand, the negotiations were undoubtedly successful. In the eyes of the general public, the young commander was a hero who showed not only military, but also remarkable diplomatic abilities. But the real organizer of the victory in Campoformio, who remained unknown to the public, was the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Directory, who managed to prevent a break in relations with Austria. The beginning of business cooperation between Bonaparte and Talleyrand was laid. As Minister of the Directory, Talleyrand relied on General Bonaparte and became one of the organizers of the coup on November 9, 1799. He was Napoleon's minister during his ascent and greatest success and played an important role in the formation of Napoleonic power. But gradually, common sense began to tell Talleyrand that France's struggle for European dominance would not bring him dividends. At the time of Napoleon's abdication, Talleyrand heads the provisional government, and at the Vienna Congress of European Powers (1814-15) he represents France already as a minister of Louis XVIII Talleyrand (Biographies of famous contemporaries). "Domestic Notes", vol. 38. p. 67. Having put forward the principle of legitimism (legality), Talleyrand managed not only to defend the pre-war borders of France, despite its defeat, but also to create a secret alliance of France, Austria and England against Russia and Prussia. France was brought out of international isolation. The congress marked the pinnacle of Talleyrand's diplomatic career.

“I told General Bonaparte that the portfolio of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is secret in nature, cannot be open at meetings, that he should alone take over the work on foreign ones, which should be led only by the head of government ... - Talleyrand wrote in “ Memoirs". “It was agreed from the very first day that I would only deal with the first consul.” Talleyrand became, as it were, the chief foreign policy adviser to the first consul and carried out his diplomatic missions. Bonaparte believed that Talleyrand "had much of what is necessary for negotiations: secularism, knowledge of the courts of Europe, subtlety, to say the least, immobility in features that nothing can spoil, finally, famous name... I know that he belonged to the revolution only because of his debauchery; he is a Jacobin and a deserter from his class in the Constituent Assembly, and his interests are entrusted to us for him. The minister never worked for his subordinates. He kept his personal dictation corrections to a minimum. Trusted representatives of the floor instructions of the head of department, which they then had to formulate on paper, adding suitable arguments to them. Talleyrand was a master of negotiations and diplomatic conversation. | distinguished by the ability to choose a topic and arguments, the ability to express one’s “point of view in a few words. At the same time, the essence of the problem, if circumstances or his personal goals required, seemed to remain. He knew how to listen carefully to the interlocutor, remembering the data well. “You are the king of conversation in Europe. What kind of secret do you own! Napoleon once asked Talleyrand. He replied: "When you are at war, do you always choose your battlefields? .. And I choose the ground of conversation. I will agree only with what I can say something about "I do not answer... In general, I will not allow myself to be asked questions by anyone except you. If they demand answers from me, then it is I who will answer."

His whole life was an endless series of betrayals and betrayals, and these deeds were associated with such grandiose historical events, took place on such an open world stage, were always explained (without exception) to such an extent by clearly self-serving motives and were accompanied by such directly material benefits for him personally that, with his great mind, Talleyrand never expected that simple, ordinary and generally accepted, so to speak , hypocrisy, he can really deceive someone for a long time already after the commission of one or another of his acts. It was important to deceive those interested only during the preparation itself and then during the course of the case, without which the success of the enterprise would have been unthinkable. And this very success must be so decisive as to guarantee the prince from the revenge of the deceived when they learn about his moves and tricks. As for the so-called public opinion”, and even more so“ the court of offspring ”and other similar sensitivities, then Prince Talleyrand was completely indifferent to them, and, moreover, quite sincerely, there can be no doubt about this.

Prince Talleyrand was called not just a liar, but the "father of lies." And indeed, no one has ever discovered such art in the conscious perversion of truth, such an ability to maintain a majestically casual, disinterested look, serene calmness, characteristic only of the most immaculate, dove-like purity of the soul, no one has achieved such perfection in the use of the figure of default, as this is truly an extraordinary person. Even those observers and critics of his actions who considered him a walking collection of all vices almost never called him a hypocrite. Indeed, this epithet somehow does not fit him: he is too weak and inexpressive Evgeny Viktorovich Tarle - Talleyrand, Higher School, 1992., p. 17.

It is this feature that leads us directly to the consideration of the question of the position taken by Prince Talleyrand-Périgord, Duke of Benevente and holder of all French and almost all European orders, in the era of those repeated assaults to which his native social class was subjected during his life. - the nobility - from the revolutionary bourgeoisie in those days.

A deeply cynical person, Talleyrand did not bind himself with any moral prohibitions. Brilliant, charming, witty, he knew how to attract women to him. Talleyrand was married (at the behest of Napoleon) to Catherine Grand, whom he soon divorced. For the past 25 years, Talleyrand's wife, the young Duchess Dorothea Dino, has been by his side. Talleyrand surrounded himself with exquisite luxury, owned the richest court in Valence. Alien to sentimentality, pragmatic, he gladly recognized himself as a big owner and acted in the interests of his own kind.

A French politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under three regimes, starting with the Directory and ending with the government of Louis Philippe, a well-known master of political intrigue - Charles Maurice Talleyrand was born on February 2, 1754 in Paris, in a noble but poor aristocratic family.

At the age of three, he suffered a serious leg injury and remained lame for life. This incident deprived him of the right of first inheritance and closed the path to a military career.

Parents sent their son to the church path. Charles Maurice entered the College d'Harcourt in Paris, then studied at the Seminary of St. Sulpice (1770-1773), and at the Sorbonne in 1778 he became a licentiate of theology. In 1779, after long hesitation, he accepted the priesthood.

Talleyrand, thanks to the influence of his uncle, who later became Archbishop of Reims, was able to lead an easy social life in Parisian society. His wit made him a favorite of literary salons, where a passion for card games and amorous adventures was not considered incompatible with the prospect of achieving high spiritual dignity.

The strength of the intellect, as well as the patronage of his uncle, helped him to be elected in 1780 as one of the two general representatives of the French Ecclesiastical Assembly. For the next five years, Talleyrand, along with his colleague, was responsible for managing the property and finances of the French Church. As a result, I gained experience in financial affairs, discovered talent in negotiations.

Louis XVI's prejudice against the young abbot's bohemian lifestyle hindered his career, but his father's dying request persuaded the king to appoint Talleyrand in 1788 Bishop of Autun.

1789 he was elected to the constitutional committee of the National Assembly. Contributed to the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Became the initiator of the decree on the transfer of church property at the disposal of the nation.

After the overthrow of the monarchy (1792) and the disclosure of his secret ties with the royal court, he was excommunicated, was in exile, first in Great Britain (1792-94), then in the USA. He returned to France in 1796, after the establishment of the Directory regime.

In 1797, thanks to the influence of his friend Madame de Stael, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. In politics, Talleyrand bets on Bonaparte, and they become close allies. In particular, the minister helps the general to carry out the coup (1799). However, after 1805, Talleyrand became convinced that Napoleon's unrestrained ambitions, as well as the growing megalomania, involved France in continuous wars.

In addition, Talleyrand could not forgive the emperor for insisting in 1802 on his marriage to the notorious Madame Grand. After many hobbies, she became Talleyrand's mistress and assumed the official duties of the spouse of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Napoleon, on the other hand, sought not only to resolve the scandalous situation, but also to humiliate Talleyrand.

In 1807, Talleyrand left the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, he continued to advise Napoleon on foreign policy issues and used his position to undermine the emperor's policies.

Considering unrealizable the desire of Napoleon to create a world empire, by wars of conquest and foreseeing the inevitability of the fall of Napoleon I, entered into secret relations in 1808 with the Russian Emperor Alexander I, and then with the Austrian Foreign Minister Metternich, informing them about the state of affairs in Napoleonic France. After the defeat of Napoleon and the entry of troops of the anti-French coalition into Paris (1814), he actively contributed to the restoration of the Bourbons.

Then almost 15 years active participation V political life did not accept. From 1830 to 1834 was ambassador to London.

He was distinguished by great insight, the ability to use weak sides his opponents and at the same time treachery, extreme promiscuity in the means to achieve the goal. He was distinguished by greed, took bribes from all governments and sovereigns who needed his help. "Servant of all masters", who betrayed and sold everyone in turn, a clever politician, a master of behind-the-scenes intrigue. The name "Talleyrand" has become almost a household name to denote cunning, dexterity and unscrupulousness.

Charles Maurice Talleyrand died on May 17, 1838, in Paris, and was buried in his luxurious country estate in the Loire Valley.

(1754-1838) French political and ecclesiastical figure

The name of Talleyrand-Périgord has been preserved in the memory of mankind not only because of his participation in historical events, but also thanks to numerous anecdotes in which he appears from the most unsightly side. And yet, even during his lifetime, Talleyrand enjoyed the respect of his contemporaries. However, fame was of little interest to him.

Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord was born in February 1754 in Paris. He was the offspring of an ancient aristocratic family: his ancestors began to serve the French kings as early as the 10th century. However, by the time Charles was born, the family had practically nothing left but a noble origin and a princely title.

Charles's childhood was not joyful, since neither his mother nor father paid attention to him, and he generally spent the first four years in the peasant house of his wet nurse. It was there that Charles Talleyrand seriously injured his leg and for the rest of his life not only remained lame, but could not even walk without the help of a crutch. Therefore, the circle of his future activities turned out to be strictly limited: military career he could not count, and at court he would have simply gone unnoticed.

And the parents sent their son to one of the Paris closed colleges. At first, Talleyrand-Périgord did not study very diligently. But at the age of fifteen, he nevertheless graduated from college and entered the Saint-Sulpice Theological Seminary. In those days, receiving a spiritual title was the most in a simple way achieving a prestigious position.

Therefore, having completed his studies at the seminary and received the priesthood, Charles Talleyrand settled in Paris and began to look for a profitable abbey. To do this, he did not disdain any means and, forgetting about the cassock, rushed into love adventures. Soon he was lucky: thanks to the help of one of his beloved, he was appointed vicar in the city of Reims.

Now Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord finally had a place from which to start climbing the steps of power. Thanks to the acquired connections, he became a bishop in five years, and after the convocation of the Estates General, he became a deputy. Talleyrand did not have good oratory skills, but nevertheless managed to attract attention with loud calls for reform. In one of his speeches, he, in particular, urged the church to voluntarily give up unnecessary property.

Possessing an extraordinary political instinct, Charles Talleyrand soon realized that the revolutionary transformations must soon stop. That is why he tried to leave France, having achieved a position in the embassy at the court of the English king. Just two and a half months after this appointment, Talleyrand was declared a traitor for his connections with the royal court, and his return to France was considered undesirable.

True, the British government also denied him asylum, and he was forced to go overseas, becoming a member of the French diplomatic mission in Philadelphia. He lived there for four years and only in 1796, when the Directory came to power in France, did he return to his homeland.

Charles Maurice Talleyrand again mobilized all his connections and received a post in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and six months later he became a minister. This high post brought him wide popularity, and subsequently helped to go down in history.

At first, Charles Talleyrand-Périgord became famous for his bribes. In just two years, his fortune grew to 13 million francs. And in the future, trading in the secrets of different countries of the world, he constantly increased his wealth.

To stay in power, Talleyrand-Périgord was one of the first to support Napoleon Bonaparte, who was then considered by many to be an ordinary officer, an upstart.

When Napoleon returned to Paris from a victorious campaign in Italy, it was Charles Talleyrand who actively supported his idea of ​​conquering Egypt. Switching over to Napoleon's side was a well-calculated maneuver. When, on 18 Brumaire, 1799, Napoleon staged a coup d'état and became head of state, Talleyrand received the portfolio of foreign minister. In France, this post was considered one of the most honorable.

Since then, he has been at the center major events world history: meets with Alexander I and helps Napoleon in the negotiations in 1808 in Erfurt. Curiously, after meeting with the Russian emperor, Talleyrand kept Russia, and subsequently Austria, informed about the true state of affairs in France for many months, becoming one of the first international spies. By the way, the dexterity and love of money of the diplomat earned him the nickname "Servant of all masters."

After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Charles Maurice Talleyrand just as quickly defected to opposite side and began to vigorously contribute to the return of the French throne to the royal Bourbon dynasty. Thus, the royal power in France was restored through a hereditary line.

However, this time the political flair betrayed Charles Talleyrand. In the same year, 1815, he was dismissed and removed from the political arena. Everything that happened happened after the decisions of the Congress of Vienna, drawn up by him, determined the fate of Europe for the next sixty years. It is interesting that Talleyrand included in them a clause in which any territorial claims of countries to each other were declared illegal and invalid.

After retiring, Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord settled on his estate and began to work on his memoirs. Although he was already 62 years old, he was sure that he would return to big politics.

However, fifteen whole years passed before his predictions came true. Only in 1830, when King Louis Philippe came to power, did Talleyrand return to diplomatic service. True, he was already 77 years old, and he could not, as before, work in the ministry. He had to go to London in the rank of French ambassador. His authority in England was so high that the British government was forced to recognize the new regime in France.

The last diplomatic action carried out by Charles Talleyrand was the proclamation of the independence of Belgium. It was the result of the most difficult negotiations, in which his diplomatic talent was fully developed. Politics was not a profession for him, but a way of being, "the art of the possible." At the same time, Charles Maurice Talleyrand never missed personal gain. When he died, one of his contemporaries joked: “I wonder why he needed this?” Talleyrand-Périgord had no heirs, and he expressed his last will as follows: “I want to continue to argue over the centuries about who I was, what I thought and what I wanted.”

CONTEMPORARIES AND HISTORIANS ON CHARLES MAURICE DE TALleyrand-Périgord

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) on Saint Helena:

“This is a scoundrel, a corrupt but intelligent person, a person who is always looking for a way to betray.<…>It was impossible to conclude a single contract, not a single trade agreement without first paying him.<…>He demanded huge sums for facilitating the imprisonment. The Bourbons did well to get rid of him, as he would have betrayed them at the first opportunity, which he did when I returned from Elba."

“Talleyrand's face is so impenetrable that it is absolutely impossible to read anything from it: Lannes and Murat used to joke that if he was talking to you, and at that time someone from behind gave him a kick, then from his face you would not guess this."

Claire de Remusat (1780–1821) - court lady at the court of Josephine:

“I did not know Talleyrand, and what I heard about him created a great prejudice. But I was struck by the elegance of his manner, which stood in stark contrast to the stiffness of the military men who had surrounded me until then. He always kept among them the tone of a great nobleman; he flaunted a scornful silence and a patronizing politeness that no one could escape. He alone arrogated to himself the right to laugh at people who were frightened by the subtlety of his ridicule.

Talleyrand, less sincere than anyone else, managed to give a natural character to habits acquired according to a certain plan. He kept them as if they had the power of true nature. His manner of taking the most important things rather lightly was almost always useful to him ...

I vaguely distrusted him, but I liked to listen to him and see him act with his inherent ease, which gave boundless grace to all his manners, while in another it would shock like an affectation.

Antoine Henri de Jomini (1779–1869) – general, military writer:

"In Talleyrand's pride was equal to ambition."

François René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848) – French writer and diplomat:

“The vanity of Monsieur de Talleyrand deceived him: he mistook his role for his genius. He considered himself a prophet, mistaken in everything: his predictions had no weight. He could not see what was ahead, he could only see what was behind. Himself deprived of a clear mind and a clear conscience, he valued nothing as highly as an outstanding mind and impeccable honesty. In hindsight, he always benefited greatly from the blows of fate, but he did not know how to foresee these blows, and he benefited only for himself. He was ignorant of that great ambition that cares about the glory of society as a treasure most useful for the glory of the individual. Thus, M. Talleyrand did not belong to the category of beings capable of becoming fantastic creatures, whose appearance becomes even more fantastic as opinions erroneous or distorted are attributed to them. And yet there is no doubt that many feelings, caused by various reasons, together contribute to the creation of the fictional image of Talleyrand.

First, kings, ministers, foreign envoys and ambassadors, who once fell for the bait of this man and are not able to unravel his true nature, try to prove that they obeyed a being endowed with genuine power: they would take off their hat to Napoleon's cook.

Secondly, M. de Talleyrand's relatives, who belong to the ancient French aristocracy, are proud of their connection with a man who deigned to convince them of his greatness.

Finally, revolutionaries and their immoral heirs, no matter how much they vilify aristocratic names, have a secret weakness for the aristocracy: these amazing neophytes willingly take her as a godfather and hope to adopt noble manners from her. The prince, with his double defection, amuses the vanity of the young democrats for another reason: it means, they conclude, their cause is just, and nobles and priests should be despised.

However, however deceived all these people may be about Monsieur de Talleyrand, these illusions will not live long: lies do not suit Monsieur de Talleyrand for the future: in order to grow into a grandiose figure, he lacks inner greatness. Many contemporaries had time to examine him too well; he will soon be forgotten, because he did not leave a national idea inextricably linked with his personality, did not mark his life with either an outstanding deed, or an incomparable talent, or a useful discovery, or an epoch-making plan. A virtuous existence is not his element; even danger passed him by; during the Terror, he was outside the borders of the fatherland and returned to his homeland only when the forum became the reception of the palace.

Talleyrand's activity in the diplomatic field proves his relative mediocrity: you cannot name a single one of his significant achievements. Under Bonaparte, he did nothing but carry out imperial orders; on his account there are no important negotiations that he would conduct at his own peril and risk; when he had the opportunity to act at his own discretion, he missed everything opportunities and destroyed everything he touched. There is no doubt that he is responsible for the death of the Duke of Enghien; this blood stain cannot be washed off ...

The prince's life was an endless chain of deceptions. Knowing what he lacked, he avoided everyone who could guess him: his constant concern was not to let himself be seen; he went into the shade in time; he fell in love with whist for the opportunity to spend three hours in silence. Those around him admired that even a gifted person condescends to vulgar amusements: who knows, this gifted person did not divide the empire at the moment when he had four jacks in his hands? As he shuffled the cards, he would come up with a catchy word inspired by a morning paper or an evening conversation. If he took you aside to engage in conversation, he immediately began to seduce you, showering you with praise, calling you the hope of the nation, predicting a brilliant career, writing you a bill of exchange for the title of a great man, issued in his name and payable at sight; if, however, he found that your faith in him was strong enough, if he noticed that your admiration for several of his in short sentences, claiming to be deep, but having absolutely no meaning, not too large, then retired, fearing exposure. He was a good storyteller when he came across a subordinate or a fool whom he could mock without fear, or a victim who depended on him and served as a target for his ridicule. Serious conversation was not given to him; at the third phrase, his ideas gave out."

François René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848) - French writer and diplomat:

“Old engravings depict the Abbé de Périgord as handsome; in old age, the face of Monsieur de Talleyrand became like a skull: his eyes went out, so that nothing could be read in them, which he used; he had brought contempt on himself so many times that he was soaked through with it: the downturned corners of his mouth were especially eloquent.

The imposing appearance (evidence of a noble birth), strict observance of decency, the coldly dismissive appearance of Prince Beneventsky led everyone astray. His manners fascinated the common people and members of the new society, who did not find the society of bygone times. In the old days, aristocrats, who in their habits resembled Monsieur de Talleyrand, met all the time, and no one paid attention to them: but left almost completely alone in a democratic society, he began to seem an unusual phenomenon: reputation took away such power over the minister that out of respect to his own vanity he had to ascribe to his mind the virtues that it actually owed to education.

When a person in an important position is involved in an unprecedented upheaval, he acquires an accidental greatness, which the common people take as his personal merit; lost under Bonaparte in the rays of his glory, during the Restoration, Monsieur de Talleyrand sparkled with the brilliance of other people's successes. Unexpected elevation allowed the Prince of Benevent to imagine himself the overthrower of Napoleon and to ascribe to himself the honor of returning Louis XVIII to the throne.<…>

M. de Talleyrand could be entrusted with other ordinary assignments, in the performance of which he had the adroitness to look after his own interests first; he was capable of nothing more.

The favorite habits and maxims of Monsieur de Talleyrand served as an object of imitation for the slanderers and scoundrels from his entourage. The crown of his diplomacy was a suit borrowed from a Viennese minister. He boasted that he was never in a hurry; he said that time is our enemy and should be killed: hence it followed that it was necessary to devote a few moments to deeds, no more.

But since, in the end, M. de Talleyrand failed to turn his idleness into a masterpiece, it is probably in vain that he insisted on the need to get rid of time: only those who create immortal creations triumph over time; labors without a future, frivolous amusements do not kill him: he is squandered.

Stefan Zweig (1881–1942) – Austrian writer:

"Brought up on an exquisite ancient culture, a flexible mind imbued with the spirit of the eighteenth century, he loves the game of diplomacy as one of the many exciting games of life, but hates work. He is too lazy to write letters with his own hand: like a true voluptuary and refined sybarite, he entrusts all the rough work to another, so that later he carelessly collects all the fruits with his narrow, ringed hand. His intuition is enough for him, which penetrates with lightning speed into the essence of the most confusing situation. A born and well-trained psychologist, he, according to Napoleon, easily penetrates the thoughts of another and clarifies to each person what he internally strives for. Bold deviations, quick understanding, deft turns in moments of danger - this is his calling; he contemptuously turns away from the details, from painstaking, sweat-smelling work. From this predilection for the minimum, for the most concentrated form of the game of the mind, follows its ability to compose dazzling puns and aphorisms. He never writes long reports, he characterizes a situation or a person with a single, sharply honed word.

“Now I understand what attracted me to the personality of Talleyrand. Diplomats knew him as a difficult and shrewd negotiator, and in company with him, rarely anyone could help but smile. He was a brilliant and witty conversationalist. He had many vices, and the most repulsive vices, but he got so used to them that he did not pay attention to them, considering them an integral part of his greatness. He, who was at the pinnacle of power, constantly had to face contradictions, dilemmas and alternatives, and he almost never took sides, as a person of his rank would. Apart from a few truly odious monsters of history, there is hardly any other world power that has managed to earn such a tarnished reputation as Talleyrand.<…>

Before him there were too many temptations that are difficult to cope with even a mere mortal. He lived in the most turbulent and dangerous era in the history of Europe, shaping and directing its future and enduring all the hardships and temptations of his time.

William Milligan Sloan (1850–1928) - American historian:

“He was an outstanding, typical aristocrat of the old french school- an elegant, dexterous and witty interlocutor, an exemplary courtier who knew how to perfectly measure words, gestures and movements, but was completely incapable of setting any broad, grandiose views. In small things, he was distinguished by extraordinary dexterity, but at the same time he did not possess sufficient strength of character to overstubborn his monarch.<…>Much can be forgiven for an adventurer surviving revolutionary storms, but in Talleyrand we see a man who always knew how to adjust his sails to every wind, happily escaped from all storms and made his profits in all ports. He served as a high-ranking trustee - the republic, the consulate, the empire, and the restored kingdom. Possessing a large store of practical wisdom, just in case, he had already prepared for a long time to retire from business, and amassed an enormous fortune for himself.

Adolphe Thiers (1797–1877) – French politician and historian:

"This skillful representative of Napoleon in Europe was lazy, sensitive, never in a hurry to act or move, and physical weakness only increased his effeminacy."

Alexandre Sallet - 19th-century French historian:“Monsieur de Talleyrand was a great man, but special: he was neither a party leader, nor an army general, nor an orator, nor a writer, he had nothing of what seems to give power in our day. The most remarkable thing about its greatness was that it seemed to follow the course of events, but in fact it controlled them. Since Talleyrand foresaw and prepared the events that were taking place, he was ready for them earlier than anyone else, and this formed the basis of his political superiority. Nothing was ever unexpected for him: not that events always happened exactly as he wanted, not that he never experienced disappointment, but he did not despair and did not lose heart, because his high mind told him moves where others saw only problems.<…>It was important to see what is the result of the mind, and take what is the result of character. Most men lack this second much more than the first.

Georges Touchard-Lafosse (1780–1847) – French journalist and publisher:

“He never waited for a hurricane to bend him: in all circumstances he was seen to bend even before a strong wind blows; he was converted, or rather he already seemed so before anyone thought of asking him to be converted.”

Jacques Marquet de Montbreton, Baron de Norvain (1769–1854) – French politician and writer:

“If Napoleon had the lot of the genius of victories, then Talleyrand had the lot of the genius of politics. History gives us no other example of such a great influence of one person on various revolutions.<…>Power and strength always passed through the hands of Talleyrand: he gave them to others, did not seek the primacy of places, but demanded the primacy of deeds, and kept only one of the external benefits for himself - gold, an invincible tool in his mind.

Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer (1801–1872) – British diplomat and writer:

“Despite the size and grandeur of the theater in which Monsieur de Talleyrand appeared, despite the importance of the roles he played in it for half a century, I dare to doubt that his character was ever well described and even now appreciated, and This is not surprising".

E. V. Tarle (1874–1955) - Soviet historian, academician:

“Prince Talleyrand was called not just a liar, but the “father of lies”. And, indeed, no one has ever discovered such art in the conscious perversion of the truth, such an ability to maintain a majestically casual, uninterested look, serene calmness, characteristic only of the most immaculate, dove-like purity of the soul, no one has achieved such perfection in the use of the default figure as This is truly an extraordinary person. Even those observers and critics of his actions who considered him a walking collection of all vices almost never called him a hypocrite. And, indeed, this epithet somehow does not fit him, he is too weak and inexpressive.<…>His whole life was an endless series of betrayals and betrayals, and these acts were associated with such grandiose historical events, took place on such an open world stage, were always (without exception) explained to such an extent by clearly selfish motives and were accompanied by such direct material benefits for him personally, - that with his colossal mind, Talleyrand never expected that with a simple, ordinary and generally accepted, so to speak, hypocrisy, he could really deceive someone for a long time after the commission of one or another of his acts.

Encyclopedic Dictionary of F. A. Brockhaus and I. A. Efron:

“He had the art of understanding the people with whom he dealt, guessing their weaknesses and playing on them ... He was a remarkably witty conversationalist in the salon. His witticisms flew around Paris, France and even Europe and became proverbs; so, he put into play the famous saying (not the first one, however, said) that the language is given to man in order to hide thoughts. Talleyrand had no convictions; he was driven solely by the lust for wealth, power and money.”

D. S. Merezhkovsky (1865–1941) - Russian writer and philosopher:

“Taleyrand, in his own way, is an extraordinary creature: a man of great intelligence, but completely empty, dead, because every living mind has its roots in the heart, and instead of the heart, he has a pinch of grave dust or that dust on which a rotten mushroom crumbles -raincoat. And he knows this, he feels his bottomless, inner emptiness, non-existence, and maliciously-greedily envies all living, existing ones, especially Napoleon, because he is living, living par excellence.

What are they connected with? The fact that in Talleyrand seems to Napoleon to be businesslike realism, an ingenious disdain for the stinkiest of human cuisines - politics. Yes, this, but also something else, deeper, transcendent. It seems that they are connected, like Faust and Mephistopheles, man and his otherworldly “shadow”: the very carrier stuck to the very being.”

John Wilson Crocker (1780–1857) - British statesman:

“He's a bit overweight for a Frenchman, with weak ankles and deformed legs that make him move at a strange trot. His face does not express anything, except that it reflects something like an alcoholic stupor. Indeed, he looks like an old, tipsy and lame school teacher. His voice is deep and hoarse."

Marcel Brion (1895–1984) – French historian and writer:

“In reality, behind this lack of expressiveness lay the thoughts and plans of a statesman who believed in the need for restoration, but who understood that the return of the Eagle was also possible - the near future will soon confirm this - and who intended not only to remain in this game with his own interest, but also to ensure the interests of France, whatever turn events may take afterwards.<…>

It's not a drunk teacher elementary school as portrayed by English ill will, but a statesman, shrewd and cautious, more and more suspicious as he gains experience in the conditions of the instability of human values ​​​​and the great responsibility that has fallen to the lot of this spokesman for the interests of France.

David Loday is a contemporary English writer and journalist:

“Talleyrand fulfilled his cherished dream - he achieved peace for both France and Europe - at least for a while. In this sense, he was a true patriot, which the prince himself never doubted: the blood of the Perigors would not allow him to do otherwise. A completely different matter is national recognition. Not he, but the man whom he defeated, remained forever in the memory of the French. Personal glory, popularity has always been and remains the most expensive and desirable reward for a person, and not peace and civilization, which Talleyrand aspired to.

Carl Ludwig Berne (1786–1837) – German essayist and writer:

“Talleyrand was reproached for consistently betraying all parties, all governments ... But he did not betray at all: he only left them when they were dying. He sat at the sickbed of every time, every government, always felt their pulse and, before anyone else, noticed when the heart stopped beating. Then he hurried from the deceased to the heir, while others continued a short time serve the corpse.

Is this treason? Is Talleyrand worse than others because he is smarter, firmer and obeys the inevitable? The fidelity of others did not last longer, only their delusion was longer. I always listened to the voice of Talleyrand, as to the decision of fate ... I wanted this man to live in my room: I would put him, like a barometer, against the wall and, without reading newspapers, without opening the windows, I would know every day what weather in the world."