Napoleon Sets His Eyes on Controlling the Russian Fleet and Demands to Know the Progress of His Consolidation of Power in Italy
"I greatly desire news on everything...My son.... your letters become more rare and less significant.".
The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 resulted in a Russian withdrawal from the Adriatic Sea and the French takeover of the strategic island of Corfu. This left the Russian fleet without a key port on its southern flank. Russian vessels in the Mediterranean had been fighting the Ottoman forces in the Aegean...
The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 resulted in a Russian withdrawal from the Adriatic Sea and the French takeover of the strategic island of Corfu. This left the Russian fleet without a key port on its southern flank. Russian vessels in the Mediterranean had been fighting the Ottoman forces in the Aegean and they now were split, some Russian ships heading West where they were blockaded by the British, and some to Trieste and Venice, where they remained under the authority and watchful of eye of Napoleon.
The Viceroy of Italy at the time was Napoleon's stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais. In May of 1808, Napoleon wrote to Eugene, “The whole of the Russian fleet is under my orders… Write my consul in Trieste to learn the situation of the Russian fleet in that port…. It would not be difficult for me to cede two of the Russian frigates to my navy in Venice."
Simultaneously, Napoleon set about a major structural reorganization of his Italian Empire following the dissolution of the Papal States. Following this dissolution, the kingdom of Italy was extended along the Adriatic coast, and on April 20, 1808, three new departments were established. On the 16th of May, Napoleon wrote to de Beauharnais criticizing him for failing to update him properly on the status of his efforts in Italy. "You leave me forever in the dark."
Finally, in June, he had enough. He demanded immediately to know the status of the Russian fleets in the Adriatic and also the work being done in Italy.
Letter signed, June 2, 1808, Bayonne, to Eugene de Beauharnais. "My son, I am awaiting an update on the works I ordered in Italy and receive none. I greatly desire news on everything. I have received an update on Mantua [in Lombardy, Italy] and will respond. I have asked you for information on the Russian fleet now at Trieste and Venice and yet you send me none. Your letters become more rare and less significant.”
This is vintage Napoleon, voraciously collecting information “on everything”, and juggling with dexterity his powerful empire.
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