Hat worn by Napoleon sells for $2.1 million at auction of French emperor’s belongings
NBCNOV 22 2023
Napoleon Pistols Sold at French Auction
Image copyright: Hulton Archive/Stringer/Hulton Archive via Getty Images
The Facts
On Sunday, two pistols that belonged to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte fetched €1.69M ($1.83M) at a French auction house, which claims that the European figure tried to use the weapons to kill himself.
The ornate pair of pistols sold at the Osenat auction house, located next to the Fontainebleau palace where Napoleon attempted suicide following his fall from power in 1814. Dubbed a national treasure by France's culture ministry, the weapons were prohibited from being exported.
Depressed after his first abdication, Napoleon was allegedly on the brink of suicide. However, his close friend Armand de Caulaincourt removed the gunpowder from the weapons. Napoleon gave Caulaincourt the pistols as a gift.
The Spin
Narrative A
Napoleon has a complicated legacy that shouldn't prevent him from being celebrated. He embodied the essence of a great man who single-handedly forges history. As both a military savant and political figure, he has written several chapters of history, and he gets far too little credit for his prudence as a leader given the circumstances of his rise. Despite his missteps and large ego, Napoleon remains a hero of history who should be recognized.
Narrative B
Napoleon embodies everything wrong with leaders of the past who enslaved and colonized marginalized peoples for personal gain. A symbol of white supremacy, Napoleon should not be celebrated and instead should be remembered as a murderer and oppressor. More attention should be paid to the remaining legacy of European colonization and how to dismantle oppression.
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