THE epoch-making episodes known as the three Rs — renaissance, reformation and revolution, produced remarkable personalities who played a vital role by exploiting the opportunities provided during the course of time. Talleyrand Perigod-Charles Maurice de, Prince de Benevent (1754-1838) was such a man.
This fascinating and skilled French diplomat and statesman was noted for his capacity to survive all upheavals. He held high offices during the French Revolution, under Napoleon and even after the latter’s fall.
Belonging to an old aristocratic family of France, he joined the Church. There he read philosophy and political works of eminent personalities and developed a knack for politics. During this period, he also indulged in amorous activities and took on a mistress. As a result, he was expelled from the Church.
Despite being debarred from the Church, he continued to be in the company of ecclesiastics. Before the revolution, when the controversial privileges enjoyed by the clergy throughout centuries came before the Estates-General for appraisal, he defended them with full ability. For that, the clergy appointed him on the coveted position of bishopric. He actively participated in politics during the revolution upheaval and was appointed as deputy by the clergy in the elections of the assembly.
Here, at the opening session of Estates-General, his political acumen caught the attention of the participants when, to the surprise of his patron (clergy), he voted against their interests in favour of abolishing tithe to clear the state debt. For his active involvement with revolutionaries and vote against the interests of clergy, the Pope excommunicated him, resulting in his resignation from the bishopric.
His skills as a deft negotiator were first recognized in the successful parlays held between France and England to prevent the latter to join Prussia and Austria, and Austria against France. He was successful in neutralizing England in war between France and Prussia but as luck would have it, the monarch was overthrown in France and the king along with his spouse was executed. This act of the revolutionaries earned the severe reprimand of all the monarchies of Europe, which alienated England as well. This was a very difficult situation for Talleyrand, as being a representative of the monarchy in England, he was unable to return to France. After being expelled from London in Jan 1774, he embarked for the USA. His short stay in USA was very auspicious, as there he built a fortune by engaging himself in financial speculations.
Afterwards, he came back to France and took seat in Institute National, to which he was elected in absentia. His association with revolutionaries helped him rise to the position of foreign minister, the post he held even after Napoleon took control of affairs.
His fortunes again nose-dived when he was blamed for demanding bribe from US diplomats. As a result, three US diplomats were withdrawn causing a breach in the French-US relationship, the responsibility of which was solely placed on his shoulders and for which he was forced to resign. But after his return from Egypt, Napoleon again needed support to legitimize his unpopular action and also for establishing himself as first consular dictator. He thereafter sought services of Talleyrand again as his foreign minister. This time Talleyrand played a key role in pacifying the belligerent states thereby brought peace in Europe for several years.
Since the time Napoleon took over reign of the government, his relationship with Pope Pius VII was at the lowest ebb. It was also the diplomatic skill of Talleyrand which brought it to normalcy. However, his aim to prevent renewal of war between France and England remained elusive. But this time, failure to achieve this goal did not yield him to resign. In 1802, he fully supported Napoleon to establish himself as ‘consul for life’, thereby assuring that he will never reconcile with the Bourbons. This strategy helped him become grand Chamberlain, when in 1804 Napoleon finally proclaimed himself as the Emperor of France. Subsequently, as the Napoleon’s ambitions for expansion grew to insatiable limits, Talleyrand found himself sidelined. He thus resigned for the third time, now from the office of grand Chamberlain.
In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia but his Grand Army could not face the inclement weather and stubborn resistance of the forces of Tsar Alexander I. After a disastrous retreat from Russia, Napoleon again needed support at home. He made concerted efforts to bring Talleyrand back to the ministry, but by this time the latter had established clandestine contacts with the monarch’s party to bring the house of Bourbon back to power. In the negotiations between allies, which demanded overthrowing and dispatching Napoleon to Mt. Elba, Talleyrand actively participated and also succeeded in obtaining favourable terms for France by allowing her to retain frontiers of 1792.
During the period of Napoleon’s short comeback of a ‘hundred days’, Talleyrand did not return to France and remained in Vienna knowing that the days of his erstwhile mentor were numbered. This premonition turned out to be true as in 1815, in the battlefield of Waterloo, the forces of Napoleon were utterly routed at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and Louis XVIII returned to Paris, and the Bourbons were again established as monarchs in France.
His connections with monarchs paid off and he rejoined the government as foreign minister. However, the ultra revolutionaries did not like his entry in the government and opposed him tooth and nail. They finally succeeded in forcing him to resign. From 1830 to 1834, he continued on diplomatic assignments in London where he negotiated a settlement between France and England. According to this settlement, a neutral Kingdom of Belgium came into existence, which was a feather in his cap.
This dynamic man, a few hours before his death, signed a document in which he declared himself reconciled with the Church. He died peacefully in 1838.
