CHARLES MAURICE DE TALLEYRAND: BIOGRAPHY - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand was a French politician and perhaps one of the most recognized in all of Europe. He participated in different governments: he had a presence from the times of Louis XVI to those of Louis Philip I. He was Napoleon's advisor and also the promoter of his defeat, for which he received the qualifications of traitor and hero at the same time.

Talleyrand successfully held diplomatic posts that ensured peace and his actions guaranteed the well-being of liberalism in France. He lived transcendental moments in the history of France, from the century of lights to the contemporary age; He was part of the battles and revolutions that marked the destiny of Europe in the 19th century.

Talleyrand is recognized as the father of diplomacy. Source: François Gérard

The political history of France was characterized by the presence of great monarchs, from Charlemagne in 800 AD. Until the French Revolution. This last process changed the history of Europe and the world, and abolished the monarchical figure to make way for the Republic: citizens assumed political power, especially members of high society.

Within this environment of revolutions and drastic changes, Charle Maurice Talleyrand was part of the class that directed the destinies of France and Europe, and his figure resonated within the political history of the continent thanks to his impeccable reputation and the excellent management carried out since his ecclesiastical offices.

Biography

He was born in Paris, France, on February 2, 1754 in the home of a family of great prestige and power, surrounded by refined customs typical of the French nobility.

Talleyrand cultivated sophistication and calm throughout his life. Due to a painful illness he could not excel in the military arts and chose ecclesiastical life; in this way he lost all the titles and rights that he should have inherited.

Priestly duties

After being ordained as a priest in 1779, he received a degree in Theology from the Sorbonne University. After a year of having received the title, he assumed the position of general agent of the clergy of France, a position from which he defended and administered the goods of the Church before the interests of Louis XVI.

In 1789 he was appointed deputy of the clergy for the states and bishop of Autun, and as he held public office, liberal ideas took root in his mind to the point of supporting the revolutionary fraction of the Third Estate. He also sponsored the delivery of ecclesiastical goods to the nation.

During the French Revolution he seconded the civil Constitution of the clergy, to later abandon the ecclesiastical state and thus concentrate on its diplomatic and political development.

As a consequence of this approach in 1792 he became French ambassador to England; its main function was to keep the British monarchy updated on the revolutionary aspect of the French government.

Diplomatic posts

That same year he returned to France but returned to England after foreseeing the horror that Robespierre represented and established. He was expelled in 1794 from Great Britain and traveled to the United States; his performance in the real estate industry brought him good fortune.

After the fall of Robespierre and taking advantage of the state of weakness and chaos of politics in the country, he returned to France in 1796 and took office as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Directory, which corresponded to a new, more conservative form of government established after the fall of the Revolution.

Talleyrand served Napoleon faithfully and Napoleon awarded him the titles of Vice-Elector, Grand Chamberlain, and Prince of Benevento.

However, as a result of a series of events - among which was the breakdown of relations with Austria and the Russian campaign - he submitted his resignation to Napoleon without losing the titles, immunity or recognition of the government.

Cast from Germany

Maurice Talleyrand had a prominent role in the cast of Germany. The 1797 Campo Formio treaty seized the lands of the German princes that were on the left side of the Rhine, an action that was not confirmed until 1801 with the Lunéville treaty.

This action was very important for Talleyrand, since it brought him around 10 million francs as a result of the bribes made.

At this time (September 1802) he married Catherine Grand, who had returned to France in 1794 and had been his longtime lover. Shortly after they were married they separated and she went to live alone, while her diplomatic husband eventually gave her money to lead a luxurious life in London.

The conspiracy and the trial

After the Erfurt Conference -which had the intention of changing the political order of Europe- in 1809 he served as a double agent.

That is, while providing valuable information to the Russian Tsar about all the emperor's movements, he continued to advise him politically. He was discovered and subjected to public trial by Napoleon I, but he was successful.

After exposing the monarch and after an impeccable defense of the trial to which he was exposed, he worked intensely to achieve the downfall of Napoleon.

Faced with the defeat of Napoleon, Talleyrand assumed the provisional government until the arrival of Louis XVIII in 1814, who appointed him plenipotentiary minister during the Congress of Vienna; from this position he made France a power.

He remained a member of the Chamber of Peers and supported the Revolution of 1830 that crowned Louis Philippe of Orleans as the new monarch. He was appointed as ambassador to London and one of his greatest achievements as a diplomat was to achieve the alliance between France, Portugal, Spain and Great Britain at the end of the restoration.

Death

Finally he failed in his attempt to expand the French border and retired to his castle at Valencay to reconcile with the Church; There he died on May 17, 1838. In his memoirs he claimed not to have been a traitor or to have put his interests before those of France.

He accumulated a large number of titles after serving different regimes, which were legitimized thanks to his merits and not by descent, as used to be the case. Even today he is considered the father of modern diplomacy.

References

1. "Find out all about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand" in Historical Battles. Retrieved on July 1, 2019 from Historical Battles: Batallasistoricas.com
2. "Biography of Talleyrand, hero or villain?" in Red History. Retrieved on July 1, 2019 from Redhistoria: redhistoria.com
3. "Charles Maurice de Talleyrand" in Biographies and lives. Retrieved on July 1, 2019 from Biographies and life: biografiasyvidas.com
4. Charle Maurice de Talleyrand On Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 1, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
5. Sanz, Javier. "Why do politicians worship Talleyrand without being a saint?" in History of history. Retrieved on July 1, 2019 from History of history: historiansdelahistoria.com