9537. Proclamation to the Army after Austerlitz (December 3, 1805)
Original French
9537 — A L’ARMÉE
Austerlitz, 12 frimaire an XIV (3 décembre 1805).
Soldats, je suis content de vous. Vous avez, à la journée d’Austerlitz, justifié tout ce que j’attendais de votre intrépidité; vous avez décoré vos aigles d’une immortelle gloire. Une armée de 100,000 hommes, commandée par les empereurs de Russie et d’Autriche, a été, en moins de quatre heures, ou coupée ou dispersée. Ce qui a échappé à votre fer s’est noyé dans les lacs. Quarante drapeaux, les étendards de la garde impériale de Russie, cent vingt pièces de canon, vingt généraux, plus de 30,000 prisonniers, sont le résultat de cette journée à jamais célèbre. Cette infanterie tant vantée, et en nombre supérieur, n’a pu résister à votre choc, et désormais vous n’avez plus de rivaux à redouter. Ainsi, en deux mois, cette troisième coalition a été vaincue et dissoute. La paix ne peut plus être éloignée; mais, comme je l’ai promis à mon peuple avant de passer le Rhin, je ne ferai qu’une paix qui nous donne des garanties et assure des récompenses à nos alliés.
Soldats, lorsque le peuple français plaça sur ma tête la couronne impériale, je me confiai à vous pour la maintenir toujours dans ce haut éclat de gloire qui seul pouvait lui donner du prix à mes yeux. Mais dans le même moment nos ennemis pensaient à la détruire et à l’avilir! Et cette couronne de fer, conquise par le sang de tant de Français, ils voulaient m’obliger à la placer sur la tête de nos plus cruels ennemis! Projets téméraires et insensés que, le jour même de l’anniversaire du couronnement de votre Empereur, vous avez anéantis et confondus! Vous leur avez appris qu’il est plus facile de nous braver et de nous menacer que de nous vaincre.
Soldats, lorsque tout ce qui est nécessaire pour assurer le bonheur et la prospérité de notre patrie sera accompli, je vous ramènerai en France; là vous serez l’objet de mes plus tendres sollicitudes. Mon peuple vous reverra avec joie, et il vous suffira de dire, J’étais à la bataille d’Austerlitz, pour que l’on réponde, Voilà un brave.
Napoléon.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted Musean translation directly from the French transcript; source-language model review covered the earlier corpus, with later changes separately checked as documented in corpus/raw/napoleon-proclamations/source-language-review.md.
To the army.
Austerlitz, 12 Frimaire, Year XIV (December 3, 1805).
Soldiers, I am pleased with you. At the battle of Austerlitz, you fulfilled all I expected of your fearlessness; you adorned your eagles with immortal glory. An army of 100,000 men, commanded by the emperors of Russia and Austria, was divided or scattered in less than four hours. Those who escaped your blades drowned in the lakes. Forty flags, the standards of the Russian imperial guard, one hundred and twenty cannon, twenty generals, and more than 30,000 prisoners are the yield of this forever celebrated day. That much-vaunted infantry, though superior in number, could not withstand your assault, and henceforth you have no rivals to fear. Thus, in two months, this third coalition has been defeated and dissolved. Peace can no longer be far away; but, as I promised my people before crossing the Rhine, I will make only a peace that gives us guarantees and secures rewards for our allies.
Soldiers, when the French people placed the imperial crown on my head, I trusted you to maintain it always in that lofty splendor of glory which alone could give it worth in my eyes. Yet at that very moment our enemies were thinking of destroying and debasing it! And this iron crown, won by the blood of so many Frenchmen, they wanted to force me to place on the head of our cruelest enemies! Reckless and senseless designs, which you have shattered and confounded on the very anniversary of your Emperor’s coronation! You have taught them that it is easier to defy and threaten us than to defeat us.
Soldiers, when all that is necessary to secure the happiness and prosperity of our homeland has been accomplished, I will lead you back to France; there you will be the object of my most tender care. My people will see you again with joy, and you will need only to say, “I was at the battle of Austerlitz,” for the answer to come, “There is a brave man.”
Napoleon.
Plain English translation
Independently produced machine-assisted Plain translation directly from the same French transcript; source-language model review covered the earlier corpus as documented in corpus/raw/napoleon-proclamations/source-language-review.md.
To the army
Austerlitz, 12 Frimaire, year XIV (December 3, 1805).
Soldiers, I am satisfied with you. On the day of Austerlitz, you fulfilled all my expectations of your courage and gave your eagles glory that will never die. In less than four hours, an army of 100,000 men under the emperors of Russia and Austria was either cut off or scattered. Those who escaped your blades drowned in the lakes. This day, which will be remembered forever, has yielded forty flags, the standards of Russia's imperial guard, 120 cannon, twenty generals, and more than 30,000 prisoners. Their much-praised infantry, though greater in number, could not withstand your attack. You no longer have any rivals to fear. In this way, the third coalition has been beaten and broken up in two months. Peace can no longer be far off. I will make peace only if it gives us guarantees and secures rewards for our allies, as I promised my people before crossing the Rhine.
Soldiers, the French people placed the imperial crown on my head. I trusted you then to keep its glory shining brightly forever, for only that glory could make the crown precious to me. Yet at the same time our enemies were planning to destroy and disgrace it! So many French people had shed their blood to win this iron crown, and our enemies wanted to force me to place it on the head of our cruelest enemies! These plans were reckless and foolish. On the very anniversary of your Emperor's coronation, you destroyed and foiled them! You showed them that it is easier to challenge us and make threats than to win against us.
Soldiers, I will take you back to France once everything needed to secure our homeland's happiness and prosperity has been done. There I will care for you with the greatest tenderness. My people will be glad to see you again. You will only need to say, “I was at the battle of Austerlitz,” and people will answer, “There is a brave man.”
Napoleon.
About this section
9537. Proclamation to the Army after Austerlitz (December 3, 1805) is part of Proclamation to the Army after Austerlitz by Napoléon Bonaparte. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is part 1 of 1 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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