Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, Prince of Benevento (since 1806), Duke of Talleyrand-Périgord (since 1807) and Duke of Dino (since 1805), is said to that he was the "Prince of diplomats", "a bunch of shit in Seidenstrümpfen" (Napoleon) and "the son of his time". Talleyrand biography is marked by the turmoil of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era, and the many power struggles at the time.
The fact biography of Talleyrand is that he made it at a time and a country which arbitrary regimes and leaders destroyed and rebuilt under any regime to be successful and always in time to switch sides. So, he was at the forefront of the French Revolution, Napoleon helped his rise, left him in time, enough to be able to save the "Napoleonic shipwreck" at the Congress of Vienna and was still in power, as the Bourbon Kings were deposed twice and the citizen King ruled. This varied career leads to different, mostly negative reviews of the man of who diplomatically counters accusations of opportunism: "Opposition is the art to be sent, however, that it can be later this!"
His childhood is joyless. He was born as a child of an impoverished noble family on February 2, 1754 and is relatively indifferent to his parents. A military career was thwarted due to his club foot. It is unclear whether he suffered the Marfan syndrome from birth or whether he fell unhappy as a child and it simply was not handled. He spent the first four years of his life at a nurse in poverty, it had forgotten while his parents as the oldest. Only when his brother died, an uncle began to care for the child. His mother wanted to live together with a crippled and smelly child however and sent him first to a relative to Paris, which gave him love and protected him. Later, he came to a boarding school in Paris.
At the age of 16 he enters the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, a few years later he began the study of theology at the Sorbonne, and is ordained to the priesthood in 1977. Short time he is general agent of the French clergy. Resigned he performs admirably due to his talent, however, is not love him this during his career and happens only on pressure his parents, Talleyrand is not a priest, not a shepherd, but an "enfant terrible" at the Sorbonne and a bon vivant as a priest. He consorted with, in the eyes of the Church and the Crown, "shady" individuals addicted to the game, bets his money, has numerous liaisons, as well as a "eheähnliches" relationship and a child with the married Adélaide de Flahaut, which delayed his appointment as the Bishop of Autun.
In 1789, the French King, convene the estates-General to repair the ailing public finances. The estates General is composed of the three estates of the country: clergy, nobility and peasants. But have the peasants, same vote as the first two levels although they make up 98% of the population, which leads to resentment. This dissatisfaction is reinforced by the seditious ideas of the enlightenment and a famine. These are the reasons for the proclamation of the revolution in France, which assumes a fundamental role in the Talleyrand presents itself through the National Assembly. He is remarkably liberal for a noble cleric, he advocated freedom of expression and freedom of the press, post secret, the nationalization of patrimony, to pay off the debts of France, and intensely engaged in improving the education system. But the politician is also a Democrat, in a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral mind, as one knows it from the UK.
In France, the law is enacted, each cleric must swear an oath to the new Constitution. The Pope speaks out against it and threatened with excommunication anyone who shall take an oath. Talleyrand, who long has beaten on the side of the revolutionaries, swears, and cease his spiritual career.
1792 shortly before began the "Grande Terreur" in France and the revolution devoured its own children, it succeeds, by Danton to flee to England. He is officially in political function on the go, which allows him later return to his home country, which was not well disposed to refugees. in 1794 Britain expelling him, and he travels to the United States. in 1796, he returned to Paris.
Paris lies in ruins. There is absolute chaos, people are hungry again, but little time was so much dancing. Talleyrand is central and powerless, but he had his old relationships, friendships and relationships, including with Germaine de Staels. You begged to stay Paul barras, a member of the five-member Governing Board, which ruled France after the revolution, the Secretary of State to appoint Talleyrand. Barras - Talleyrand has bad reputation - doubts and ordered him to go home. Fortunately for the former priest a friend drowns all on this day barras', which should have been more, as only a "good friend". His priestly formation and eloquence will help Talleyrand comfort barras and short time he is Foreign Minister.
But that's not enough the talented man. He notes that the Governing Board is not particularly strong, no real career opportunities offer themselves to him and looking for alternatives. His solution is: Napoleon Bonaparte.
Not clearly emerges from his memoirs, how he actually was actively involved in Napoleon's coup d ' état, but he was definitely advise and also responsible for the resignation of barras.
in 1807, he was appointed as Foreign Minister by Napoleon. For a time they worked well together despite often divergent opinion, after the peace Talleyrand but resigned from Tilsit. He wants a France just as powerful, as with the peace of Europe compatible?; Napoleon wanted France so powerful that no one else would dare to break the peace.
His decision, in a timely manner to distance themselves from Napoleon, was the right thing. After the Corsican was disempowered, he of the Bourbone King Louis XVIII. was again appointed Secretary of State and sent to the Congress of Vienna, in the face of Europe after the Napoleonic upheavals should be discussed. Talleyrand position was extremely bad, he represented the party of losers, which was used all over Europe. Nevertheless succeeded that the French borders of 1789 were restored, which certainly represents a diplomatic feat in Talleyrand biography.
After the July Revolution of 1830, in which the citizen King Louis Philippe to power came, he was sent again by this as an Ambassador to England.
Talleyrand died in Paris on May 17, 1838.
