10 Things You Didn't Know About Napoleon

9. Napoleon And Josephine Had Several Affairs

NAPOLEON ITALIAN
Henri Frédéric Schopin / Public domain

If it were not for British newspapers being handed intercepted French mail, then we may never have found out about this one.

In retrospect, Napoleon and Josephine are seen as a great military couple and you scarcely hear one mentioned without the other. However, the reality of their marriage was very different. During Napoleon’s many raids abroad (especially to Egypt) love letters between one of Napoleon’s home based generals and Josephine were leaked to the British press, and the story of Josephine’s affair was soon spreading like wildfire.

Napoleon’s laws on adultery were questionable however. If a woman was cheating on her husband under Napoleonic rule, then it was grounds for divorce no matter the circumstances. But, a husband could only be divorced if he was caught cheating by his wife in their house. In other words, French men could have as many mistresses as they liked as long as they didn’t bring them home.

Napoleon took full advantage of his own laws and was soon seen galloping around Egypt with one of his general’s wives shortly after the Josephine love letters were leaked. Napoleon and Josephine divorced in 1810 so Napoleon could marry Marie Louise, the great niece of Marie Antoinette, to strengthen the French and Austrian alliance (although this did not help Napoleon at all by the time Waterloo came about).

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