Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Borrienne
Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Borrienne, the chapter's author, was a well-known French ambassador who lived from July 9, 1769, until his death on February 7, 1834. His writings, for the most part, are extremely important because they offered a vivid commentary on the First Empire. He played an important part in society by acting as a diplomat for the Revolutionary government in Germany. On Napoleon's invitation, Borrienne participated in the writing of the Treaty of Campo Formio in Italy. He was then sent to Hamburg in 1804 to conduct French commercial war against Britain. Borrienne also served as minister of state and councilor in the Chamber of Deputies.
Louis Antoine Fauvelet's memoir
Louis Antoine Fauvelet’s memoir, The French View of the Events in Egypt, talks about the expedition of French soldiers to capture the city of Alexander. The army was led by Bonaparte, the General-in-Chief; other civilians also joined the crusade. The author describes the journey of the army men from their barrack, as they crossed the sea towards the city of Alexander. It must have been a rigorous and tiresome journey as the writer puts it. The memoir mainly contains events that the French engaged in while in Egypt and other parts of the Mediterranean. These activities are essential to the history of French and the French Army. The historical events also form a basis for studying the movements that took place in the early centuries. Some of the events significantly contributed to the development and civilization of different countries. Borrienne’s memoir covers the activities which took places majorly in Egypt and helped towards the improvement of the French. He also talks about some of the invasions by the Arabs during their expeditions.
Credibility of the information
It is not easy to ascertain the credibility of the information in the memoir because there are no cited sources within the article. Therefore, the one cannot tell where Borrienne got his facts from. The series of events seem like a tale that does not require any justification. The author could have backed up his claims and discussions of events with references. Also, he could have included quotes of testimonies from individuals who took parts in the circumstances. Furthermore, there are no notable critics on his most of Borrienne’s memoirs. However, the content of the piece is valuable because it provides knowledge of the French View of the events in Egypt to historians who might need the information. Louis Antoine Fauvelet’s piece is not different from other historical memoirs since it offers substantial information in a short span.
Opinion on the source
In my opinion, the source cannot be used to support any essential debate because the sources of information in the piece are questionable. Even though the credibility is uncertain, the article contains a lot of information about the French history. Borrienne covers everything that transpired in Egypt and chronologically describes every part of the events. Since these are historical events, they should have been supported by facts because it is assumed that they are activities that actually took place. Using such information to defend a point in a debate might raise eyebrows of the audience who are familiar with the historical events. Despite all the aforementioned issues, the source still offers valuable details to historians and other interested parties.
Bibliography
"The French View of the Events in Egypt: Memoirs by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Borrienne, Private Secretary to General Bonaparte." In Al-Jabarti's Chronicle of the First Seven Months of the French Occupation of Egypt, 1798, by Abdal-Rahman. Al-Jabarti, 135-161. Leiden: EJ Brill, 1975.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopædia. Encyclopædia Britannica: Louis-Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne. October 21, 2011. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Antoine-Fauvelet-de-Bourrienne (accessed December 1, 2017).
