Carnot, Part 1 (French Edition)

Carnot, Part 1 by Mathieu-Noël Rioust chronicles the life and career of Lazare Carnot, a central figure of the French Revolution and the early Napoleonic era. The work traces Carnot's origins in Noisy, Bourgogne, his early education and entrance into the royal corps of engineers, and his unfolding blend of mathematical insight and political philosophy. Rioust surveys Carnot's rise in the revolutionary period: his contributions as a military engineer, his eloquent writings on Vauban and other figures, and his ascent through the Legislative Assembly, the Convention, and the Committee of Public Safety. The narrative covers his leadership in campaigns on the northern frontier, the debacles and triumphs of the early revolutionary wars, and his pivotal role in reorganizing the French armies during the War of the Revolution. It also delves into his uneasy interactions with the governing bodies of the Directoire, including the 18 fructidor coup, his moments of exile, and his return under Napoleon and service in the interior ministry. The author offers a critical but admiring portrait, balancing Carnot's political virtue with the era's factional strife; the volume features a substantial preface, notes, and complementary documents shaping his legacy.