Welcome to Napoleonic Wars
Chers camarades d’armes,
Welcome to 19th century Europe, a place of turmoil and intrigue where men’s thirst for glory knows no bounds, and dynasties rise and crumble at a dizzying pace. I am thrilled to be your chair as we turn back the clock to the Napoleonic Wars, perhaps one of the first true world wars, pitting Napoleon’s vast but short-lived empire (the first to bring together the majority of Western Europe under a single flag in nearly a millennium) against various coalitions over a decade of nearly constant conflict.
A little about myself: I hail from Paris, city of lights today but perhaps mostly city of conscription back then. As a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, I study computer science and entrepreneurship through the Jerome Fischer Program in Management and Technology. I am a bit of a “third culture kid”, having lived in France, the U.S., India, and most recently Scotland. I have also been a big fan of Model UN since arriving at Penn, serving most recently as Director-General of UPMUNC, ILMUNC’s sister conference catering to university students.
I look forward to classy powdered wigs, vigorous debate, and to rewriting history with all of you – Saint Helena, out in the South Atlantic, is an awfully lonely place for imposed vacation at the Brits’ expense.
Yours,
Geoffroy Bablon
Chair, Napoleonic Wars
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Imperial Subjects, Conspirators, Spies, Loyalists, and more,
I hope you all have prepared for a weekend of intrigue, machinations, and combat on a continental scale. In 19th century Europe, you will witness Napoleon Bonaparte’s rapid rise to the top of an empire that spans half a continent and shows no signs of remaining quiescent for long. But fortunes are quick to change, and in a world where esprit is as important as esprit de corps, and where a kind word and a dagger are often as effective as armies of epic proportions, you must be quick on your feet if you want to survive, much less succeed.
I am delighted to be your Crisis Director throughout ILMUNC 2012. I am a junior in the Jerome Fischer Program in Management and Technology, studying entrepreneurship and computer engineering. Though I have lived in St. Louis, Missouri for all of my life, I have studied French since high school and am looking forward to sharing my love of a very rich period of history in France with you. I have been in love with Model U.N. since freshman year of high school, and served last year on the board of INTERCOL, the branch of Penn’s International Affairs Association that competes at conferences across the country.
History is in the making, gentlefolk of the ruling class. Whether civilizations rise and fall these next few days will be determined by your actions and inactions, so I encourage you to take risks, prepare your rhetoric, and be ready to grind your enemies to dust. Exile and execution wait for those who are not prepared, but the promise of eternal glory will drive the rest of you forward to a bright future.
Bon chance....
Johnathan Mell
Crisis Director, Napoleonic Wars
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Topic Summary
Topic:
After distinguishing himself as a prodigious military general, overthrowing the French Directory during the Coup of 18 Brumaire, and crowning himself Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte took control of what would soon become the most dominant force in Europe: the First French Empire. Napoleon’s militarism in the decade following his rise allowed France to take over a substantial portion of continental Europe. Under Napoleon’s adroit leadership and brilliant military command, La Grande Armée emerged victorious against the forces of Prussia, Austria, Spain, and other European powers. However, Napoleon’s ambitions brought about his demise, culminating in his exile to the island of St. Helena. Had Napoleon made different decisions, would the course of history be radically changed? This committee will focus on the military, economic, and political deliberations of Napoleon’s ministers and closest advisors during the Napoleonic Wars.