Napoleon had once said that there were two levers in the world that could drive people to act—interest and fear.
But he probably had not imagined then that there were other levers in this world capable of driving people to act.
On December 4, a bronze Trajan-style commemorative column topped with a gilded equestrian statue of Kléber was erected on Avenue de Montebello near the Paris Botanical Garden.
Kléber was the most handsome figure in the entire army, known as the French army's Nictor. He was fifty years old, spoke with a German accent, and retained certain German habits, for he had served as an infantry officer in the Austrian army for eight years.
In 1790, he was appointed commander of a volunteer battalion in his native Alsace. He distinguished himself during the Siege of Mainz, then led the fortress garrison to Vendée to suppress the rebellion. He fought in many later campaigns and won outstanding merit while commanding a main-force division, but his sharp, sarcastic wit made him many enemies. In 1796, he was sent to the banks of the Chao River. In 1797, he abandoned his unit and fled back to Paris. When Napoleon found him, he was in dire straits; after joining Napoleon, he was treated with great courtesy. The Directory disliked him, and he disliked the Directory's lawyers. He was somewhat careless by nature and easily deceived by schemers, but he was intelligent, brave, fond of military affairs, and well liked by many.
There was no name on the column, but many scholars attended the raising ceremony. At first, they did not get along well with the soldiers. The soldiers considered them burdens who hindered them from carrying out their duties, while the scholars thought the soldiers uncultured, interested only in gold and silver spoils, unable