Editorial
During this year, 1812, Europe is suffering the power and ambition of the Emperor Bonaparte,
General Napoleon Bonaparte, a wonderful soldier and strategist who is spreading his
tentacles along the four corners of Europe.
It is awesome. In this current issue of our journal The Bridge you are going to discover a new
Europe thanks to Bonaparte—a new Europe with people who are sharing the same thinking,
the same dreams.
In just a few years Bonaparte has achieved something incredible. He has reached an aim which
seems to be a futurist objective: unify Europe. No matter if we talk about north or south, east
or west, Napoleon seems to succeed in getting everyone to share the same dream: they want
him to let us live in peace. Obviously, it is a negative dream. Napoleon is really driving
European people bananas. In our sections “News War”, “Inside Napoleon”, “Napoleon in
Naples” and “Napoleon in Poland” you are going to discover quite a bit of exclusive news
about him and his private life.
However, not only does Napoleon’s expansion causes destruction and death, but also, it is
provoking something positive: he is spreading Enlightenment ideas and helping to unify the
culture of European people.
Several years ago, Napoleon said that his goal was to implement the more moderate
ideologies and basis of the Enlightenment. He talked about popular sovereignty, liberty, and
equality. He only talked (he did not put these ideas into practice), but it was sufficient to
motivate our people. Read our articles in the section “Today” about “Spanish Constitution”
and “Illyrian provinces.”
Clothing and food are culture. Napoleon and his bourgeoisie have spread his fashion across
Europe. Amazingly you will find several similarities between the fashion of our bourgeoisie in
Spain with that of Poland, Italy and other territories in the middle of our continent.
The same for food; there are more than 3000 kilometers among Poland-Slovenia and Spain,
but—surprise!—we actually find the same ingredients in all of our traditional dishes. Pay
particular attention to the recipe for Bigos and Saurkraut. It is delicious!
Art and music are culture…of course. And the most important artists in Europe are sharing
the same experience, the same situation with Napoleon’s army and power. So, they have, in
Napoleon, a seed for their inspiration. Read our articles about Prešeren, Goya or Chopin and
the new releases in books. You will enjoy reading about their art, feeling, and roles in the
Napoleonic society.
Enjoy.