His Excellency Eugène Rougon

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Eugène Rouher , allegedly the role model or one of the role models for Eugène Rougon

His Excellency Eugène Rougon (French: Son Excellence Eugène Rougon ) is a novel by Émile Zola from 1876. It is the sixth part of the twenty-volume Rougon-Macquart cycle . He first appeared as a serial in the magazine Le Siècle . In 1880 the book was published by Charpentier.

The main character Eugène Rougon is the eldest son of Pierre and Félicité Rougon, who are already known to the reader from The Happiness of the Rougon Family . He is also the brother of Aristide Rougon / Saccard, whose career he described in Die Beute he promoted and who later appears again in Das Geld . As a supporter of Napoleon III. The coup d'état in December 1851 gave Eugène a position as an influential politician.

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In 1857, Eugène experienced a career slump. A dispute arose with the emperor over an inheritance claim to a printing works, as a result of which Eugène resigned from his position as prime minister of the legislative assembly. As a result, his supporters, which he sponsored, gradually turned away from him. The Italian Clorinde Balbi, a woman from dubious backgrounds, hopes to participate in Eugène's power. Eugène refuses to marry her because he believes that a marital relationship with her will destroy useful social relationships. Instead, he encourages her to marry the easily impressionable Mr. Delestang.

When Eugène learns of a planned assassination attempt on the emperor, he decides to remain inactive. After the failure of the assassination attempt by Felice Orsini in 1858, Napoleon III appoints him. as Minister of the Interior, linked to the task of ensuring peace and national security. Eugène uses the associated power to take revenge on political adversaries. He has hundreds of anti-imperialists deported and rewards his loyal friends with honors, posts and political decisions they approve of. Through his protection, Delestang is appointed Minister for Agriculture and Trade. The more Eugène's power grows, the more his followers' displeasure grows. They feel he hasn't done enough for them and are starting to work towards his overthrow. Eugène is embroiled in several scandals. At the center of the intrigues is Clorinde. Thanks to Eugène's protection, she became the emperor's wife and lover. Now she has the upper hand and with it the opportunity to punish him for refusing to marry. In order to silence the political and personal opposition to him, Eugène, on Clorinde's advice, offers the emperor his resignation. He is convinced that his offer will be rejected, but Napoleon accepts and, in accordance with Clorinde's request, appoints her husband Delestang as the new interior minister. In 1862 Eugène was appointed Minister with no specific portfolio and was given the task of establishing national unity for Italy . He is endowed with unprecedented power. Apparently he is supposed to transform the country into less imperialist, more liberal forms. In truth, however, he has a free hand to crush the resistance, curtail the opposition and control the press.

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