Learn How to Pronounce Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord
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Meaning and Context
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, born in 1754, stands as one of history's most enigmatic and enduring political figures, a master of diplomacy whose career spanned the tumultuous eras of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Bourbon Restoration. Renowned for his political survival and intellectual acumen, Talleyrand served as Foreign Minister under multiple regimes, including the Directory, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King Louis XVIII, playing a pivotal role in shaping European geopolitics. His most famous diplomatic achievement was his deft representation of France at the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815, where he successfully negotiated to restore France's great power status despite its recent defeat, leveraging the principle of legitimacy and balance of power. A former bishop turned secular statesman, Talleyrand's legacy is a complex tapestry of pragmatism, opportunism, and profound statecraft, making him a quintessential study in realpolitik and 19th-century European history.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The name "Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord" presents several common spelling and formatting variations. The most frequent simplification is the omission of the aristocratic particle "de," resulting in "Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord." The hyphen in the compound surname is sometimes replaced with a space ("Talleyrand Périgord") or omitted entirely ("Talleyrand Perigord"), the latter being an anglicized error. The most common and accepted shorthand is simply "Talleyrand." Misspellings often arise from phonetic confusion, with errors such as "Tallyrand," "Talleyran," or "Talleyrend." Additionally, the acute accent on the "é" in Périgord is sometimes incorrectly written as a grave accent ("Pèrigord") or omitted ("Perigord"). When writing in historical contexts, the full, hyphenated form with the "de" is considered most formal and accurate.
Example Sentences
Despite having served as Napoleon's foreign minister, Talleyrand secretly engaged in negotiations with the Bourbons and the Allied powers to facilitate the Emperor's downfall.
Historians often debate whether Talleyrand's shifting loyalties were a mark of unprincipled treachery or the ultimate pragmatism in service to France's stability.
At the Congress of Vienna, his brilliant diplomacy ensured that a defeated France was treated as a negotiating equal rather than a conquered nation.
The phrase "to Talleyrand" has even entered the lexicon as a verb denoting the art of skillful and often duplicitous diplomatic maneuvering.
His memoirs, published posthumously, offer a fascinating but self-serving account of a life spent at the very center of European power.
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