Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord: Napoleon's Treacherous Foreign Minister (opens in new tab)

On a warm May day in 1789, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord limped into the Palace of Versailles for the meeting of the Estates-General. It was to prove the defining moment of his life. The cynical bishop, previously known only for his hedonistic lifestyle, rose to become one of the leaders of the French Revolution. This was only the beginning - as French foreign minister, he sparked a war with the US, orchestrated both the rise and fall of Napoleon, and played a major role in reconstru...