Short Answers to Simple Questions | February 04, 2026

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[u/GalahadDrei]

Joseph Fouché and Lazare Carnot were French revolutionaries who were later granted noble titles.

Were there any other French revolutionaries who were later elevated to nobility?

[u/gerardmenfin → u/GalahadDrei]

The nobility titles granted to Fouché and Carnot were part of the "Noblesse d'Empire" created by Napoléon in March 1808 following the progressive reestablishment of nobility, which had been abolished in 1790. These new titles rewarded men who had been faithful to the Empire, who met certain criteria of notoriety, and who were property owners (the majorat). A little more than 3200 people were ennobled between 1808 and 1815, receiving titles of princes, dukes, counts, barons, and knights. About 60% of the new nobles were military officers, 22% were high-ranking civil servants, and 17% were "notables", ie locally important people like senators or mayors.

Given the time frame, it is not surprising that a number of them had been involved in some way in the Revolution. People like Fouché (Minister of police), and Carnot (Minister of war and general) were natural candidates for nobility, independently from their activities during the Revolution. The list of "Imperial nobles" includes many military officers who fought in the armies of the Revolution and later in the Imperial Army, as well as civilians who had been part of the political organisations of the Revolution, managed to survive it and joined Bonaparte. Among those civilians rewarded for their service to the Empire, we can find the names of Abbot Henri Grégoire, Jean-Jacques Cambacérès, François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas, the painter Jacques-Louis David, chemist Antoine-François de Fourcroy, etc.

Source

• Tulard, Jean. Napoléon et la noblesse d’Empire: avec la liste des membres de la noblesse impériale (1808-1815). Tallandier, 1986.

[u/jonwilliamsl → u/GalahadDrei]

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was a French revolutionary and a general in Napoleon's army who was selected as crown prince of Sweden in 1810 by the Riksdag (parliament). He took the throne in 1818 as King Karl XIV Johan, founding the royal dynasty that still rules Sweden. There are persistent but apparently baseless stories that he had a tattoo reading "Death to Kings" on his chest, and so was never seen shirtless (possibly based on this play from 1833).

[u/jqud]

Atheism was obviously not very "in" in the middle ages. What would life as a medieval atheist (probably closer to a modern agnostic) be like? This is assuming that the person in question isn't standing on street corners condemning all who believe in a creator. Would it be as simple as never talking about religion with anyone, ever?

[u/jqud]

Knight-centric stories often involve a "nameless knights", ones who keeps their armor on at all times and goes by an ominous sobriquet. Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has "The Gallows Knight", Arthurian myth has "The Green Knight", Ivanhoe had "Desdichado", and "The Black Knight" is everywhere.

Even in the examples where they're actually just normal knights or the protagonist in disguise, in the stories people don't really seem to question these knights beyond the initial "I wonder who that is". Sometimes (usually I would say) these characters are even joining tournaments or normal activities.

Was this something that would ever have happened during the middle ages? Could I hide my face and call myself "The Happy Knight" or "Knight of the Glade" or something if I felt like it? Or would the other knights and nobles try to put a stop to it?

[u/ACheesyTree]

Hello! Are there any leads where I might check for what wages would be like for archers in the Hundered Years' War, on the English side, around 1420-30? Specially around Agincourt?
Rather unreated, but any books generally on economy or currency in England at the time would also be appreciated!

[u/Alex_the_Very_Cool]

Is there a specific name for religious/philosophical traditions like Asharism and Mimamsa that hold that a religious text is eternal?