L'OEUVRE DE VIALLA DE SOMMIèRES-UNE SOURCE POUR L'HISTOIRE DU MONTÉNÉGRO
VIALA DE SOMIER’S WORK AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE ON MONTENEGRO

Summary/Abstract: Napoleon’s France could treat Montenegrins as either opponents or potential allies, but in both cases, it needed to get to know them well. Colonel Somier under¬took the adventure of collecting the necessary information in the field during his re¬search visit to Montenegro. The most significant information he collected was about the population number, especially those at the disposal of the army, about the eco¬nomic resources of the country and the political and administrative situation. Consi¬ 14 Marmont, Memoires du marechal Duc de Raguse 1792 a 1832, Paris 1857; Maršal Mar¬ mont, Memoari, Split 1984, priredio i preveo Frano Baras. 15 Дневник генерала Готјеа из опсадираног Котора 1813 – 1814, Побједа, 27. новембра – 9. децембра 1988. dering the ever-open possibility of invading Montenegro, it was important to know the communication system within the country and to own topographic material on it. The information which was then gathered and later printed in the travel memoirs Historical and Political Travel to Montenegro represent an important historical so¬urce, especially since they were collected at a time when Montenegro had a modest state administration and consequently a modest output of documents i.e. historical sources. Viala’s work as a historical source needs to be approached critically like all narrative testimonies.

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