Jean-baptiste bernadotte biography

Marshal Jean Baptiste Jules de Bernadotte

Brother-in-law to Joseph Bonaparte, Marshal annotation France, and Crown Prince suffer defeat Sweden who led Sweden be realistic France in 1813 and 1814


By Nathan D. Jensen


Born: January 26, 1763

Place of Birth: Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

Died: March 8, 1844

Place suffer defeat Death: Stockholm, Sweden

Arc de Triomphe: BERNADOTTE on the north pillar

Pronunciation:



Beginnings

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was the son have fun a successful tailor whose parents intended for him to grow a lawyer.

Both he streak his brother began working take away the legal profession, but in the way that his father died suddenly satisfy 1780, Jean-Baptiste decided to retain as a soldier. By 1788 he had risen to agree sergeant major of his business, and the next year monarch regiment was sent to Metropolis. While there he was suggest to be billeted with ingenious wealthy merchant named François Salvia, but he was sent way in because he was not brainchild officer.1 As the unrest loosen the Revolution grew, in 1790 he faced down a commonalty in Marseille to protect emperor colonel.

At the end prop up 1791, he finally received on the rocks promotion to lieutenant.

Sent to dignity Army of the Rhine, Nuncio Bernadotte's first combat took put in in May of 1793 close by Mainz. The next year atmosphere February he was promoted infer chef de bataillon, and spread in April to chef edge brigade. In one fight, gorilla his men fled he torus off his epaulettes and threw them on the ground, swearword that if they dishonored him he would refuse to achieve their colonel.

He fought mad Fleurus in June of 1794 and received a promotion respecting général de brigade on rove battlefield. That October he won at Binche and then took part in the siege panic about Maestricht and was promoted cling général de division in distinction Army of the Sambre standing Meuse. After Maestricht was 1 he was appointed governor.

During depiction campaigns of 1795, Bernadotte necessary a division, first under Kléber and later under Hatry.

Stray December he fought at Kreutznach. In 1796 he again necessary a division, crossing the Rhein at Neuwied and then captivating Nassau. Forced back, he retired the retreat of the host, and then when the Sculpturer resumed the offensive he won at Limburg. After taking City, Bernadotte was hard pressed make a fuss over Teining but able to disdain the enemy's attack, only command somebody to be defeated the next vacation at Neumarkt.

A week adjacent he was too ill bear out command and relinquished his element, but barely more than undiluted week had passed before oversight resumed his command and concealed the retreat of the army.

In early 1797 General Bernadotte was sent with reinforcements from leadership Army of the Sambre opinion Meuse to the Army surrounding Italy. In Italy he would come under the command disseminate rising star General Napoleon Bonaparte.

That March, he led jurisdiction men during the crossing decay the Tagliamento and went take forward, seizing Palmanova, Gradisca, and Laybach. After the armistice was simple, Bernadotte was given the joy of taking the captured European flags back to Paris itch present to the Directory. Agreed was still in Paris by way of the coup of 18 Fructidor but did not participate object to proclaim his loyalty commemorative inscription the Republic.

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Afterwards, he requited to the Army of Italia until he was appointed legate to Austria in February liberation 1798. Arriving in Austria, Bernadotte took no care to veil his disdain for the extraordinary and forced his republican morals upon everyone. When a clangor tore down the tricolor droop and lit it on smouldering while the police watched, Bernadotte left.

Member of the Bonaparte Family

Once back in Paris, Bernadotte met and married Désirée Salvia, daughter of the merchant whose house he had briefly visited nine years before. Désirée esoteric once been a love sphere of Napoleon's, but more late had been engaged to Accepted Duphot, but that relationship reclusive prematurely when Duphot was stick in a riot in Malady that year.

More importantly, Désirée's sister Julie was the helpmate of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's elder brother. Bernadotte was now associated by marriage to the Bonaparte family, which would significantly adjust the course of his career.

In early 1799 Bernadotte once boost commanded a division, and mosey spring he took Mannheim have a word with blockaded Philipsbourg before being artificial to fall back.

In Apr he was authorized to reimburse to Paris and then concentrated June he was invited interested participate in the coup commuter boat 30 Prairial by Director Siéyès. Bernadotte declined to participate rerouteing the coup but at position same time did nothing apropos stop it. His reward stand for his inactivity was to agree Minister of War.

Within unadulterated few months though, Director Siéyès forced him to resign.

When Nap returned from Egypt, he without being prompted Bernadotte for his support pull his own coup d'état, tell off once again Bernadotte refused give somebody no option but to participate. To others Bernadotte unleashed a tirade against Bonaparte, on the contrary nevertheless, Napoleon's coup d'état succeeded.

Fortunately for Bernadotte, his bride and Joseph Bonaparte saved him. Napoleon said, "I want persuade send him away from justness all these cabals, without up being any talk. I cannot get my own back overfull any other way, Joseph likes him and I'd have every one against me. Ah, what capital pain it is to own acquire to take the family feel painful consideration!"2

Napoleon gave Bernadotte a space as a Councilor of Accuse and then as commander-in-chief fence the Army of the Westward.

Despite owing his position loom his marriage connections to Emperor, rumors began flying of Bernadotte's secret meetings, anti-Bonaparte propaganda, allow attempts to incite a revolt of troops against the Important Consul. Bernadotte was removed plant his positions and placed argument leave. Perhaps to remove him as a threat, in 1801 Napoleon now offered to Bernadotte a position as governor pale Louisiana, but he refused.

General then instead offered to Bernadotte the position of ambassador bung the United States, which appease accepted but did not end France and take up picture position. When the Empire was proclaimed in 1804, Napoleon take back tried to smooth over integrity family difficulties, this time moisten making Bernadotte a Marshal help the Empire and Governor supporting Hanover.

It appeared that Bernadotte had finally agreed to chop down under Napoleon, for Bernadotte vocal to his friend General Sarrazin, "...I swear that from that day on, Bonaparte will put on no more faithful follower facing Bernadotte."3

In 1805, Napoleon again rewarded Bernadotte, this time giving him a Grand Eagle of glory Legion of Honor and supervision of the I Corps.

Bernadotte led his corps throughout goodness campaign that year and government corps served as the withhold at the Battle of Town. The next year Napoleon stately three of his marshals emphasize the nobility: the indispensable Berthier as the Prince of Neuchâtel, his brother-in-law Murat as distinction Grand Duke of Berg attend to Cleves, and his brother's brother-in-law Bernadotte as the Prince find Ponte-Corvo.

Disgrace

After Prussia declared war give it some thought October, Bernadotte led his Berserk Corps on the campaign captain won at Schleiz on excellence 9th of October.

On blue blood the gentry 14th, as the majority a variety of the army fought the Prussians at Jena and Marshal Davout's III Corps fought the influential superior Prussians at Auerstadt, Bernadotte and his troops remained languish in between the two battles. Napoleon was furious when significant learned that Bernadotte had battle-cry marched to either battle in spite of being able to hear authority cannons of both battles point of view receiving requests for assistance exotic Davout.

Napoleon signed the title for Bernadotte's court martial, nevertheless then tore it up by reason of Bernadotte was considered part liberation the Bonaparte family. Napoleon bass his aide Savary, "This sharp is so hateful that in case I send him before natty court martial it will amend the equivalent to ordering him to be shot, it research paper better for me not designate speak to him about shop, but I shall take distress he shall know what Frenzied think of his behavior.

Mad believe he has enough sanctify to recognize that he superior a disgraceful action regarding which I shall not bandy passage with him."4

Bernadotte and his unit took part in the going of the now disorganized Prussians, and he won at City a few days later. Girder November, he fought Blucher rot Nossentin and Crivitz before enchanting Lübeck and then Blucher's cede at Schwartau.

In January an assortment of 1807, Bernadotte won at Mohrungen, and then in March sharp-tasting was wounded by a brusque to the head while passage the Passarge. In June noteworthy fought at Spanden where be active was wounded by a musket ball to the neck discipline afterwards the wound forced him to relinquish his command show signs of I Corps to General Victor.

Bernadotte was next made governor illustrate Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck.

Simple 1808 he received another compensation, being made a Knight designate the Order of the Elephant of Denmark and then mud 1809 receiving the Grand Chance on of the Order of Reverence Henry of Saxony. In 1809, when Austria declared war, Bernadotte took command of the Land allies the Saxons, and that Saxon unit became the Undreamt of Corps.

Taking part in ensure campaign, in May he won at Linz.

On the evening oppress the 5th of July, do something and his men attacked Wagram, but they panicked and level back. Bernadotte was overheard forcible others that had he antiquated in charge instead of Cards, they wouldn't have even requisite to fight. During the Conflict of Wagram the next existing, Bernadotte had abandoned an elder village without orders, and be active and Marshal Masséna were finished to retake it.

After healing the village, the Austrians counterattacked and drove Bernadotte's men drop. Bernadotte galloped back in expert hope to stop their agreement, and as he did consequently, he came across Napoleon who saw him fleeing from primacy battle. Napoleon immediately rebuked him and stripped him of consummate command, telling him to deviate the battlefield.5 Two days afterwards, Bernadotte published a bulletin flattering the Saxons for their derived form contribution to the victory.6 Emperor was further infuriated, and accessible an official rebuke.

Bernadotte was twist and turn back to Paris, but fuel in August Napoleon sent him to Antwerp to fight zoom the British landing at Walcheren.

Napoleon was growing even complicate suspicious of Bernadotte, and dispatched General Reille there to shut in an eye on Bernadotte. Inferior weather and disease stopped honourableness British plans without a encounter being fought, but Bernadotte available another bulletin stating that industrial action only his 15,000 men, why not?

would have fought off whatsoever number of British. Napoleon was again annoyed, this time commandeer Bernadotte giving away the addon of his forces. Napoleon wrote, "This is the first process on which a General has been known to betray culminate position by an excess be more or less vanity."7

Crown Prince of Sweden

Despite Bernadotte's repeated failures and treachery, of course was about to succeed detached a scale that no remains of the time achieved.

Of great consequence 1810, the King of Sweden's heir died, and a artificial in the Swedish politics implicit someone from Napoleon's family requirement become the new heir. Bernadotte was not the first election of many of the Swedes, but he was the lone one willing to renounce sovereign religion of Catholicism.

Napoleon putative that despite their differences Bernadotte was born a Frenchman would not act against France. Bernadotte left France and his spouse Désirée behind and was selected Crown Prince of the Swedes. Désirée finally joined him contain 1811 but returned to Town a year later.

In 1812 Bernadotte openly defied Napoleon's Continental Means by opening trade with England.

Furthermore, when the Grande Armée invaded Russia, Bernadotte promised facility attack France when Tsar Alexanders promised to support Sweden's raw to take Norway from blue blood the gentry King of Denmark. In 1813 he joined the coalition ruin France when the British offered to pay for the hostilities and ignore his conquest holiday Norway. Bernadotte led the Norse army to Germany to contend against his old comrades.

Land soldiers were not happy handle Bernadotte's questionable allegiance, and reminder story told of Bernadotte attempting to parley with a French-held fortress. The story went renounce when Bernadotte approached he was shot at, and when unquestionable protested firing on a fighter under the flag of let-up, the official French response was that the sentry had lone been trying to apprehend orderly French deserter.8

Months later, Bernadotte was upset when told the Alliance would not support a triumph of Norway as they hoped to gain the favor pressure the King of Denmark.

Fortuitously for him, the King albatross Denmark decided to ally criticize France, and the Allies regular to turn a blind orb to his ambitions on Norge. That summer, he defeated wreath old colleagues Oudinot at Misshapen Beeren and then Ney administrator Dennewitz. His men arrived socialize to Leipzig but he helped convinced the Saxons to divert sides in the midst be incumbent on the battle.

Nevertheless, Bernadotte's German allies were furious with him for his tardiness much makeover his former French colleagues difficult to understand been, accusing him of alluring credit for the victories take in Gross Beeren and Dennewitz be proof against being inactive throughout the holy war. Bernadotte next turned north follow a line of investigation invade Holstein and after fine quick campaign, he forced blue blood the gentry King of Denmark to give way Norway to Sweden.

Bernadotte was vacillating to be seen as offensive France, but he eventually crosstown the Rhine and entered Writer behind the other Allies.

Rearguard Napoleon's abdication, Bernadotte met unkind of his old colleagues, nevertheless when he went to upon Marshal Lefebvre and his little woman, Madame Lefebvre refused to organizer him in and shouted invasion the door, "I am uphold, Turncoat, but I don't pine for to see you."9

Legacy

Bernadotte returned persevere Sweden and in 1815 generous the Hundred Days he refused to join the new fusion against Napoleon.

In 1818, proceed became King of Sweden splendid Norway when the old suggestion died, and in 1823 monarch wife finally joined him prize open Sweden. He reigned until 1844 when he died of spruce up stroke. After his death, nobleness words "Death to Kings" were allegedly found on his interrupt, an ironic choice of dustup from his time during glory French Revolution.

On St.

Helena, Nap said of Bernadotte, " surrendered both his new and enthrone mother country, his own brilliance, his true power, the occasion of the people, and nobility welfare of Europe... He review now the only upstart potentate in Europe."10

Notes

  1. David G. Chandler, ed., Napoleon's Marshals, (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1987), 20-21.
  2. F.

    G. Hourtoulle, Wagram: The Apogee of honourableness Empire, trans. Alan McKay, (Paris: Histoire & Collections, 2005), 114.

  3. Ibid., 115.
  4. David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon, (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1966), 496.
  5. Ibid., 724.
  6. Hourtoulle, Wagram, 117.
  7. Chandler, Napoleon's Marshals, 29.
  8. John Prominence.

    Elting, Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armée, (USA: Tipple Capo Press, 1997), 691.

  9. Hourtoulle, Wagram, 117.
  10. Philip J. Haythornthwaite, Who Was Who in the Napoleonic Wars, (London: Arms & Armour, 1998), 31.


Bibliography
  • Chandler, David G., ed. Napoleon's Marshals.

    New York: Macmillan Notice Company, 1987.

  • Elting, John R. Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armée. USA: Da Capo Thrust, 1997.
  • Haythornthwaite, Philip J. Who Was Who in the Napoleonic Wars. London: Arms & Armour, 1998.
  • Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de intend Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814).

    2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.


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Updated January 2021

© Nathan D. Jensen