joachimnapoleon

[joachimnapoleon]

Hello all, just a brief interruption from my usual Napoleonic content to promote a fundraiser I’ve signed up for. As some of you know, I have a huge soft spot for red pandas, and I’ve recently been trying to get back into the habit of going to the gym again, so I decided to join the Run for Red Pandas; over the next month my goal is to run/bike 26 miles and hopefully raise a little money for programs helping to preserve this beautiful endangered species in Nepal. If you’re interested in donating/participating, anything is appreciated. More info at the link below.

[joachimnapoleon]

Aaahhhh!!! I've been obsessing over it lately and I thank you for creating your blog, it's very informative! But I would like to know please how Murat got along with most of the Marshals, I also read that he got along well with Bessiéres, reply when you can!

Sorry for the late reply, I haven’t had energy for social media for the past month or so. Glad you’ve been enjoying the blog though!

As for Murat’s relationships with his fellow marshals, I think in general the tensions/conflicts he had with several of them have been overblown. I’ve written a bit about my view of his relationship with Lannes before (here, and a little follow-up here), and I still remain convinced that they were closer than the ongoing mainstream narrative based on dubious memoirs. Murat also butted heads with Ney on various occasions during campaigns, but I don’t believe there was any deep hatred between them or anything like that, and they got on well enough during the 1812 campaign and seemed pretty much on the same page. Oh, but Murat, Lannes, and Ney were all hanging out at Bareges together taking the waters when Murat found out he was going to be the new King of Naples, so there’s that.

Murat’s relationship with Berthier is interesting and I wish I knew more about it. Early on, Murat (who was pretty prone to paranoia) was convinced that Berthier was his enemy, as a result of Murat having been critical of him. But their relationship seems to have grown better over the years judging from some tidbits I came across in some of Berthier’s letters to Murat. Berthier also serves as kind of a go-between when Murat is in Naples and Napoleon wants to criticize him and needs someone to word it in such a way as to not wound Murat’s delicate feelings too deeply; he takes a much more gentler approach while still making sure Napoleon’s points get through to Murat.

Murat doesn’t seem to have gotten along very well with Soult, but I think @josefavomjaaga has posted more details on that on her page before, I really don’t know much about Soult in general.

Bessieres and Murat were supposedly good friends but it’s just another one of those things that unfortunately doesn’t have enough documentation on it one way or the other. Most of their correspondence I’ve ever comes across has been very formal and businesslike. It’s also hard to glean too much about Murat’s relationship with Bernadotte either. They had similar political views early in their careers, and Murat invited Bernadotte to his wedding (I’ve always wondered if it was just to spite Napoleon, who refused to attend), but also expressed criticism of Bernadotte in a letter to Joseph Bonaparte for having refused to side with the Bonapartes during the Brumaire coup. I really haven’t found much else about their relationship at all.

If there’s one marshal we can say for sure Murat absolutely did not like or get along with, it’s Davout. These two were just oil and water, unalike in pretty much every fathomable way. Their relationship got so bad during the 1812 campaign that Murat’s chief of staff had to physically restrain Murat from going out to either challenge Davout to a duel, or maybe just to shoot him on the spot (Murat had just grabbed his pistol and was on his way out of his tent). When Murat dared to speak against Napoleon for abandoning the army during the retreat and threatening to leave himself, Davout upbraided him for “black ingratitude”. I’ve never found exactly how Davout reacted to news of Murat’s defection in 1814, but it’s pretty easy to imagine.

Thanks for the ask!

#asks #Joachim Murat #Napoleon’s marshals #Jean Lannes #Louis-Nicolas Davout #Michel Ney #Napoleon

[joachimnapoleon]

Vandamme was such a meme

#Dominique Vandamme #Napoleon’s generals

[joachimnapoleon]

Cabbages, carrots and rooster feathers, these were the ingredient to chosen to create cheap military officers. But professor Napoléon accidently add an extra ingredient to the concoction : Légion d'honneur. Thus THE POWERPUFF MARSHALS were born!

#Napoleon’s marshals #trifecta #❤️

[joachimnapoleon]

What are your thoughts on Caroline Murat’s (alleged) affair with Junot?

It’s been a long time since I’ve browsed Laure Junot’s memoirs, but I recall her saying that Caroline had told her nothing had happened between them and Laure claiming to believe her, but her non-stop vitriol and overt hatred of Caroline throughout her memoirs makes me believe otherwise. I’ve seen it argued that Caroline’s affairs were motivated more by politics than by romance, and there may be something to this. Junot at the time of the alleged affair was the military governor of Paris and one theory is that Caroline wanted to wrap him around her little finger to use his political influence if necessary. Her affair with Metternich later on has been brought up as another instance of her cultivating a politically useful alliance (and realistically, it probably did have some impact on the Murat couple’s negotiations with Austria in 1813; she also continued corresponding with Metternich during her exile). The alleged affair with Junot also occurs during a period in Murat and Caroline’s relationship where Caroline was growing disenchanted because of Murat’s affairs (I’ve written a lot more about their complicated relationship here), and Hortense says in her memoirs that Caroline was during this period “now attracted to the charms of a pure liaison.” Lastly, during this period Caroline seems to have derived a certain satisfaction from charming the men of her rivals, probably just to prove she could do it; aside from Junot, Caroline also tried to lure away Charles de Flahaut from Hortense, out of what seems to have been nothing more than sheer jealousy over the fact that Hortense could get more attention than Caroline from one of Murat’s aide-de-camps. So, if the affair with Junot did happen, I think it was a combination of a revenge fling, political maneuvering, and Caroline just enjoying the thrill of being able to seduce a rival’s husband. Whatever happened between them apparently doesn’t seem to have lasted very long and there’s no indication at all that Caroline was ever really in love with Junot.

#asks #Junot #Caroline Murat #Caroline Bonaparte #Joachim Murat #Laure Junot #Hortense de Beauharnais

[joachimnapoleon]

Happy Birthday to the king and queen of Naples

#Joachim Murat #Caroline Murat #art

[joachimnapoleon]

…Murat is not truly known even by his compatriots, even to the greatest number of his companions in arms. His story as it is found in the writings with which we are inundated, and as it spread among the people, is practically a fable or a romance. It appears that the imagination of our century also wanted to create a new Roland alongside another Charlemagne. We meet more people inclined to believe that his sword, like Durandal, could cut giants or rocks in two, than disposed to persuade themselves that he knew how to make himself loved through the sweet virtues of a good king, and that he applied himself in ten years, with constancy, to making the happiness of the peoples he governed.

-Jean-Michel Agar, Count of Mosbourg

A great many myths have grown up around Caroline, chiefly because the rabid Bonapartists could never forgive her for betraying Napoleon in 1814, and the rabid royalists were out to prove how immoral, disgraceful, and extravagant the Bonapartes had been. These myths have been perpetuated by later historians until the general picture has been distorted out of all recognition.

-Joan Bear, Caroline Murat (1972).

Tell the whole truth, it alone can win a lasting trust; the heart of man has many contrasts, and it is often these apparently incompatible opposites which give to portraits the stamp of plausibility.

-Caroline Murat to the Count of Mosbourg, 4 September 1838.

***

Happy birthday to my favorite Napoleonic couple, both of whom happened to be born on the 25th of March (Murat in 1767, Caroline in 1782).

#Happy Murat Day!!! #Joachim Murat #Caroline Murat

[joachimnapoleon]

Let's Judge The Signatures Of Dead Frenchmen - Marshals of the Empire Edition

plus some bonuses at the bottom

This is a shitpost I've just wanted to do ever since I noticed Masséna's signature.

I know signatures are not meant to be legible, god knows mine isn't, but look at it, it's all the same letter!

I'm lazy so I'm only going to judge the ones on wikimedia and a few extra from letters, sorry to Marmont and others who did not get their signatures scanned and then made transparent for osme reason who is going to forge a dead frenchman's signature

Of course Bessières has a nice one:

Berthier is also pretty nice:

Loopy! Wait as has been pointed out to me, that could be an Alex. Did anyone ever call him Alex or Al

I love Lannes' because he circles his name!

A fancy guy like Murat's gotta have a fancy one, right?

Nice but not as loopy as Berthier's, honestly not the fanciest here

Davout has a nice legible one

Let's look at Soult's-

Woah, he's taking up a bit of space there! Where are you going with that t, champ?

Augereau is nice and straight I'm in awe as someone physicalyl incapable of writing in a straight line even on lined paper

Mortier is also really nice!

but also Ed Mortier. He called himself Ed. Do you think his friends also called him Ed or perhaps Eddie

MacDonald is Massena tier

can you guess who this next one is

hint: not french

Lefebvre's goin for the loop:

Jourdan is all classical:

Cant find Bernadotte pre-kinging but dude why is your kingograph so large who transcribed it like this

@phatburd linked me St Cyr's and

Very nice!

Victor lets see

I think I see a V in there. And a treble clef.

Oudinot:

I can kinda make it out!

But anyway I've been saving the best for last.

I have no words for this artistic masterpiece by Marshal Michel Ney.

Is that an umlaut or an emoticon? What are the two lines doing - error of transcription or part of the actual signature? Why do the loops just keep on going????

Is he just self conscious of how short his name is?????

Bonus!

Eugène de Beauharnais how's your-

he just didnt know when to stop.

Junot:

circle! pretty circle! napoleon did say he has pretty handwriting

Duroc:

Man he turned that c into an underline

This was fun! Next I'll rate all their coat of arms of something

#that psychotic scribble at the end of Eugène’s though #Napoleon’s marshals #handwriting

[joachimnapoleon]

Marie Louise’s reaction to Napoleon’s death

“I am just now in great uncertainty. The Gazette of Piedmont has announced in such a positive manner the death of the Emperor Napoleon, that it is hardly possible to doubt it any longer. I confess I was extremely startled at it, though I have never had any deep feelings of any kind for him. I cannot forget that he is the father of my son and that, far from behaving badly to me, as every one believes, he always showed me every consideration—the only thing one can look for in a political marriage. I was therefore very grieved at it and, though one should be glad that he has ended his unhappy life in a Christian manner, I could still have wished him many more years of happiness and life—provided that it was far away from me. In the uncertainty about it I have settled myself at Sala, not wishing to go to the theater till I know something positive. My health has become so frail that I have felt this shock.”

— Marie Louise’s letter to Countess Victoire (1821)

Source: Compiled by Charles A. Shriner, Wit, Wisdom and Foibles of the Great: Together With Numerous Anecdotes Illustrative of the Characters of People and Their Rulers

Marie Louise, deeply upset at not being informed of the news by her family in Vienna:

“I confess that what gave me most sorrow, in these circumstances, was that I had not had any official news, nor any private, friendly letter from Vienna—the only way by which such could reach me in safety. I confess that I expected more interest and affection on that side, and it gave me a cruel blow by showing me how little one can count on all one’s own people, and this grief can only be cured by time.”

Source: Edith E. Cuthell, An Imperial Victim: Marie Louise, Archduchess of Austria, Empress of the French, Duchess of Parma

#Marie-Louise #Napoleon #letters

[joachimnapoleon]

Ive decided to edit the finished paintings of a triology together because its something different to see them together then strewn over my chaotic Page XD first one will be the Murat one because its the most recently finished one. Concept was to depict napoleonic personalities in 3 different stages: Military, civil life and their end. I most likely post the other compilations of lannes and junot over the next days because i still need one to finish ney and 2 for davout

#Joachim Murat #art

[joachimnapoleon]

And here is the finished painting of murat and three of his children. Maybe im going to post some Detail shots too

#Joachim Murat #art #❤️❤️

[joachimnapoleon]

It was the summer of 2017, and I was stuck in a job that was rapidly sucking my soul dry. I went to the public library and was browsing the history section, in the mood for something different than my then-usual fare of 18th/19th century U.S. history. I came across a book titled The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army, by Stephan Talty. It caught my attention. I knew almost nothing about Napoleon at this point; I knew he had lost in Russia and been driven into exile and lost again at Waterloo, and that was about it. Napoleonic Europe was one of those subjects I had always kind of wanted to study some day, but I had been daunted by the idea of it because it was such a vast subject encompassing so many different countries and complicated politics and I just didn’t really know where to start. But Talty’s book intrigued me so I checked it out of the library. I know the book has come in for some criticism, but it absolutely hooked me on the subject. Talty is a good storyteller and I was absolutely enthralled by the drama of the 1812 campaign, the descriptions of the battles, and the personality of Napoleon. Before I was even halfway through it I knew I’d found a new passion. I followed it up with Andrew Roberts’ biography of Napoleon, and soon because obsessed with learning about Murat. Before long I was coming home from work and just spending hours painstakingly translating Murat’s letters by hand (I have three binders full of handwritten translations—these became the foundation for my book). This newfound passion came along exactly when I needed it, it helped get me through a miserable situation, and I’ve made some great friends here and on Facebook as a result. And all from a random trip to the library. :)

Idk if someone asked this already and if they did my bad, but how did yall get into the Napoleonic era? I'm curious to know how yall got into this rabbit hole that's Napoleon and the events surrounding him.

My story might not be interesting but my first introduction into the community was by seeing a video by Oversimplified on Napoleon (this was around late January of last year). After that I began researching surface-level info on Naps and was starting to become fascinated with what I was reading. On February I drew Naps for the first time and the rest is history. Like I said my story is NOT interesting AT ALL!!

I even remember the day (Feb 11) cuz I was listening to this song on repeat while working on the drawing and now whenever I listen to that song it reminds me of Naps haha. Enough of me, I wanna read yall's story!

#Napoleonic origin stories

[joachimnapoleon]

A WHITE MARBLE BUST OF MARÉCHAL SOULT (1769-1851) by Jean-Antoine Houdon (Versailles 1741-1828 Paris), 1813)

'There are only two known marble busts of Maréchal Soult by the great French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. The first was created for the salle des Maréchaux in the Palais des Tuileries and was displayed among other portrait busts of France's leading marshals, generals and navy men. However the bust disappeared in 1871 following the great fire at the Tuileries. The second bust was given to Soult's family, and is mostly likely the present sculpture. This second bust is recorded to be dated 1812, while our bust is dated 1813. However, the pen inscription to the reverse indicates that the bust descended from the family of Count Pierre de Mornay Soult de Dalmatie, Marquis de Mornay Montchevreuil (1837-1905), who was the grandson of Maréchal Soult via Soult's daughter, Joséphine Louise Hortense Soult de Dalmatie (1804-1862).'

(Source)

#Jean-de-Dieu Soult #Napoleon’s marshals #art #sculptures #busts

[joachimnapoleon]

I have not read the article in its entirety yet. I'm just fascinated by the idea that Murat's many uniforms require wargamers to have a whole set of tiny Murats for every occasion...

#Joachim Murat

[joachimnapoleon]

I found this neat portrait of Roustam Raza made by Hortense de Beauharnais! Circa 1800s

Roustam was Napoleon’s bodyguard and valet, and Hortense was Napoleon’s stepdaughter. Roustam was an Armenian Mameluke in Egypt, originally from Tbilisi. He became employed by Napoleon during the Egypt campaign in 1799, following him back to Europe, and remained by his side until Napoleon’s abdication in 1814. He lived the rest of his life in France.

TEFAF Maastricht

#Roustam Raza #Hortense de Beauharnais

[joachimnapoleon]

Thanks @orsuliya! I never would’ve guessed it was Bessières in a million years. He UNPOWDERED Bessières, the absolute blasphemy of it all. I want to learn more about this quarrel.

So I came across the painting of Naps in the lepers's hospital. Having observed up close (it's helpfully hung at eye level in Chantilly) I noticed this other guy behind Napo covering his mouth and nose and holding tight onto his general. I'm wondering if there's any info on who this is supposed to be? I'd say he looks like Lannes but like is there info ?

I’ve always wondered who this guy is supposed to be too, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere. It could also be that it’s not meant to be a particular individual, but just meant to emphasize Napoleon’s fearlessness in meeting the plague victims as he ignores the man’s attempt to hold him back; but there is also another version of the painting where the man’s arm isn’t around Napoleon:

Sorry I couldn’t give a better answer. It honestly drives me nuts how hard it is to find this type of info regarding who’s who in Napoleonic paintings.

#apparently Gros really liked Murat though so there’s that #Murat gets the Aboukir painting and Bessie gets the unpowdered trying not to puke into a rag painting

[joachimnapoleon]

So I came across the painting of Naps in the lepers's hospital. Having observed up close (it's helpfully hung at eye level in Chantilly) I noticed this other guy behind Napo covering his mouth and nose and holding tight onto his general. I'm wondering if there's any info on who this is supposed to be? I'd say he looks like Lannes but like is there info ?

I’ve always wondered who this guy is supposed to be too, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere. It could also be that it’s not meant to be a particular individual, but just meant to emphasize Napoleon’s fearlessness in meeting the plague victims as he ignores the man’s attempt to hold him back; but there is also another version of the painting where the man’s arm isn’t around Napoleon:

Sorry I couldn’t give a better answer. It honestly drives me nuts how hard it is to find this type of info regarding who’s who in Napoleonic paintings.

#asks