An archive of primary source material relating to Joachim Murat, Marshal of France and King of Naples
We have come, at long last, to the final letter Murat wrote to Napoleon before signing his treaty with Austria. In the final of days of 1813, General Adam Albert, the Count of Neipperg, arrived in Naples carrying an ultimatum from Metternich; either Murat was to finally commit himself, after months of vacillating, to the …
Continue reading “I could not help being struck by the contrast…”
A letter from Caroline Murat to Joseph Fouché. Fouché had tried to save Murat’s life in 1815 by working behind the scenes to get him passports from Metternich to provide him safe passage to join his family in Trieste, after Murat had fled to Corsica from France (where he was being hunted during the “White Terror” …
I came upon a gem today--a book of published correspondence from the 1812 campaign, specifically a compilation of letters intercepted by the Russians, both from and to soldiers in the Grande Armée. You can find the book on HathiTrust here (it might not be viewable outside the US, but it's probably elsewhere online as well). …
Continue reading “A long absence is very painful for one with a sensitive soul”
In February of 1810, Caroline Murat was in Paris, shortly to depart to meet her soon-to-be sister-in-law Marie-Louise of Austria, and bring her back to France for her upcoming wedding to Napoleon. Meanwhile, Murat remained in Naples, unhappily preparing for his impending return to Paris, to attend that same wedding (which he’d advised against, imploring …
I've been wanting to translate the relatively short manuscript on Murat left behind by Murat's childhood friend, the Count of Mosbourg, for a while now, so I'm going to start working my way through it and posting it bit by bit; it'll be a nice break in between the ongoing translation of excerpts/correspondence from Louise …
One of my favorite historical coincidences is the fact that Joachim and Caroline Murat share the same birthday–the 25th of March (of 1767 and 1782, respectively). Unfortunately the nature of Murat’s duties often led to the two spending their mutual birthday hundreds of miles apart–after 1805, they would not be together on that particular day …
Continue reading “You have undoubtedly forgotten the 25th of March”
I’ve been terrible about updating lately. Sorry! Here’s a short letter from Jerôme Bonaparte to Murat, as I continue translating more from Louise’s memoirs. Jerôme wrote this shortly after Murat became King of Naples; he was a little miffed with Joachim for forgetting to tell him about it. *** Jerôme Napoléon, King of Westphalia, to …
Continue reading “You do not tell me a word of your advent to the throne”
Picking back up with Louise Murat's memoirs, we reach Murat's fateful decision to abandon Napoleon and ally himself to Austria. Louise makes a compelling argument in defense of her father's choice; she also contrasts her father's visible torment over the decision with her mother's stoicism. Source: Souvenirs d’enfance d’une fille de Joachim Murat, by Louise …
Continue reading “My Father… showed less firmness than the Queen”
Continuing on with Louise Murat's memoirs, we reach what not only Louise herself, but most historians likewise regard as the pivotal moment in the Murat/Napoleon relationship: the unhappy conclusion of the 1812 campaign. Louise points out that prior to this, the two men had always managed to overcome their previous differences upon being reunited again …
In this excerpt from Louise Murat's memoirs, Louise describes the political factionalism of the Neapolitan court, and its effects on the relationship of the King and Queen, each of whom served as a figurehead for one of the rival factions. Louise also discusses a major political mistake made by Joachim in 1811 which precipitated a …
Continue reading “My Father did not always tread this path with prudence”
Project Murat 