An archive of primary source material relating to Joachim Murat, Marshal of France and King of Naples
Going back to the memoirs of General Dedem de Gelder this week. In this excerpt, Dedem discusses Murat's defection from Napoleon in 1814. It is a surprisingly sympathetic take from a man who is far from being an admirer of Murat, and who is deeply critical of his conduct at other points in his memoirs. …
Continue reading “The allies… paid him the blackest ingratitude”
Continuing with excerpts from the memoirs of Madame Cavaignac. This part delves more into the events of 1811, which was possibly Murat's most difficult year on the throne of Naples, marking the lowest points not only in his relationship with Napoleon, but also with his wife Caroline. Madame Cavaignac, no fan of Caroline as illustrated …
Some more excerpts from the memoirs of Madame Cavaignac, with her views on the personalities of Joachim and Caroline Murat, and their quarrels and mutual infidelities in Naples. While her portrait of Murat is fairly balanced (and in my opinion, pretty astute, especially with her observations regarding his fear of Napoleon), Mme Cavaignac was clearly …
Marie Julie Olivier de Corancez Cavaignac was the wife of Jean-Baptiste Cavaignac, who, as an elected deputy of the Department of the Lot during the Revolution, was instrumental in Murat's re-entry into the army after an earlier dismissal. During Murat's reign in Naples, Cavaignac served in his ministry, where he was shown great favor by …
Part 7 of my translation of Albert Vandal's Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. Still in Paris in the aftermath of Napoleon's wedding to Marie-Louise, Caroline Murat continues to serve as an intermediary between her husband and the Emperor. New conflicts arise between the two men as Napoleon struggles to get his finances in …
As delighted as Murat initially was to be back in the field in 1812 after having been made to sit out during the 1809 campaign, it was not long before the rigors of the invasion of Russia, and his anxiety over the state of affairs in Naples, combined to set his mind towards returning home. …
Among the many things Murat inherited from Joseph Bonaparte upon replacing him as King of Naples in the summer of 1808 was the Order of the Two Sicilies, which Joseph had established in February. Generous by nature, Murat was soon enthusiastically doling out the decoration (pictured above, via eMedals) with reckless abandon. While some of …
A little interlude before I get back to translating Vandal: three letters from Napoleon’s chief of staff, Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier, to Murat. The first letter is written weeks before Murat was officially crowned King of Naples; the other two are several months into his reign, carrying into the 1809 campaign, which Murat was forced to …
Part 4 of my translation of Albert Vandal’s Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. Caroline Murat is in Paris, preparing for Napoleon's second wedding, while her husband remains in Naples. The Emperor, perhaps hoping to drive a further wedge in the marriage of his youngest sister and Murat, offers her the prestigious position of superintendent of …
Part 2 of my translation of Albert Vandal's Le Roi et la Reine de Naples. In this part, Vandal describes the rifts which began developing between Joachim and Caroline Murat soon after taking the throne of Naples. These largely stemmed from Murat's insecurities about being potentially overshadowed--or dominated--by his wife, especially due to Napoleon's wording …
Project Murat 