Murat, Joachim

(1767-1815)

   military and political figure, marshal of France, king of Naples

   Born in Labastide-Fortunière (today, Labastide-Murat), Joachim Murat joined the army in 1787, became an officer in 1792, and was appointed, during the revolution of 1789, to the Constitutional Guard of King louis XVI. As chief of a squadron (1796), he supported napoléon Bonaparte on 13 Vendémiaire (October 5, 1795) and became his aide-de-camp during the first campaign in italy (1796). He was with Bonaparte in Egypt and was made a brigadier general after the Battle of Aboukir. He returned to France with Bonaparte and, playing a role in the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire (November 9, 1799), was made commander of the Consular Guard. in 1800, Murat married Caroline Bonaparte, Napoléon's sister. As emperor, napoléon i awarded him many honors, making him marshal of France (1804) and prince of the Empire (1805). Possessing remarkable physical courage, Murat took part in many of the major Napoleonic battles, including Austerlitz (1805), Jena (1806), and Eylau (1807). As commander in chief in Spain (1808), he brutally suppressed the popular May 2 uprising in Madrid. Murat accepted the kingdom of Naples in July 1808. He ruled under the name Joachim Napoléon, succeeding joseph bonaparte, whose reformist policies, inspired by the Consulate, Murat continued. He kept a court of great pomp and tried also to play a personal political role. He was called by Napoléon for the Russian campaign and took over command of the army (December 1812) on the Emperor's return to France. After a quarrel with some of Napoléon's generals, however, he left and returned to Naples. He was again at Napoléon's side in the campaign against Austria in 1813 (Dresden, Leipzig), but after the emperor's Battle of the Nations defeat, he again returned to Naples and signed a treaty with the Austrians and the British (July 1814) that guaranteed him his throne but obliged him to furnish 30,000 troops for the Emperor's enemies. In 1815, the Congress of vienna gave his kingdom to the Bourbons. During the hundred days, he rejoined Napoléon and tried in vain to rally italian nationalists and encourage them to fight for their independence. In his Declaration of Rimini (May 30, 1815), he waged war on Austria and, after waterloo, sought refuge in Corsica. Arriving in Calabria in an attempt to regain his throne, Murat was taken prisoner and, on the orders of King Ferdinand IV of Naples, was condemned and executed on October 13, 1815.