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Bernadotte: Napoleon's Marshal, Sweden's King
Jean Bernadotte was an enigmatic but dashing and courageous soldier in early 19th-century France. A rival to Napoleon, he married Napoleon's first love, Desiree Clary, and later, as Crown Prince of Sweden, he fought against Napoleon at Leipzig in 1813, hoping to take the throne of France. Instead, in 1818, he found himself King of Sweden. This biography draws on a considerable body of recent French and Swedish research.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1991
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106 people want to read
About the author
Alan Warwick Palmer
78 books24 followersAuthor also writes under Alan Palmer
Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research.
Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 9, 2018
Alan Palmer’s 1990 book; “Bernadotte Napoleon’s Marshal, Sweden’s King” is a fairly sympathetic look at one of Napoleon’s most divisive Marshals. In the Preface the author makes this statement:
"It is a curious irony of dynastic history that, while only two of today's kings can claim descent from the House of Bourbon, more than half the reigning monarchs in Europe number among their ancestors a Gascon sergeant in Louis XVI's regiment of marines. He is best remembered as Marshal Bernadotte, although in Sweden his remains are interred in a sarcophagus inscribed 'Carl XIV Johan'."
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Prince de Ponte Corvo, was born in Pau on 26 January 1763, joined the Royal-la-Marine in 1780 and by 1794 saw him go from enlisted man to general of division in Revolutionary France.
Serving in mainly the army of the Sambre-et-Meuse and fighting various battles along the Rhine he seemed to be a competent combat soldier and leader and one who took care of his men and their welfare. He fought at Fleurus in June of 1794 and received a promotion to général de brigade on that battlefield.
It seems that when Bernadotte latter served as Minister for War he managed to do a fairly decent job of supporting the French armies in the field, the author states:
"At the Luxembourg itself there were two angry men on the day his retirement was made known. Both Louis Gohier and Jean-Francois Moulin were furious to find that their colleagues had assumed they would give their assent to Bernadotte's dismissal. When, a quarter of a century later, Gohier came to write his memoirs he was willing to attribute the whole change in the fortunes of war, between Massena's victory at Zurich and Napoleon's triumph at Marengo, to the energy and patriotic zeal which Bernadotte showed in his ten weeks as a Minister. Nor was this judgement on his skill as an organiser of victory a well-matured historical afterthought, intended to win Gohier a reading public in Sweden. For, on that day of Bernadotte's resignation, both Gohier and Moulin resolved to assert their status as Executive Directors. If they could not re-instate him, they could at least pay tribute to his achievement."
When he came to serve under Napoleon he managed to generate hostility and suspicion from Marshals Berthier and Davout along with Napoleon himself. His marriage to Désirée Clary (Napoleon’s first love and who’s sister was married to Napoleon’s brother Joseph) probably saved him from court-martial on a number of occasions. When the Empire was proclaimed in 1804, Napoleon made Bernadotte a Marshal of the Empire and Governor of Hanover.
The book continues to trace Bernadotte’s turbulent career under Napoleon and the wars of the Empire, through to his election as Crown Prince of the Swedes and the various conflicts that entailed as he became an ally of the coalition against Napoleonic France.
Overall this is a very easy to read book, 256 pages of narrative, four basic maps of Europe and fifteen pages of notes and sources. As previously stated the book is a generally sympathetic look at Bernadotte. It covers all the major points of his career and the legacy and legends that were left in his wake.
It may be hard to really establish the truth behind this man, was he as bad as Napoleon and his admirers made out or was there some sour grapes due to the fact that he managed to obtain and hold what Napoleon most desired; as Napoleon himself said on St. Helena of Bernadotte, "...he sacrificed both his new and his mother country, his own glory, his true power, the cause of the people, and the welfare of Europe... He is now the only upstart sovereign in Europe.”
So here we have an interesting story of this complex man and Alan Palmer’s book is worthwhile reading if only to give you a general look at Marshal Bernadotte that is sure to spark an interest for further reading to truly establish what sort of man he was.
"It is a curious irony of dynastic history that, while only two of today's kings can claim descent from the House of Bourbon, more than half the reigning monarchs in Europe number among their ancestors a Gascon sergeant in Louis XVI's regiment of marines. He is best remembered as Marshal Bernadotte, although in Sweden his remains are interred in a sarcophagus inscribed 'Carl XIV Johan'."
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Prince de Ponte Corvo, was born in Pau on 26 January 1763, joined the Royal-la-Marine in 1780 and by 1794 saw him go from enlisted man to general of division in Revolutionary France.
Serving in mainly the army of the Sambre-et-Meuse and fighting various battles along the Rhine he seemed to be a competent combat soldier and leader and one who took care of his men and their welfare. He fought at Fleurus in June of 1794 and received a promotion to général de brigade on that battlefield.
It seems that when Bernadotte latter served as Minister for War he managed to do a fairly decent job of supporting the French armies in the field, the author states:
"At the Luxembourg itself there were two angry men on the day his retirement was made known. Both Louis Gohier and Jean-Francois Moulin were furious to find that their colleagues had assumed they would give their assent to Bernadotte's dismissal. When, a quarter of a century later, Gohier came to write his memoirs he was willing to attribute the whole change in the fortunes of war, between Massena's victory at Zurich and Napoleon's triumph at Marengo, to the energy and patriotic zeal which Bernadotte showed in his ten weeks as a Minister. Nor was this judgement on his skill as an organiser of victory a well-matured historical afterthought, intended to win Gohier a reading public in Sweden. For, on that day of Bernadotte's resignation, both Gohier and Moulin resolved to assert their status as Executive Directors. If they could not re-instate him, they could at least pay tribute to his achievement."
When he came to serve under Napoleon he managed to generate hostility and suspicion from Marshals Berthier and Davout along with Napoleon himself. His marriage to Désirée Clary (Napoleon’s first love and who’s sister was married to Napoleon’s brother Joseph) probably saved him from court-martial on a number of occasions. When the Empire was proclaimed in 1804, Napoleon made Bernadotte a Marshal of the Empire and Governor of Hanover.
The book continues to trace Bernadotte’s turbulent career under Napoleon and the wars of the Empire, through to his election as Crown Prince of the Swedes and the various conflicts that entailed as he became an ally of the coalition against Napoleonic France.
Overall this is a very easy to read book, 256 pages of narrative, four basic maps of Europe and fifteen pages of notes and sources. As previously stated the book is a generally sympathetic look at Bernadotte. It covers all the major points of his career and the legacy and legends that were left in his wake.
It may be hard to really establish the truth behind this man, was he as bad as Napoleon and his admirers made out or was there some sour grapes due to the fact that he managed to obtain and hold what Napoleon most desired; as Napoleon himself said on St. Helena of Bernadotte, "...he sacrificed both his new and his mother country, his own glory, his true power, the cause of the people, and the welfare of Europe... He is now the only upstart sovereign in Europe.”
So here we have an interesting story of this complex man and Alan Palmer’s book is worthwhile reading if only to give you a general look at Marshal Bernadotte that is sure to spark an interest for further reading to truly establish what sort of man he was.
August 1, 2009
I picked this book up at the library with the idea that it would be interesting to read a biography about Sweden's famous king written by someone with an outsider's perspective. In my school we were served an enthusiastically nationalistic account of co-incidence and glory, in which it was understood that the rift between Bernadotte and Napoleon was due to a professional jealously on the part of the former. Back then this appealed to me and stuck in my memory, but now I felt it was time to read a more balanced account.
It is difficult to say whether the biography is balanced, since I really know very little of the people in it, but Palmer does give a different perspective at times, especially when he presents the political situation through British diplomatic and political sources. With this, some new material is presented that would not come to light in a Swedish biography.
The various battles and generals are given a lot of attention, which is interesting, but it may require some prior knowledge of the power balance in Europe at the time and general political climate. The book contains maps, but not all the cities and places mentioned are marked on them. Relatively little space is afforded Bernadotte's time in Sweden as crown prince and king, which most Swedish biographies seem to focus too much on. What sticks most in my mind upon finishing the book are the various quotes from conversations between Bernadotte and Napoleon.
Reading this book forced an unsettling re-evaluation of someone whom I under my my school-day took for an unassailable hero, but a new person formed in his place, this time just a little more human.
Note: I read this book in Brita Ahlborg's translation to Swedish, which may have affected my reading experience.
March 14, 2016
A fascinating read : Such was the social upheaval of the Revolutionary/Bonaparte era that a Gascon sergeant could become one of Napoleon's fourteen Marshalls and die king of Sweden and Norway.
Jean Baptise Bernadotte (1763-1744) volunteered to serve in the pre-revolutionary French army. He became a Republican during the Revolution but steered clear of its excesses; in fact when the Terror was at its height Bernadotte was a captain in the army of the North fighting the Austrians, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, then major-general in 1794. Bernadotte was to serve with some distinction- the writer stresses that in 1797 Bernadotte was to lead a division through The Alps, before Napoleon repeated this achievement. Those who served under him were well disciplined, and Bernadotte opposed looting.
Marrying Desiree Clary, sister of the wife Joseph Bonaparte’s wife Julie, led to closer relationships with the Bonaparte’s family, though this author cites Bernadotte as a potential rival to Napoleon. Bernadotte refused to take part in Napoleon’s seizure of power on 18th Brumaire, and his military career stalled.Yet in 1804 he became governor of Hanover and was named as a marshal of France. In the war of the Third Coalition, Bernadotte fought the Prussians, and took and administered the city of Lubeck, driving out their Swedish allies.
The writer quite skilfully covers the complexity of the Russian , Swedish and French relations and the affinity that developed between France and Sweden, rivalling the mutual trading interests of Britain and Russia. In 1809 a palace revolution led to a vacant Swedish throne. Bernadotte thus became the Prince Royal of Sweden. And it soon became apparent that he was not going to restart hostilities with Russia, and permitted Sweden to overlook the demands of the Continental System to exclude British goods, though was not adverse to scheming to take Danish territory,possibly annexing Norway.
With Bernadotte at the helm, Sweden moved away from Napoleon’s influence and took part at the legendary Battle of the Nations in Leipzig , in 1813 against the French. Eventually on 5th February 1818, King Charles XIII of Sweden died. Bernadotte was acclaimed King Charles XIV John, ‘king of Sweden of Norway, of Goths and of Vandals.’
The book understandably becomes more confined to the history of the Baltic from this point, but maintains the reader's interest well.
Jean Baptise Bernadotte (1763-1744) volunteered to serve in the pre-revolutionary French army. He became a Republican during the Revolution but steered clear of its excesses; in fact when the Terror was at its height Bernadotte was a captain in the army of the North fighting the Austrians, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, then major-general in 1794. Bernadotte was to serve with some distinction- the writer stresses that in 1797 Bernadotte was to lead a division through The Alps, before Napoleon repeated this achievement. Those who served under him were well disciplined, and Bernadotte opposed looting.
Marrying Desiree Clary, sister of the wife Joseph Bonaparte’s wife Julie, led to closer relationships with the Bonaparte’s family, though this author cites Bernadotte as a potential rival to Napoleon. Bernadotte refused to take part in Napoleon’s seizure of power on 18th Brumaire, and his military career stalled.Yet in 1804 he became governor of Hanover and was named as a marshal of France. In the war of the Third Coalition, Bernadotte fought the Prussians, and took and administered the city of Lubeck, driving out their Swedish allies.
The writer quite skilfully covers the complexity of the Russian , Swedish and French relations and the affinity that developed between France and Sweden, rivalling the mutual trading interests of Britain and Russia. In 1809 a palace revolution led to a vacant Swedish throne. Bernadotte thus became the Prince Royal of Sweden. And it soon became apparent that he was not going to restart hostilities with Russia, and permitted Sweden to overlook the demands of the Continental System to exclude British goods, though was not adverse to scheming to take Danish territory,possibly annexing Norway.
With Bernadotte at the helm, Sweden moved away from Napoleon’s influence and took part at the legendary Battle of the Nations in Leipzig , in 1813 against the French. Eventually on 5th February 1818, King Charles XIII of Sweden died. Bernadotte was acclaimed King Charles XIV John, ‘king of Sweden of Norway, of Goths and of Vandals.’
The book understandably becomes more confined to the history of the Baltic from this point, but maintains the reader's interest well.
September 29, 2020
I read this book for free through Kindle Unlimited. Why’d I pick it? I knew next-to-nothing about Bernadotte, other than he somehow became king of Sweden. It’s like a dude’s Cinderella story, right? Ordinary French soldier becomes a king! Since I want to learn more about the Swedish monarchy, this seemed like a good starting point.
First off, Alan Palmer is a really enjoyable writer. Like Theo Aronson, he gives you an accessible narrative that focuses on people rather than politics. That may have actually hurt this book a little bit, but I'll get to that in the caveat section.
Since I know nothing about Bernadotte coming into this, I can’t tell you if Palmer has a “position” on him. Yes, he served with and under Napoleon. Yes, he later fought against Napoleon at the Battle of the Nations (as Crown Prince of Sweden). I imagine that begs the question for Napoleonic enthusiasts…is he a traitor? Or did he get lucky and take advantage of a fantastic opportunity? I feel like this always going to be a question with Bernadotte, which puts the author in a position of either blatantly taking sides or walking a neutral line.
Palmer doesn’t lionize Bernadotte, but he’s not very critical of him, either. He treads that light middle ground. I’d be interested in seeing perspectives on the far right and far left after reading this.
Here’s a representative sample of how that middle ground turns out: “His political opinions defy easy analysis: he was a staunch Jacobin in early years, a persistent legend maintaining that his arm was tattooed with republican imprecations, and yet by 1813 he was able to convince himself that his homeland needed a constitutional monarchy and that he was himself called to become King of the French.”
What I Liked
The entire last chapter is a look at Bernadotte’s legacy. Too many biographies end when the subject dies or is buried, one of my pet peeves. Why? Because that’s NOT the whole story. How did their loved ones react to their death? How were they perceived after their death? Did that opinion change over time? What influence did they have? Palmer’s last chapter answers all those questions, and I really appreciated being able to put a mental bow on Bernadotte’s story by connecting Karl Johan’s legacy with his descendant, Folke Bernadotte.
I was also glad to see a fair amount of info on Bernadotte’s wife (and Napoleon’s ex-girlfriend), Désirée Clary…although based on what's presented her, I’m not her biggest fan. Homegirl found herself Crown Princess of Sweden and then refused to go there for years for health reasons. I call bs on that, since she spent the last two decades of her life there, cold weather be damned.
Caveats
1. I read the eBook edition, which contains no maps. It would have been SUPER helpful for the descriptions of Wagram, Leipzig, Jena, and a few other battles to have one. Especially since Bernadotte’s timely arrival (or lack thereof) played a role in some of these outcomes. If you're a casual reader like me, your options are to remain a little confused, or go digging for a map online and try to figure out how to toggle between it and your Kindle screen. I chose the former.
2. There are no footnotes. If you want to figure out where a quote came from, you’re on your own. The "Notes and Sources" chapter gives information in paragraph form, explaining where he got particular information from, but not at the individual quotation level. He used a 3-volume English-language biography by Sir D. Plunket Barton, as well as a 3-volume Swedish language biography by T. Tson Höjer, among other sources.
3. I still feel like I don't know who this guy was. This book told the story of Bernadotte, but I don't think it captured him as a person. Maybe that's impossible, and I'm expecting too much. But maybe someone who's done more research or included more source quotes from him or about him could provide more illumination. I realize this book was meant to be more of an overview, not a deep dive, but the overview just let me curious about too much (including the frenemy relationship with Napoleon). I may go for one of the deep dives later.
Should You Read This Book?
If, like me, you want an answer to the question of how a French soldier became a king, yes. It’s entertaining, it’s a fast read, and if you want to delve further into Bernadotte’s character, the sources listed here are your next best bet, I’d imagine.
Originally posted to my 2020 Royal Reading List: https://girlinthetiara.com/2020-royal...
First off, Alan Palmer is a really enjoyable writer. Like Theo Aronson, he gives you an accessible narrative that focuses on people rather than politics. That may have actually hurt this book a little bit, but I'll get to that in the caveat section.
Since I know nothing about Bernadotte coming into this, I can’t tell you if Palmer has a “position” on him. Yes, he served with and under Napoleon. Yes, he later fought against Napoleon at the Battle of the Nations (as Crown Prince of Sweden). I imagine that begs the question for Napoleonic enthusiasts…is he a traitor? Or did he get lucky and take advantage of a fantastic opportunity? I feel like this always going to be a question with Bernadotte, which puts the author in a position of either blatantly taking sides or walking a neutral line.
Palmer doesn’t lionize Bernadotte, but he’s not very critical of him, either. He treads that light middle ground. I’d be interested in seeing perspectives on the far right and far left after reading this.
Here’s a representative sample of how that middle ground turns out: “His political opinions defy easy analysis: he was a staunch Jacobin in early years, a persistent legend maintaining that his arm was tattooed with republican imprecations, and yet by 1813 he was able to convince himself that his homeland needed a constitutional monarchy and that he was himself called to become King of the French.”
What I Liked
The entire last chapter is a look at Bernadotte’s legacy. Too many biographies end when the subject dies or is buried, one of my pet peeves. Why? Because that’s NOT the whole story. How did their loved ones react to their death? How were they perceived after their death? Did that opinion change over time? What influence did they have? Palmer’s last chapter answers all those questions, and I really appreciated being able to put a mental bow on Bernadotte’s story by connecting Karl Johan’s legacy with his descendant, Folke Bernadotte.
I was also glad to see a fair amount of info on Bernadotte’s wife (and Napoleon’s ex-girlfriend), Désirée Clary…although based on what's presented her, I’m not her biggest fan. Homegirl found herself Crown Princess of Sweden and then refused to go there for years for health reasons. I call bs on that, since she spent the last two decades of her life there, cold weather be damned.
Caveats
1. I read the eBook edition, which contains no maps. It would have been SUPER helpful for the descriptions of Wagram, Leipzig, Jena, and a few other battles to have one. Especially since Bernadotte’s timely arrival (or lack thereof) played a role in some of these outcomes. If you're a casual reader like me, your options are to remain a little confused, or go digging for a map online and try to figure out how to toggle between it and your Kindle screen. I chose the former.
2. There are no footnotes. If you want to figure out where a quote came from, you’re on your own. The "Notes and Sources" chapter gives information in paragraph form, explaining where he got particular information from, but not at the individual quotation level. He used a 3-volume English-language biography by Sir D. Plunket Barton, as well as a 3-volume Swedish language biography by T. Tson Höjer, among other sources.
3. I still feel like I don't know who this guy was. This book told the story of Bernadotte, but I don't think it captured him as a person. Maybe that's impossible, and I'm expecting too much. But maybe someone who's done more research or included more source quotes from him or about him could provide more illumination. I realize this book was meant to be more of an overview, not a deep dive, but the overview just let me curious about too much (including the frenemy relationship with Napoleon). I may go for one of the deep dives later.
Should You Read This Book?
If, like me, you want an answer to the question of how a French soldier became a king, yes. It’s entertaining, it’s a fast read, and if you want to delve further into Bernadotte’s character, the sources listed here are your next best bet, I’d imagine.
Originally posted to my 2020 Royal Reading List: https://girlinthetiara.com/2020-royal...
December 4, 2023
Gets bogged down in too many war details and unverified gossip. Very misogynous towards Bernadotte's wife Desiree. Seems more like a Napoleon fan.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews