"Die you fake swedish bastard!" Topic

So I'm playing Napoleonic Total War 3 a modification to Napoleon total war.

I was playing as Britain and got a mission to take Hanover back from the French. Defending the city was Bernadotte my least favourite napoleonic character.

I crushed his army and he defended a small battery when he was hit from two sides. One from Scots greys the other 1st hussars. He died and I was satisfied. Last time I played the game I killed him, Ney, Lannes and Napoleon him self in a span of 3 months in 1806.

I've always wondered what the varios Scandinavian views of Bernadette were. I never understood how or why Sweden picked him as the heir apparent.

Apparently it was because he was polite and accommodating to Swedish officers when they were taken prisoner in Pomerania when the French occupied it in 1807.

I actually had no opinion of him (like 99% of norwegians) Only after reading about the napoleonic wars. Did I get any opinion on him.

There is a big equestrian statue of him outside the royal castle. And I hhmf every time I see it. My wife even makes fun of my dislike for him.

For a long time countries figured you NEEDED some sort of royalty to head the country and almost anyone would do. That's why Napoleon 3rd thought it was a good idea to put an Austrian prince on the throne of the "Empire of Mexico' and he was actually supported by Mexican conservative monarchists.

Napoleon should have had him shot even before he became the Crown Prince of Sweden.

He is one of my heroes, unless from Boney – naturally – he gets quite a lot of good press from fellow officers and soldiers, and he was a real winner.
Of course due to Boney propaganda he has nowerdays a completly undeserved reputation, in case one likes to read more

link

free for download

let me think – who is my least favourite Napoleonic character ? Not Bernadotte, not Dupont, not Ney, not Moreau, not Decaen, not Lecourbe, not Marmont, not Augerau, not Masséna, not Berthier, not Lannes, not Soult – ;-)).

Has nothing to do with French propaganda. He wasn't very good when on the other side either.

Decades ago I was told by someone who tended to know that sort of thing that Bernadotte was Irish. His Clary wife certainly came from one of the old 'Wild Geese' families and they did tend to inter marry. If anyone has more detail I'd be interested.

He was brilliant, his persuit of the Prussian Army, amongst else victory at Halle – impressive, then of course 1813 – a string of important victories with the Nord Armee – pure propganda, in case you find time – read the book I linked.

He suffers form bad press of Boney lovers – who cannot stand the fact, that Bernadotte achieved what Boney was craving for – a ruling dynasty, which still provides the kings of Sweden of today, what a successs story.

I'll have a read thank you.

If anyone has more detail I'd be interested.

I'd very much doubt he is Irish. His paternal ancestors were all connected with the clothing trade, up until his father who was a lawyer; his earliest known relative was a shepherd in the early 1600s, who took the name Bernadotte from the woman he married. His mother's family were related to a Lay Abbot in SW France.

Im Norwegian, and I agree with Von W, the guy was (and still is) a success story. He founded a dynasty that still pervails where every last remnant of Napoleons family has decended into obscurity.
His success is only magnified by his arch rival Napoleons tragedy.
However, it goes to show that you can loose and still be considered a winner, and vice versa;)
A minor detail that seems to pass many by is the fact that Napoleon personally gave his consent to the idea of putting Bernadotte on the throne of Sweden, well aware of the fact that he would from that moment no longer be "French" and thus out of his direct control.

My experience is that most Norwegians (that care to have an opinion about history, wich in fact surprisingly many do) hold him in high esteem and mostly think of him in association with the founding of our own constitution, in particular that he handled our little premature attempt at independence with fairly soft hands and as a gentleman.
There is a reason that there is a huge statue of him in front of our Royal castle;)

Gunfreak: take the advice of Sir Arthur (or at least Christopher Plummer)"generals have better things to do than to shot at eachother";)

God jul and peace on earth!

Dr J

I think he was a better politician than a general. His (non-)performance at Jena & Auerstadt and his poor performance at Wagram are not exactly laurels.
His dynasty, however, is successful. His grandson's daughter married into the Danish Royal Family, giving birth to the Norwegian king Haakon, who accended the throne in 1905 (married to Maud of the English Royal Family).
After Norway was ceded to Sweden as a consequence of the wars of 1814, Bernadotte (then Carl XIV) was rather generous with Norway. We were allowed to have our new constitution, a university in Oslo and an armaments factory at Kongsberg; all of it having been denied by the Danish King several times before. As a king, relatively speaking, he was quite liberal. Probably heavily influenced by the ideas of the French revolution. As far as I can understand, these liberal ideas were also one of the sources for his disagreement on politics with Napoleon.

"I think he was a better politician than a general. His (non-)performance at Jena & Auerstadt and his poor performance at Wagram are not exactly laurels."

He was made a scapegoat to deviate the public (successfully so it seems) attention from the "mistakes" of Boney.

At Jena / Auerstedt he achieved his operational goal (to be at Apolda) – it was not his fault that Napoleon misjudged that he himself was fighting against the Prussian main army and that Davout – who should in theory cut the Prussian line of retreat stumbled into Brauchschweigs army.

So non performance – no – he even bagged 1000 PoWs

He was entrusted to persue the Prussians and did very well – the action at Halle – is usually utterly ignored, how well his corps did.

I agree that N's propganda stories, despite ending as ultimate looser, made him a hero and genius and persons like Bernadotte get a happy bashing – there it is so convenient

Decades ago I was told by someone who tended to know that sort of thing that Bernadotte was Irish. His Clary wife certainly came from one of the old 'Wild Geese' families and they did tend to inter marry. If anyone has more detail I'd be interested.

I can't answer as to whether or not he had any Irish blood in him, but even if he did I doubt very much that would make him "Irish". He was French, and in his early life at least he would've identified himself as being so.

My great-great-grandmother was from Sligo or therabouts, and on the other side of the family there is family from Ghent. But I would certainly give someone a strange look they told me I was Irish or Belgian.

I have an Irish friend who can reason quite sensibly that Christ was probably Irish! So, Bernadotte being Irish is child's play!

Che Guevara was just as Irish ……..Lynch family. Patrick O'Muerte is a good Irish name…….? No?

Most folk here have some connection, or, post Brexit, are working on it.

I thank God for my passport, after 63 years living in the UK, this place still welcomes me, even though still technically a foreigner, whose countrymen at one stage were setting off bombs in the UK shopping streets.

God Bless "England" (ie UK) and not just God Bless Ireland. Seriously great country…

Merry Christmas to all

It's very encouraging that, in a survey several years back, young people in the Republic of Ireland regard the UK as the #1 most friendly country. How Brexit affects the relationship remains to be seen, but the Queen's visit in 2011 was very successful (aside from the usual curmudgeons who think hating Britain is the bedrock of Irish patriotism).