"Jean Baptiste Bernadotte: Traitor, Idiot, or ..." Topic

… Opportunist?

"In our previous post we gave a biographical overview of the life of Marshal Bernadotte, later King Charles XIV of Sweden. This week we assess his controversial legacy. Was Bernadotte any good as a military commander? Was he a traitor to Napoleon and to France? Did Bernadotte only act in the interests of Bernadotte?

The Arc de Triomphe is one of France's most famous landmarks, and serves as a reminder of France's military glory during the turn of the 19th century. The walls of the arch are inscribed with the names of dozens of leading generals of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. These include 24 of the 26 men Napoleon appointed to the venerated rank of Marshal of France. The two exceptions are Marmont and Bernadotte, both considered traitors to France. While Marmont was censured for abandoning the defence of Paris in 1814 and spent the rest of his life in exile, Bernadotte had become Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810 and took up arms against his native land as part of the Sixth Coalition…"

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Armand

'The walls of the arch are inscribed with the names of dozens of leading generals of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. These include 24 of the 26 men Napoleon appointed to the venerated rank of Marshal of France. The two exceptions are Marmont and Bernadotte, both considered traitors to France…'

Marmont is on the Southern Pillar, Column 24.

Bernadotte is on the Northern Pillar, Column 3.

Murat is on there as well…despite changing sides in 1814. So is Pichegru. So is Moreau. So is Beurnonville, one of the members of the 1814 Provisional Government. So is Dumouriez.

His descendant are still the royal family in Sweden. What position of any note do Nap's relatives and descendants hold?

Politically astute and able to identify and seize the opportunities offered while avoiding reckless gambles. If you accept war as an extension of politics he played a brilliant game across both by allowing his allies to do most of the fighting while doing just enough not to break with them. Anything else is alternative history and just conjecture – Bernadotte could only act within the context he faced.
Did he betray France? As ruler of Sweden his first duty was to that country (luckily for him that was also in his interest so a fairly easy choice). Also, if you accept the writing was on the wall for Napoleon then arguably gaining a place at the winner's table as a moderating force was serving France. Likewise Marmont, who I believe was a talented commander, was surely betraying Napoleon for the sake of France.

Self-preservationist has been my opinion for years

Not a man I'd have ever wanted to have to rely on.

Bernadotte proved himself unreliable in 1806 and 1809 and was not someone his comrades could rely on.

His conduct in 1806 was despicable as he chose not to support Davout at Auerstadt. And he contributed nothing to either Auerstadt or Jena.

When sent to join Napoleon's Armee d'Italie from the Sambre-et-Meuse in 1797, Desaix described him as 'Young, plenty of fire, vigorous, of fine passions, very estimable; he is not loved for he is considered a fanatic' (a Jacobin extremest).

He failed as both ambassador to Austria in 1799 and was fired by the Directory as Minister of War.

When he joined the allies in 1813 he was not trusted by his allies. The French thought he was 'a joke.'

a winner, Boney fawners hate him for that, he achieved what Boney was dreaming about, a good article, there is also part one, the blog of Jimmy Chenn has a lot of good articles.

A faithful Crown Prince who did what was best for his kingdom, being instrumental in building the Sixth Coalition to defend it, quickly conquered Norway and built the United Kingdom of Sweden and Norway, then had a long and peaceful reign. A Bernadotte still sits the throne of Sweden.

A great monarch.

If Bernadotte was all about Bernadotte, so was Napoleon and in spades!

He also got bad press for 1813, namely by the Prussians, still as CiC of the Nordarmee – he gave his subordinates so much lee way and initiative that they thrashed all French approaches to Berlin – Großbeeren und Dennewitz and prevented the link up of the French forces heading to the Berlin direction and Davout, again mission accomplished.

Thanks!

Armand

Trefcon, a colonel and POW in 1814
Le 8, nous quittons Bruxelles pour nous rendre à Louvain. Le prince royal de Suéde (maréchal Bernadotte) y était.
Nous allâmes nous présenter à lui, et il nous accueillit fort bien. Il donna même des secours à quelques-uns d'entre nous.
Nous eûmes avec le prince royal un entretien de plus d'une heure. Au milieu de notre conversation, un de ses maréchaux entra. Le prince le prit par le main et lui dit en nous désignant : – « Monsieur le maréchal, je vous présente mes anciens compagnons d'armes. » Nous le quittâmes, très content de lui.
p. 168 Colonel Trefcon : Carnet de Campagne, 1793 – 1815, re-print Paris 2003

There is an interesting anecdote about Bernadotte in 1814:

'French soldier yarns had Bernadotte demanding a parley with the commander of a French-held fortress in Germany. The sentry promptly fired at him: Bernadotte protested and was told the sentry had merely tried to apprehend a French deserter.'-John Elting, Swords Around A Throne, 691 note 13.

'Repeat a yarn interminably and some might believe it to be true'. Not a great approach to history though.

Anyway, I thought the topic of Bernadotte had been done to death and sides chosen, but a reasonably even-handed approach in the article and useful comments afterwards. I wasn't aware of what he did for Ney's son, for example.

I'm not sure why the concept of a monarch focusing on what is best for their subjects rather than self-aggrandizement should be such a controversial stance though, particularly when it led to such longevity and stability. Unless it's because it is stark contrast to other approaches at the time and highlights their failings.

Mark Wilson – rely on for what? Either Napoleon yet again demonstrated poor judgement of character or Bernadotte actually was an effective French commander, regardless of those looking for post-facto reasons to justify talking him down.

Also, as a Napoleonic Swedish subject, it appears that a) I could rely on Bernadotte to ensure my country would come out of the wars better than it started and b) I could also rely on him to minimise my chance of dying to liberate Berlin.

Looks like we can eliminate "idiot," at any rate.

The only Bonapartist who won…

The only Bonapartist who won…

If you consider turning on your own people 'winning'…

Well seems idiot would be more suitable for Boney, giving Bernadotte the right to leave in the idiotic hope that a man of character like Bernadotte would slavishly obey Boney's orders and acting in the interest of France only.

Napoleon himself gave him leave to go.

That is true.

With the understanding that he would act in the best interests of Sweden.

Where did you source that from? I seriously doubt that Napoleon intended that Bernadotte would ally himself with Russia, Sweden's traditional enemy. And he demanded Norway for his 'services' to the allies at Denmark's expense.

The is a very accurate assessment of Bernadotte in Jack Gill's With Eagles to Glory, 256-257:

'…he ran afoul of Napoleon in the Consulate years, his political aspirations, toughy pride and high self-esteem coming between the two men and laying a foundation of suspicion and rancor, especially on Bernadotte's part, that would not dissipate. His perplexing behavior at the double battle of Jena and Auerstadt, where he failed to arrive on either battlefield, cast a shadow over his reliability and by 1809, he had managed to make enemies of a number of the army's senior leaders, including Berthier.' Bernadotte was…'also an eristic, ambitious and untrustworthy subordinate and comrade, too fond of intrigue and principally concerned with promoting his own interests.'

Further, Bernadotte '… was equally famous, however, for an inflated opinion of his own importance, a similar view of his own military genius and a propensity to let temper overcome wisdom in violent verbal outbursts.'

Bernadotte definitely proved himself not to be a 'man of character.'

'If you consider turning on your own people 'winning'…'

I'm sure there was no shortage of people with similar opinions of that feller George Washington at the time.

Two different situations, and two entirely different people. Washington was honorable, Bernadotte was not.

This extract us from the Memoirs of General Savary, The Memoirs of the Duke of Rovigo, Volume I, Part II, 185-186:

When the Prussian troops were discovered by one of Davout's adcs, Colonel Burck, 'Davout's corps was at the head of the column. He communicated the information which he had received to Marshal Bernadotte, whose troops immediately followed his.'

The Prussians were found west of Naumburg and Davout 'immediately dispatched a messenger to Bernadotte, and requested the he would support him.'

When the action was ongoing and Davout was incurring heavy losses he sent adcs to find and ask Bernadotte who was traveling south towards Apolda for assistance. However, Bernadotte 'spent the whole day in seeking a passage by roads where none was to be found…Marshal Davout also experienced the same obstacles when he sent for cavalry. His aides-de-camp carried repeated orders to divisions of cavalry to join him immediately, as the danger was imminent; but Bernadotte detained them, and prevented them from taking part in the action. It happened with this cavalry to which he had no right to give orders, as with the corps which he commanded: it was of no use either at Kosen or at Jena, where it did not arrive in time.'

So it appears that Bernadotte deliberately failed to support Davout at Auerstadt.

I have both of Barton's books on Bernadotte. He appears to be a Bernadotte admirer which translated means he has to be used with care.

Napoleon on Bernadotte after Auerstadt (See Savary's Memoirs, Part II, 191:

'This is so shameful, that if I were to bring him to a court-martial, it would be equivalent to ordering him to be shot. The best way is to overlook it. I think he is not so devoid of honor as not to feel the full extent of his misconduct, respecting which I shall not fail to let him know my opinion.'

Bernadotte is certainly the most successful individual of the era, bar none. Born the son of a lawyer, he rose on merit to the monarchy of Sweden and his line remain Sweden's ruling house over 200 years later.

It's an absolutely stupendous achievement. Wellington was an earl's son by birth, made Duke and his descendants still hold the title, so while that's as high as he could go, he started from further ahead and didn't rise as far. They are AFAIK the last scions of the self-made men of the era, who've otherwise all disappeared (I don't think France recognises the Marshalate's descendents' titles of nobility does it?)

If you go to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and look at Davout's grave, you can see that his descendants continued to serve and some made general rank.

Some of the marshals' descendants still carry the original titles of nobility given their ancestors by Napoleon.

Bernadotte is still a skunk, no matter how he ended up. And it is interesting to note that his allies in 1813-1814 thought him a joke and didn't trust him.

I guess in the end it is how you measure success…

In the end, Sweden came out much better for having Bernadotte on the throne than France did with Napoleon.

it will be hard that France would recognize titles of nobility concerning the Bernadotte or any other Royal or Imperial Nobility given a very little detail that I have to recall : France is a republic since 1870 and according to the Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme and principle of Equality it can't exist in France nobility nor nobles nor titles attached to a particular origin

however as everything is always simple and cartesian in France the titles of nobility are recognized something like a patronomic inheritance and can be attached to the name

Nobility no longer has a legal and juridical existence in France and is not recognized by the French Republic, but regular nobiliary titles can still be transmitted and recognized in civil status Etat Civil registry as an accessory to the family name, after verification by the services of the Garde des Sceaux (the French Ministry of Justice)

that is why the French Justice Courts can be the theater of the endless dynatic quarrels concerning titles between both French Royal families of Bourbon, the legitimst branch and cadet branch of Orléans who gave to France his last king

from I undertand concerning the case of Bernadotte's nobility titles :

as "Prince of Ponte Corvo" : renounced to his title in 1810 becoming Swedish Prince and should be given to Lucien second son of Joachim Murat, something not finalized

"Baron d'Empire" given to Jean-Evangéliste (1754-1813) older brother of the Marshall and so not attached to the defector
title kept in this French family of Bernadotte remaining in France until his extinction in 1966

Count Bernadotte dynasty also did sterling humanitarian work in WW2 getting people out of German concentration camps.

…Sweden came out much better for having Bernadotte on the throne than France did with Napoleon.

What civil and political reforms did Bernadotte institute in Sweden while head of state? After he assumed power in Sweden, he made it a Russian client state, which is not an improvement in Sweden's overall situation. After assuming the throne, did he not become a reactionary king?

Napoleon's legacy to France was the sweeping reforms he instituted as First Consul and Emperor. The returning Bourbons really had no choice but to keep them and they covered religion, education, financial, as well as governmental and civil reforms.

Overall I would suggest that the French people benefitted immensely from those reforms, many or most which are still in force today. Sweden had no such luck with Bernadotte.

I see Don Quixote is still tilting at windmills…

Wasn't Pontecorvo an italian dignity rather than a French one?

Bernadotte became the Crown Prince of Sweden right after the kingdom had adopted the Instrument of Government. That constitution replaced the absolute monarchy that had ruled the country since 1772. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars Bernadotte did not seek to undo that reform. There is something to be said about a willingness to work within the system rather than gutting it. It was finally replaced in the 1970s. Bernadotte also expended a significant amount of personal wealth for the benefit of Sweden.

Napoleonic French nobility dignity, Ponte-Corvo was a Pontifical enclave in the Kingdom of Naples exactly as Benevento title given to Talleyrand, both in theory sovereign but linked to the French Emperor
the title passed to the Pontifical States in 1815 and it is attached to the eldest son of the Murat's descendants till today

'Le miserable Ponte Corvo'-Marshal Davout, 14 October 1806.

Napoleon wrote to Bernadotte on the 23d regarding his absence from both Jena and Auerstadt:

'However, according to a very precise order, you ought to have been at Dornburg, which is one of the principal passages of the Saale, on the same day as Marshal Lannes was at Jena, Marshal Augereau at Kahla, and Marshal Davout at Naumburg. In case you had not executed these orders, I had informed you during the night that, if you were still at Naumburg, you should march with Marshal Davout and support him. You were at Naumberg when these orders arrived; it was communicated to you; but, nevertheless, you preferred to make a false march in order to turn back to Dornburg, and in consequence you did not find yourself in the battle, and Marshal Davout bore the principal efforts of the enemy's army.'-quoted in Foucart, II, 243.

Napoleon told Rapp at Jena: 'Bernadotte has behaved badly. He would have been enchanted to see Davout fail in that affair, which does him [Davout] the greatest honor, all the more so because Bernadotte had rendered his position difficult.'-Rapp, Memoirs, 84.

(smile)

Armand

There are very few books on Bernadotte and there are 300,000+ books about Napoleon.

Somehow, somewhere, no one cares about all that Bernadotte/Swedish "winning" and lots and lots and lots…and lots of people care about Napoleon.

It just seems wrong that no one gives a Swedish fish about Napoleon's cleverest marshal.

La Belle Ruffian, anything really, it was my attempt at being polite about a man who so obviously made every decision based entirely on the 'what's in this for me' principle. Any benefit you as a Swedish citizen might have gained would have been purely incidental and accidental.

"La Belle Ruffian, anything really, it was my attempt at being polite about a man who so obviously made every decision based entirely on the 'what's in this for me' principle. Any benefit you as a Swedish citizen might have gained would have been purely incidental and accidental."

That statement can be made about every king and emporer, ever.

True….

Armand

That statement can be made about every king and emporer, ever.

It most certainly can be made, but can it be supported…

Did Bernadotte ever desert an army, or abandon it to its fate? Napoleon did so four times – Egypt, Spain, Russia and Waterloo.

When Napoleon departed for Egypt, he told the Directory that if they needed him back he would come home. They dispatched to recall orders to him. One was intercepted by the Royal Navy, the other he received when he landed in France.

Napoleon decided, and was urged by his subordinates, to leave Russia after the victory of the Berezina. He left Murat in command, who then decided to desert. In the ensuing chaos, Berthier strongly urged Eugene to take charge and then sent word to Napoleon to confirm the appointment as soon as possible which he did. Eugene's subsequent performance was exemplary.

Napoleon left Spain because of the intelligence that reported Austria was preparing to invade the Confederation of the Rhine. The Spanish armies were defeated and Moore's British army driven into the sea.

Napoleon left Nord in order to make preparations to continue the war. In this situation, as in Russia and Spain, it is usually overlooked that Napoleon was also a head of state as well as an army commander.

These situations and information can be discovered and explained with a little careful research. The information is available.

Of course, for the anti-Napoleon crowd, it is easier to level ahistorical accusations that do not fully appreciate the overall situations.

Bernadotte abandonned more than an army : his own country he betrayed and served with France's ennemies, even leading an Army against France
Chapeau

Lilian +1

And he abandoned Davout to fight the main Prussian army alone in October 1806.

Bernadotte didn't countermarch anywhere. He marched away from Davout going to an objective where he was already supposed to be…

'Bernadotte didn't countermarch anywhere…'

Odd. The Bonaparte letter you posted above (cited to Foucart, although it's actually taken from Petre, like your other quotes and citations) clearly accuses Bernadotte of having made a false march to turn back to Dornburg. Are you now agreeing that accusation was simply fabricated?

'He marched away from Davout…'

Or did Davout march away from Bernadotte? Davout's orders simply told him to go to Apolda – the route was up to him. As only the tail of Bernadotte's corps was still at Naumburg, there's no apparent reason why Davout couldn't simply have followed Bernadotte and gone to Apolda via Dornburg. It's the same distance either way.

'going to an objective where he was already supposed to be…'

Bonaparte's battle-plan scheduled Bernadotte and Davout to be at Dornburg and Apolda on the 14th, not the 13th. Bernadotte's orders to move to Dornburg – sent through Murat rather than directly – weren't even written until the morning of the 13th.