Background
Murat was born on March 25, 1767 in La Bastide-Fortumière, France. He was the second son of an inn-keeper who intended the boy to make his career in the Church.
Murat was born on March 25, 1767 in La Bastide-Fortumière, France. He was the second son of an inn-keeper who intended the boy to make his career in the Church.
He studied canon law at the University of Toulouse but left his studies to enter the cavalry.
He reentered the army (1791).
Capt. Murat was in Paris in 1795, and he was employed by Napoleon Bonaparte on 13 Vendémiaire to aid him in putting down the rising against the Directory.
Bonaparte then took him to Italy in 1796 as his first aide-de-camp, where he served during the first Italian campaign.
In 1798 he sailed with the Army of Egypt to the banks of the Nile, where he commanded the cavalry during the Battle of the Pyramids.
In the summer of 1799, when Bonaparte returned to France with only a small group of favored officers, Murat was among them.
He took an active part in the campaigns of 1806 and 1807 and fought with distinction at Jena, Eylau, and Friedland.
As a conciliation, Murat was given the throne of Naples (Aug. 1, 1808).
Styling himself King Joachim Napoleon, Murat established an extravagant court at Naples and continued the reforms that Joseph Bonaparte had begun.
His principal problem was his relationship with his all-powerful brother-in-law.
It was Napoleon's intention that the kingdom of Naples should be governed in the best interests of France.
Throughout the Russian campaign and the retreat, he distinguished himself by his bravery in the face of enemy fire.
When the French retreated beyond the Rhine after the defeat at Leipzig (Oct. 16-18, 1813), Murat retired to Italy.
He now realized that the Napoleonic Empire would not survive.
He therefore opened negotiations with Austria in an effort to save his throne.
On Jan. 11, 1814, he signed a treaty with Austria that guaranteed him the throne of Naples in return for his renunciation of Napoleon and active military support against France.
But Austria was the only great power supporting him, and at the Congress of Vienna the other Allied nations wished to return the deposed King Ferdinand to Naples.
In early October he made one last bid to reestablish himself in Italy.
During the French Revolution he was a supporter of Jacobin policies.
