La Bataille de Prusse 1809

campaigns. He began his rocky relationship with Napoleon in 1797, upon being assigned to the Army of Italy, with a series of misunderstandings; miscommunications; and misadventures in the Italian Campaign. As history would show, these twisted events with Napoleon would only continue as their career would grow together over the next 12 years.

Desiree Clary Becomes Madame Bernadotte

Making their relationship even more complicated was the convoluted reality their personal lives presented. Bernadotte’s wife, Desiree Clary, had been Napoleon’s fiancée in 1795. Her sister, Julie Clary, had married Joseph Bonaparte, and the Clary sisters and the Bonapartes would forever have their lives intertwined. Napoleon had broken off his engagement with Desiree after his marriage to Josephine in 1796, and Bernadotte married Desiree just two years later in 1798 in Italy.

Bernadotte’s Wife Desiree Clary

Many believe that Bernadotte’s many failings, including those of character and of behavior, were overlooked or forgiven due to the close relationship the Clary sisters had with the Emperor throughout the years. Whether Desiree Clary Bernadotte actively sought to involve herself in the complicated court intrigues of Napoleon’s young imperial court; or whether she just was someone who somehow was always a passive actor in these court passion plays may never be known; but Desiree, and thus Jean Bernadotte, could always be counted among the participants.

The reader should fast forward to the campaign of 1806: most writers place Bernadotte in a form of historical hell for Bernadotte’s failure at the battles of Jena and Auerstedt on October 14 to march to the sound of the guns and join in either of those battles. His failure to come to Marshal Davout’s aid at Auerstedt has been especially criticized. Napoleon almost had him court-martialed, only to tear up the letter authorizing that event shortly before it was to occur. Clearly Bernadotte’s family ties to Napoleon and Napoleon’s fondness for Desiree saved him from such a fate. Napoleon’s strong displeasure at Bernadotte’ failure seems to have inspired the marshal to prove himself in battle. Just a few days later, on October 17, Bernadotte attacked the last remaining organized Prussian formation after the debacles at Jena and Auerstedt, the Duke of Wurttemberg’s reserve corps. Bernadotte’s troops, acted with purposeful

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