JOACHIM MURAT, King of Naples. - B. March 25, 1767 at La Bastide Fortunière, d. Oct. 13, 1815 at Pizzo in Calabria. Destined by his parents for the ecclesiastical state, he entered the Seminary of the Lazarists of Toulouse, but the priestly mission was not made for him, and in 1788 he left the Seminary and enlisted in the horse chasseurs. Enthusiastic about the Revolution and a friend of Bonaparte, he was the latter's aide-de-camp in the Italian campaign in 1796. Divisional general in 1799 as a reward for his conduct in the Egyptian campaign, he contributed decisively to the success of the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire.
G. M.'s military glories as a cavalry commander were truly outstanding and he took part in virtually all the Napoleonic campaigns at the head of his cavalrymen: in the Russian campaign he had command of the cavalry of the grande armée. Marshal of the Empire, he became in 1806 grand duke of Berg and of Clèves. In Nov. 1807 he had command of the troops that invaded Spain and with ferocious energy quelled the Madrid uprising of May 2, 1808. In July of the same year he succeeded Joseph Bonaparte on the throne of Naples. In the Kingdom of Naples he improved with suitable reforms the social, economic and spiritual conditions of the population. With a shrewd financial policy he consolidated the public debt, promoted laws in favor of agriculture, industry and commerce; he greatly increased the construction of public works. During his reign the French codes were adopted, suitably revised and modified according to local needs, but the Civil Code, which came into force on Jan. 1, 1809, also contained the articles relating to divorce. In relations with the Catholic religion G. asserted in all his measures the supremacy of the State over the Church. The clergy as a whole was regarded in the manner of a state body, duly salaried, and therefore obliged to carry out faithfully the orders and instructions transmitted to it by the government. In order to preserve the throne, G. M. abandoned Napoleon after the battle of Leipzig and allied himself with Austria, but on the news of the Emperor's return from Elba, he conceived, with the proclamation of Rimini of March 30, 1815, the idea of rousing all Italy and constituting it as an independent kingdom. Defeated, he withdrew to Cannes and to Ajaccio, whence he set sail to reconquer his Kingdom, but, having landed at Pizzo, he was taken prisoner and condemned to death.
Bibliography4 works
Silvio Furlani