Napoleon's marshals
Marshals of the Empire were twenty-six generals of the Grand Armee who were awarded the honorable title "Marshal of France" for their battlefield achievements and for their loyalty to Emperor Napoleon and the First French Empire.
Background[]
In 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, appointed twenty-six of his close companions as his Marshals in preparation for the invasion of Britain. His generals served as the leaders of the Grande Armee, and although there was no invasion of Britain as planned due to the Third Coalition of 1805, the Marshals' ranks were held with importance. After all, they were the close drinking mates of Napoleon who served in all of his campaigns, and the rank of Marechal proved to be prestigious and rewarding. Some of his marshals, such as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and Joachim Murat, would become monarchs of French client states, namely Bernadotte in Sweden and Murat in Naples.
