Eugene de Beauharnais

Biography

Origin

Eugene de Beauharnais is born the September 3rd 1781 with Paris. He is the son of the Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais, an officer of the royal army, and the Creole Josèphe de Tascher, more known under the name of Joséphine de Beauharnais.

Beginnings of the French revolution

He grows during one very disturbed time historically. During the years 1789 and 1790, whereas his/her mother and her young sister Hortense de Beauharnais are in Martinique, it assists with the meetings of the constituent Assembly in which his/her father takes part. The April 20th 1792, the legislative Assemblée declares the war with the Austria. Alexandre de Beauharnais joined the army and makes come his son near him. The Eugene young person, eleven years old, then shares his time between a college Strasbourg eois and the general headquarter of Wissembourg.

Convention

But the advent of the Convention modifies the family circumstances considerably. In 1794, the Beauharnais husbands are stopped and locked up in the Prison of the Carmelite friars to Paris. Alexandre de Beauharnais is guillotine. His wife is slackened. At the autumn 1795, Eugene and Hortense are put in pension at Saint-Germain.

The Directory

Under the Directory, Joséphine de Beauharnais, which holds living room with Paris, meets the general Napoleon Bonaparte. They marry the March 9th 1796 with Paris.

Bonaparte sticks Eugene like Aide-de-camp. II fact part of the forwarding of Egypt and is with the most fatal actions. It takes part in the attack of Suez, and with the battles of Aboukir.

Of return in France, the Coup d'etat of the 18 brumaire lance the young officer in the world. It is made major on the field of Bataille Marengo.

In 1802, it is made colonel. It becomes Brigadier general at the beginning of 1804.

Empire

The proclamation of the Empire, the May 18th 1804, will benefit Eugene de Beauharnais who are named large officer of the Légion of honor, brigadier general and colonel-general of the hunters of the Guard. Napoleon trusts him and does not hesitate to rest over a prince whose currency is “ Honneur and Fidélité ”.

In 1805, it obtains the title of archichancelier of State and large officer of the Légion of honor; it does not have yet which 24 years. Soon afterwards, Eugene is charged, in the capacity as viceroy, of the administration of the kingdom of Italy (June 7th 1805), where it passes almost half of his time. After the countryside of 1805, it marries the princess Augusta Amélie of Bavaria, and Napoleon invests it title of Prince of Venice , declares it his/her adoptive son and the heir apparent to the crown of Italy.

In 1809, 100.000 Austrians attack the Italy. Eugene, with the head of the Armed with Italy, loses initially the Bataille of Sacile, but soon it takes its revenge in twenty brilliant combat and it succeeds in pushing back the enemy, operates his junction with the Large army around Vienna. This glorious walk is crowned by the Bataille of Raab, that Napoleon i called a little girl of Marengo.

It is during the Campagne of Austria of 1809 that Eugene orders as a chief for the first time. Started from Milan the April 5th, it goes to the meeting of the archduke Jean, which advances on the Isonzo with considerable forces, tests a failure on the Piave which does not discourage it, in particular the April 16th with Sacile. Helped of the generals Macdonald, Baraguay d' Hilliers, Barbou, Attic, Broussier, it pushes back soon the enemy, seizes Vicence and of Bassano, beats seam flat the archduke with the Bataille of Piave, and seizes all the positions on the reverse of the mountains of the Carinthie.

While it continues its victorious walk towards the borders of the Hungary, it learns that the Austrian general Jellachich, seeks to meet in the archduke Jean. Eugene the attack and obliges it to pose the weapons with the totality of the troops which it orders. The success of this decisive day enables him to operate its junction with the Large army on the heights of Semmering. The 5 July 6th, 1809, it takes part then in the Bataille of Wagram.

One notices with astonishment that the viceroy, since the passage of Piave until Semmering, makes to the enemies a greater number of prisoners than it did not have soldiers under the flags.

It is at the time of this walk of Eugene, if remarkable under the strategic report/ratio, that the Emperor addresses to the soldiers of the viceroy these famous words: “ Soldats of the Armée with Italy, you glorieusement achieved the goal that I had marked you, be welcome! I am content with you. ”

At the time of the Repudiation of Joséphine, it comes to Paris, mandé by the Emperor, and requests Napoleon to grant an explanation in the presence of the Empress to him. After the divorce of his/her mother, who it sorry, it wants to give up the businesses, but overcome by the authorities of Joséphine and Napoleon himself, it sacrifices his personal resentments, but consequently refuses any new favor which would have been for him only the price of the divorce of his/her mother.

In 1812, it obtains the command of the troops Italy, Frenchwomen and Bavarian of the fourth army corps leaving to the conquest the Russia. All testimonys are unanimous: it is there the great moment of its military career at the time of the countryside and especially with the retirement of Russia.

It is announced to the Bataille of Ostrovno. The prince acts as hero. The terrible conditions of the retirement will obscure its character and prematurely will age it.

It orders the 4th body, which is entirely destroyed. The defection of Murat leaves it with the head remains of the Large army reduced to a few thousands of men stripped of all, tackled the every day by the Russian and Prussian armies, the every day being likely to be overflowed. In sixty days it makes a splendid retirement escaping surrounding and making the junction with the new army of the conscripts delivered by the Emperor. This 50 day campaign, since Posnau until Leipzig, is perhaps the most astonishing episode of the forwarding of Russia, and all the soldiers agree to look it like a masterpiece of strategy which, only, place prince Eugene with the row of the largest generals.

The prince arrives at Leipzig the March 9th, and its army, enlarged during walk, then counts 50.000 men, with whom it can hold the line of the Elba, threatened by 150.000 allied.

In 1813, the viceroy must turn over in Italy where it must avoid the movements of sedition and maintain the order and safety. After the failure of the Countryside of Saxony, the Austrians threaten the plain of the Po, Murat oscillates between fidelity and treason and only it must face the armies Austrian and Neapolitan, it is advised and delays the inescapable expiry. It can resist the pressures of his father-in-law Maximilien, letting to him hope for the kingdom of Italy if it betrayed Napoleon. Even if the fact that it does not give following January 1814 to the call of the Emperor to leave Italy is worth him the charge of treason which was made to him by some generals.

It loses any hope to save its throne after the riots of the April 20th 1814 with Milan and the murder of the Minister for Finance of the Kingdom Giuseppe Prina, which is cruelly killed by crowd. The April 26th 1814, the viceroy of Italy is constrained to give up its throne and will seek asylum in Bavaria, in its in-laws.

The Congress of Vienna, it awaits a principality and an annual rent, one proposes Pontecorvo to him whose Bernadotte was previously prince hereditary, it regains Munich where it enjoys the regard of the Wittelsbach when the Emperor unloads isle of Elba with Golfe Juan on March 1st 1815.

With the return of Napoleon, in 1815, it is with Vienna and does not take any share with the war. It is obliged, not to be stopped, to commit itself on word not leaving Bavaria.

It is thus of spectator whom it assists with the Hundred Days, with the defeat of Waterloo, with the second abdication. He plays any more any part neither policy nor soldier and is satisfied after having received from his father-in-law the duchy of Leuchtenberg, to manage his fortune and to place his many offspring.

Marriage and descent

The private life of Eugene de Beauharnais is less dependant on the Emperor than his professional life. Seeking to introduce his family into the circle of the European dynasties, Napoleon arranges the marriage between his adoptive son-in-law and Augusta-Amélie of Bavaria, girl of the voter Maximilien of Bavaria (which becomes king after the treaty of Presbourg in 1806), celebrated the January 14th 1806.

Union between Eugene de Beauharnais and Augusta-Amélie of Bavaria, although arranged for political reasons, is particularly happy, they had seven children:

Joséphine Maximilienne Eugenie Napoléone (1807 - 1876), queen of Sweden and Norway.
Eugenie Hortense Auguste (1808 - 1847), princess of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.
Auguste Charles Eugene Napoleon (1810 - 1835), duke of Leuchtenberg, Duke of Santa Cruz and Prince Consort of Portugal.
Amélie Auguste Eugenie Napoléone (1812 - 1873), empress of the Brazil.
Théodelinde Louise Eugenie Auguste Napoléone (1814 - 1857), countess of Wurtemberg and duchess of Urach.
Caroline Clotilde (1816 - 1816).
Maximilien Joseph Eugene Auguste Napoleon (1817 - 1852), duke of Leuchtenberg and prince Romanowsky in Russia with the title " Impériale" highness;

Death

Eugene de Beauharnais dies the February 21st 1824 with Munich, of an attack of Apoplexie, at the age of forty-two years. Its funeral is imposing, mourning being led, by his/her father-in-law the king of Bavaria, in person. He is sincerely cried in his in-laws and by the people of Bavaria which he had known to allure by his intelligence and the uprightness of his character. The couple having married particularly well his/her children, Eugene de Beauharnais is thus the ancestor of the majority of the reigning dynasties of Europe (current king de Norvège, Sweden, Denmark and Greece)

Titles

1804 - 1805: Its Imperial Highness Eugene de Beauharnais, prince de France
1805 - 1807: Its Imperial Highness Eugene de Beauharnais, prince de France and viceroy of Italy
1807 - 1810: Its Imperial Highness Eugene de Beauharnais, prince de France, viceroi of Italy and prince de Venise
1810 - 1814: Its Imperial Highness Eugene de Beauharnais, prince de France, viceroy of Italy, prince de Venise and large-duke of Frankfort
1817 - 1824: Its Royal Highness Eugene de Beauharnais, duke of Leuchtenberg and prince d' Eichstätt

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