Eugene Beauharnais, whose biography will be discussed in the article, is the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte, Viceroy of Italy, General, Prince of Leuchtenberg. He was born in Paris on September 3, 1781
The Origin of Eugene Beauharnais
As you might guess, Eugene Beauharnais came from a noble noble family. It was not possible to take a photo of him in those distant times, but history has left us a number of portraits, one of which is presented above. Alexandre de Beauharnais, his father, was a viscount, a native of the island of Martinique (a French colony in the Caribbean). Even when he was a young officer, Alexander married the Creole Josephine. After some time, he became a general and a prominent figure in the revolution, but was arrested on a denunciation and died on the guillotine. By this time, Eugene was only 13 years old. Josephine was also arrested, and her son was sent to an artisan's family for re-education.
Studying at a military school
July 28, 1794, the Thermidorian coup took place. He led to the fact that the Jacobin dictatorship was overthrown. Thanks to this, Josephine was freed, and Eugenebegan studying at the Saint-Germain Military School.
Mother Eugene in 1796 married Napoleon Bonaparte, who at that time was a general of the French Republic. In the same year, after graduating from a military school, our hero became Bonaparte's adjutant. The photo above shows two portraits - Napoleon and Josephine.
Eugene accompanies Napoleon on campaigns
When the general went on the Italian campaign (1796-1797), Eugene was always with him. He also accompanied him during the Egyptian expedition (1798-99).
Eugene Beauharnais was one of the participants in the November 9, 1799 coup of the Eighteenth Brumaire. As a result, the Directory lost its power. A new provisional government appeared, headed by Napoleon Bonaparte, now a consul. Eugene also served in his guard, where he was a captain of horse rangers. In the photo above - Eugene Beauharnais on horseback.
Promotion
In 1800, Eugene took part in a military campaign organized by France in northern Italy against the Austrians. At the end of the battle of Marengo (the so-called village located in northern Italy), Eugene was awarded the rank of colonel. A few years later, in 1804, he became a brigadier general.
In 1804, the coronation of Napoleon took place, during which Beauharnais received the title of State Chancellor. Eugene also earned an honorary title by becoming Prince of the French Empire. However, these awards did not bring Beauharnais real power. The rank and title he received,had only an honorary character.
Eugene becomes Viceroy. Marriage to Agnes Amalia
Napoleon created the Kingdom of Italy in 1805. He became king and Beauharnais became viceroy. It is known that at one time (in 1806) Bonaparte even wanted to declare Eugene his heir. To this end, he adopted him. Thus, the status of Eugene increased. He has now become a monarchical person. Thanks to this, our hero got married in the same year (at the request of Napoleon). His wife was the daughter of the King of Bavaria Agnes Amalia (1788-1851).
In 1807, Bonaparte made Eugene heir to the Italian throne. He was granted the title of Prince of Venice.
Eugene on the Italian throne
Eugene Beauharnais was not an experienced administrator. Therefore, as the ruler of Italy, he surrounded himself with many Italian advisers. During his reign, the administration and courts were transformed (in the fashion of France), and the army was improved. However, the dispatch of troops and financial payments made by Eugene at the request of Bonaparte caused discontent among the local population.
When Beauharnais became the ruler of Italy, he was only 24 years old. However, he managed to lead the state quite firmly. The army was reorganized, the Civil Code was introduced. The country was equipped with fortifications, canals and schools. Despite some dissatisfaction, inevitable in the difficult task of governing the state, in general, we can say that he managed to earn the respect and love of his people.
Participation inNapoleonic Wars
Beauharnais participated in almost all the wars fought by Napoleon. In the Austrian campaign (1809) he was the commander of the Italian troops. The outcome of the battle at the city of Salich (in Italy) was unsuccessful. Archduke John of Habsburg won. However, despite this, Eugene managed to turn the tide of events. He inflicted several defeats on John, first in Italy and then in Austria. Beauharnais also won a victory in Hungary, an important one for the French. We are talking about the battle of Raab (today it is the city of Gyor in Hungary). After that, he distinguished himself in the decisive battle at Wagram (now this is a village located in Austria).
Napoleon summoned Beauharnais from Italy in 1812. He was to become the commander of the fourth corps of the now French army. Eugene participated in the war of 1812, where he distinguished himself in the battles of Ostrovno (today it is an agro-town located in Belarus), near Borodino, Smolensk, Vyazma, Maroyaroslavets, Vilna (now it is Vilnius, Lithuania), Krasny.
Eugene Beauharnais and Savva Storozhevsky
Many miracles are associated with St. Savva Storozhevsky. One of them is considered to be his appearance to Eugene Beauharnais in 1812, during the capture of Moscow by the French. Savva convinced Eugene not to destroy the monastery, located in Zvenigorod. In return, he promised that Eugene Beauharnais would return to his homeland without hindrance. Savva kept his word - the prophecies of the monk really came true.
Repelling the attack of the Austrian troops
After Napoleon left Russia with Marshal Joachim Murat, Beauharnais commanded the remnants of the armyFrench. He withdrew troops to Magdeburg (today it is a German city). After the battle of Lutzen (a city in Germany), which took place in 1813, Eugene was sent to Italy by order of Bonaparte. He was supposed to provide her protection from the attack of the Austrian troops. It is believed that the military operations of Beauharnais in Italy, in the campaign of 1813-14, are the pinnacle of military leadership. Only thanks to the betrayal of Murat, the Austrians managed to avoid complete defeat.
The fate of Beauharnais after Napoleon's abdication
In 1814 (April 16) Napoleon abdicated. After this, Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy, concluded a truce and went to Bavaria. Beauharnais became a peer of France in June 1815. The Congress of Vienna, held in 1814-1815, decided to allocate him 5 million francs as compensation for Italian possessions. For this money, Maximilian Joseph, the Bavarian king and father-in-law of Beauharnais, ceded to him the principality of Eichstät and the landgraviate of Leuchtenberg, which formed the duchy of Leuchtenberg. The title and the dukedom were to be inherited by the descendants of Eugene (by birthright, and other descendants were granted the titles of the most serene princes).
Eugene Beauharnais has retired from politics in recent years. He decided to move to Munich, where he settled with his father-in-law. The first attack of the disease struck Beauharnais at the beginning of 1823. It happened in Munich. The shaken he alth of Eugene caused a great public outcry. In almost all churches in Munich, prayers were held for six weeks for the granting of his recovery. This isshows how much people loved him.
The disease receded for a while. Doctors prescribed Yevgeny treatment on the waters. However, by the end of the year, Beauharnais's condition worsened again. He began to suffer from frequent headaches. On February 21, 1824, he died of apoplexy. In modern terms, Yevgeny had a second stroke.
There are, however, other versions of the causes of his death. For example, historian D. Seward believes that Beauharnais had cancer. Eugene's funeral was grandiose. After his death, all of Bavaria was covered with mourning ribbons. Eugene Beauharnais, whose brief biography we reviewed, died at the age of 42. His name is carved on the Arc de Triomphe, located on Sq. Stars in Paris, inaugurated in 1836
Main awards
Evgeniy has received many awards. In 1805 he received the Orders of the Legion of Honor, the Iron Crown and St. Hubert of Bavaria. In 1811, Eugene Beauharnais was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen. And these are just his main awards.
Children of Eugene
The wife of Agnes Amalia gave birth to Beauharnais six children: sons Karl-August and Maximilian and daughters Josephine, Eugenia, Amalia and Theodolinda. Josephine, the eldest daughter, became the wife of King Oscar I of Sweden, who was the son of Bernadotte, Napoleon's former marshal. Eugenie married Prince F. W. of Hohenzollern-Ehringen. The Emperor of Brazil, Pedro I, took Beauharnais's daughter Amalia as his wife. Teodolina became a wifeDuke of Urach Wilhelm Wurtenberg.
The fate of the sons of Eugene Beauharnais
Karl-August, eldest son of Eugene de Beauharnais, became Duke of Leuchtenberg after the death of his father. In 1835 he married Maria II da Gloria, a 16-year-old Portuguese queen from the Braganza dynasty. However, Karl-August passed away in the same year.
Maximilian, the youngest son, inherited the title of Duke of Leuchtenberg from his deceased brother. In 1839, he married Maria Nikolaevna, daughter of Nicholas I (her portrait is presented above). Since that time, Maximilian lived in Russia. He was the head of the Mining Institute, president of the Academy of Arts, and conducted scientific research in the field of electroforming. It was he who founded the galvanoplastic plant in St. Petersburg, as well as the hospital. Nicholas I after the death of Maximilian decided to sell his possessions in Bavaria, and his children became members of the Russian imperial family. They were granted the title of princes of the Romanovs. Thus, representatives of the family, whose father was Eugene Beauharnais, left their mark in the history of Russia. Orthodoxy became their new religion.
