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Joseph Bonaparte

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Joseph Bonaparte
Portrait as King of Spain byFrançois Gérard,1808
King of Spain and the Indies
Reign6 June 1808 – 11 December 1813
PredecessorFerdinand VIIorNapoleon I
SuccessorFerdinand VII
King of Naples
Reign30 March 1806 – 6 June 1808
PredecessorFerdinand IV
SuccessorJoachim I
Head of the House of Bonaparte
Tenure22 July 1832 – 28 July 1844
PredecessorNapoleon II
SuccessorLouis, Count of Saint-Leu
Born7 January 1768
Corte,Corsica,Republic of Genoa
Died28 July 1844(1844-07-28)(aged 76)
Florence,Tuscany
Burial
Spouse
(m.1794)
IssueZénaïde, Princess of Canino and Musignano
Charlotte Napoléone Bonaparte
Names
French:Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte
Italian:Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte
Spanish:José Napoleón Bonaparte
HouseBonaparte
FatherCarlo Buonaparte
MotherLetizia Ramolino
ReligionCatholic
SignatureJoseph Bonaparte's signature

Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte(bornGiuseppe di Buonaparte,Italian:[dʒuˈzɛppediˌbwɔnaˈparte];Corsican:Ghjuseppe Napulione Bonaparte;Spanish:José Napoleón Bonaparte;7 January 1768 – 28 July 1844) was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother ofNapoleon Bonaparte.During theNapoleonic Wars,the latter made himKing of Naples(1806–1808), and thenKing of Spain(1808–1813). After the fall of Napoleon, Joseph styled himselfComte de Survilliersand emigrated to theUnited States,where he settled nearBordentown, New Jersey,on an estate overlooking theDelaware Rivernot far fromPhiladelphia.

Early years and personal life

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Joseph was born in 1768 as Giuseppe Buonaparte toCarlo BuonaparteandMaria Letizia RamolinoatCorte,the capital of theCorsican Republic.In the year of his birth,Corsica was invaded by Franceand conquered the following year. His father was originally a follower of the Corsican patriot leaderPasquale Paoli,but later became a supporter of French rule.

Bonaparte trained as a lawyer. In that role and as a politician and diplomat, he served in theCinq-Centsand as the French ambassador toRome.On 30 September 1800, asMinister Plenipotentiary,he signed a treaty of friendship and commerce betweenFranceand theUnited StatesatMortefontaine, Oise,alongsideCharles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu,andPierre Louis Roederer.

In 1795 Bonaparte was a member of theCouncil of Five Hundred.Four years later, he used this position to help his brother Napoleon tooverthrowtheDirectory.

King of Naples

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Upon the outbreak of war between France and Austria in 1805,Ferdinand IV of Napleshad agreed to a treaty of neutrality with Napoleon but, a few days later, declared his support for Austria. He permitted a large Anglo-Russian force to land in his kingdom. Napoleon, however, was soon victorious. After theWar of the Third Coalitionwas shattered on 5 December at theBattle of Austerlitz,Ferdinand was subject to Napoleon's wrath.

MarshalAndré Massénaled theinvasion of Naplesin 1806.

On 27 December 1805,Napoleonissued a proclamation from theSchönbrunndeclaring Ferdinand to have forfeited his kingdom. He said that a French invasion would soon follow to ensure 'that the finest of countries is relieved from the yoke of the most faithless of men.'[1]

On 31 December Napoleon commanded Joseph Bonaparte to move to Rome, where he would be assigned to command the army sent to dispossess Ferdinand of his throne. Although Bonaparte was the nominal commander-in-chief of the expedition,Marshal Massénawas in effective command of operations, withGeneral St. Cyrsecond. But, St. Cyr, who had previously held the senior command of French troops in the region, soon resigned in protest at being made subordinate to Masséna and left for Paris. An outraged Napoleon ordered St. Cyr to return to his post at once.[2]

On 8 February 1806 the French invasion force of forty-thousand men crossed into Naples. The centre and right of the army underMassénaandGeneral Reynieradvanced south fromRome,whileGiuseppe Lechiled a force down theAdriaticcoast fromAncona.On his brother's recommendation, Bonaparte attached himself toReynier.[3]The French advance faced little resistance. Even before any French troops had crossed the border, the Anglo-Russian forces had beaten a prudent retreat, the British withdrawing toSicily,and the Russians toCorfu.Abandoned by his allies,King Ferdinandhad also already set sail forPalermoon 23 January.Queen Maria-Carolinalingered a little longer in the capital but, on 11 February, fled to join her husband.

The first obstacle the French encountered was the fortress ofGaeta;its governor,Prince Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal,refused to surrender his charge. There was no meaningful delay of the invaders, asMassénadetached a small force to besiege the garrison before continuing south.Capuaopened its gates after only token resistance.[4]On 14 February Masséna took possession ofNaplesand, the following day, Bonaparte staged a triumphant entrance into the city.[5]Reynier was quickly dispatched to seize control of theStrait of Messinaand, on 9 March, inflicted a crushing defeat of the Neapolitan Royal Army at theBattle of Campo Tenese,effectively destroying it as a fighting force and securing the entire mainland for the French.

Portrait of Joseph Bonaparte, King of NaplesbyJean-Baptiste Wicar

On 30 March 1806Napoleonissued a decree installing Joseph Bonaparte asKing of Naples and Sicily;the decree said as follows:

"Napoleon, by the Grace of God and the constitutions. Emperor of the French and King of Italy, to all those to whom these presents come, greetings. The interests of our people, the honor of our Crown, and the tranquility of the Continent of Europe requiring that we should assure, in a stable and definite manner, the lot of the people of Naples and of Sicily, who have fallen into our power by the right of conquest, and who constitute a part of the Grand Empire, we declare that we recognize, as King of Naples and of Sicily, our well-beloved brother, Joseph Napoleon, Grand Elector of France. This Crown will be hereditary, by order of primogeniture, in his descendants male, legitimate, and natural, etc."[6]

Napoleonic Italy in 1810, with Naples being the same extent under Joseph (1806–1808)

Joseph's arrival in Naples was warmly greeted with cheers and he was eager to be a monarch well liked by his subjects. Seeking to win the favour of the local elites, he maintained in their posts the vast majority of those who had held office and position under theBourbonsand was anxious to not in any way appear a foreign oppressor. With a provisional government set up in the capital, Joseph then immediately set off, accompanied byGeneral Lamarque,on a tour of his new realm. The principal object of the tour was to assess the feasibility of an immediate invasion ofSicilyand the expulsion ofFerdinandandMaria-Carolinafrom their refuge inPalermo.But, upon reviewing the situation at theStrait of Messina,Joseph was forced to admit the impossibility of such an enterprise, the Bourbons having carried off all boats and transports from along the coast and concentrated their remaining forces, alongside the British, on the opposite side.[7]Unable to possess himself ofSicily,Joseph was nevertheless master of the mainland and he continued his progress throughCalabriaand on toLucaniaandApulia,visiting the main villages and meeting the local notables, clergy and people, allowing his people to grow accustomed to their new king and enabling himself to form first-hand a picture of the condition of his kingdom.[8]

Julie Clary,Queen of Naples, with her daughterZenaide Bonapartein 1807, byRobert Lefèvre

Upon returning toNaples,Bonaparte received a deputation from theFrench Senatecongratulating him upon his accession. The King formed a ministry staffed by many competent and talented men; he was determined to follow a reforming agenda and bring Naples the benefits of theFrench Revolution,without its excesses.Salicetiwas appointed Minister of Police,RoedererMinister of Finance,MiotMinister of the Interior andGeneral DumasMinister of War.Marshal Jourdanwas also confirmed as Governor of Naples, an appointment made byNapoleon,and served as Bonaparte's foremost military adviser.

Bonaparte embarked on an ambitious programme of reform and regeneration, in order to raise Naples to the level of a modern state in the mould of Napoleonic France. Monastic orders were suppressed, their propertynationalised,and their funds confiscated to steady the royal finances.[9]Feudal privileges and taxes were abolished; however, the nobility was compensated by an indemnity in the form of a certificate that could be exchanged in return forlands nationalised from the Church.[10]Provincial intendants were instructed to engage those dispossessed former monks who were willing to work in public education, and to ensure that elderly monks no longer able to support themselves could move into communal establishments founded for their care.[11]A college for the education of young girls was established in each province. A central college was founded atAversafor the daughters of public functionaries, and the ablest from the provincial schools, to be admitted under the personal patronage ofQueen Julie.[12]

The practice of forcibly recruiting prisoners into the army was abolished. To suppress and control robbers in the mountains, military commissions were established with the power to judge and execute, without appeal, all those brigands arrested with arms in their possession.[13]Public works programmes were begun to provide employment to the poor and invest in improvements to the kingdom. Highways were built toReggio.The project of a Calabrian road was completed under Bonaparte within the year after decades of delay.[14]In the second year of his reign, Bonaparte installed the first system of public street-lighting in Naples, modelled on that operating inParis.[10]

Although the kingdom was not at that time furnished with a constitution, and thus Joseph's will as monarch reigned supreme, there is yet no instance of him ever adopting a measure of policy without prior discussion of the matter in the Council of State and the passing of a majority vote in favour his course of action by the counsellors.[15]Joseph thus presided over Naples in the best traditions ofEnlightened absolutism,doubling the revenue of the crown from seven to fourteen million ducats in his brief two-year reign while all the time seeking to lighten the burdens of his people rather than increase them.[16]

Joseph ruled Naples for two years before being replaced by his sister's husband,Joachim Murat.Joseph was then madeKing of Spainin August 1808, soon after the French invasion.

King of Spain

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Coat of arms as King of Naples
Coat of arms as King of Spain
Royal monogram as King of Spain
Spanish gold coin from 1811

Joseph somewhat reluctantly left Naples, where he was popular, and arrived in Spain, where he was extremely unpopular. Joseph came under heavy fire from his opponents in Spain, who tried to smear his reputation by calling himPepe Botella(Joe Bottle) for his alleged heavy drinking, an accusation echoed by later Spanish historiography, despite the fact that Joseph was abstemious. His arrival as a foreign sovereign sparked a massive Spanish revolt against French rule, and the beginning of thePeninsular War.Thompson says the Spanish revolt was, "a reaction against new institutions and ideas, a movement for loyalty to the old order: to the hereditary crown of the Most Catholic kings, which Napoleon, an excommunicated enemy of the Pope, had put on the head of a Frenchman; to the Catholic Church persecuted by republicans who had desecrated churches, murdered priests, and enforced a" loi des cultes "(law of religion); and to local and provincial rights and privileges threatened by an efficiently centralized government.[17]

Joseph temporarily retreated with much of the French Army to northern Spain. Feeling himself in an ignominious position, Joseph then proposed his own abdication from the Spanish throne, hoping that Napoleon would sanction his return to the Neapolitan Throne he had formerly occupied. Napoleon dismissed Joseph's misgivings out of hand, and to back up the raw and ill-trained levies he had initially allocated to Spain, the Emperor sent heavy French reinforcements to assist Joseph in maintaining his position as King of Spain. Despite the easy recapture ofMadrid,and nominal control by Joseph's government over many cities and provinces, Joseph's reign over Spain was always tenuous at best, and was plagued with near-constant conflict with pro-Bourbonguerrillas.Joseph and his supporters never established complete control over the country, and after a series of failed military campaigns, he would eventually abdicate the throne.

King Joseph's Spanish supporters were calledjosefinosorafrancesados(frenchified). During his reign, he ended theSpanish Inquisition,partly because Napoleon was at odds with PopePius VIIat the time. Despite such efforts to win popularity, Joseph's foreign birth and support, plus his membership of aMasoniclodge,[18]virtually guaranteed he would never be accepted as legitimate by the bulk of the Spanish people. During Joseph's rule of Spain,Venezueladeclared independence from Spain. The king had virtually no influence over the course of the ongoing Peninsular War: Joseph's nominal command of French forces in Spain was mostly illusory, as the French commanders theoretically subordinate to King Joseph insisted on checking with Napoleon before carrying out Joseph's instructions.

King Joseph abdicated the Spanish throne and returned to France after the main French forces were defeated by a British-led coalition at theBattle of Vitoriain 1813. During the closing campaign of theWar of the Sixth Coalition,Napoleon left his brother to govern Paris with the title Lieutenant General of the Empire. As a result, he was again in nominal command of the French Army that was defeated at theBattle of Paris.

He was seen by someBonapartistsas the rightful Emperor of the French after the death of Napoleon's own sonNapoleon IIin 1832, although he did little to advance his claim.

Later life in the United States and Europe

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King Joseph atPoint Breeze,portrait painted on 2 February 1832 by the French artist Innocent-Louis Goubaud, during a visit to Bonaparte at his estate inNew Jersey
Joseph Bonaparte Historical Marker at 260 S 9th St Philadelphia PA

Bonaparte travelled to America onboard theCommerceunder the name of M. Bouchard. British naval officers had searched the vessel three times but never found Bonaparte on board and the ship arrived on 15 July 1815.[19]In the period 1817–1832, Bonaparte lived primarily in the United States (where he sold the jewels he had taken from Spain).[20]He first settled inNew York CityandPhiladelphia,where his house became the centre of activity for Frenchmigrants.[21]In 1823, he was elected as a member to theAmerican Philosophical Society.[22]Later he purchased an estate, calledPoint Breeze[23]and formerly owned byStephen Sayre.It was inBordentown, New Jersey,on the east side of theDelaware River.It was located near the confluence of Crosswicks Creek and the Delaware. He considerably expanded Sayre's home and created extensive gardens in the picturesque style. When his first home was destroyed by fire in January 1820 he converted his stables into a second grand house. On completion, it was generally viewed – perhaps diplomatically – as the "second-finest house in America" after theWhite House.[24]At Point Breeze, Bonaparte entertained many of the leading intellectuals and politicians of his day.[23]

In the summer of 1825, the Quaker scientistReuben Haines IIIdescribed Bonaparte's estate at Point Breeze, in a letter to his cousin:

"I partook of royal fare on solid silver and attended by six waiters who supplied me with 9 courses of the most delicious viands, many of which I could not possibly tell what they were composed of; spending the intermediate time in Charles' private rooms looking over theHerbariumand Portfolios of the Princess, or riding with her and the Prince drawn by two Elegant Horses along the ever varying roads of the park amidst splendidRhododendronson the margin of the artificial lake on whose smooth surface gently glided the majestic European swans. Stopping to visit the Aviary enlivened by the most beautiful English pheasants, passing by alcoves ornamented with statues and busts of Parian marble, our course enlivened by the footsteps of the tame deer and the flight of theWoodcock,and when alighting stopping to admire the graceful form of two splendidEtruscan vasesof Porphyry 3 ft. high & 2 in diameter presented by the Queen of Sweden [Joseph's sister-in-law Desiree Clary Bernadotte] or ranging [?] through the different appartments of the mansion through a suite of rooms 15 ft. in [height] decorated with the finest productions of the pencils of Coregeo [sic]! Titian! Rubens! Vandyke! Vernet! Tenniers [sic] and Paul Potter and a library of the most splended books I ever beheld. "[25][26]

Another visitor a few years later, British writerThomas Hamilton,described Bonaparte himself:

Joseph Bonaparte, in person, is about the middle height, but round and corpulent. In the form of his head and features there certainly exists a resemblance to Napoleon, but in the expression of the countenance there is none. I remember, at the Pergola Theatre of Florence, discovering Louis Bonaparte from his likeness to the Emperor, which is very striking, but I am by no means confident that I should have been equally successful with Joseph. There is nothing about him indicative of high intellect. His eye is dull and heavy; his manner ungraceful and deficient in that ease and dignity which we vulgar people are apt to number among the necessary attributes of majesty. **** I am told he converses without any appearance of reserve on the circumstances of his short and troubled reign — if reign, indeed, it can be called — in Spain. He attributes more than half his misfortunes, to the jealousies and intrigues of the unruly marshals, over whom he could exercise no authority. He admits the full extent of his unpopularity, but claims credit for a sincere desire to benefit the people.[27]

Reputedly some Mexican revolutionaries offered to crown Bonaparte asEmperor of Mexicoin 1820, but he declined.[20]Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821.

In 1832, Bonaparte moved to London, returning to his estate in the United States only intermittently.[23]In 1844, he died inFlorence,Italy. His body was returned to France and buried inLes Invalides,in Paris.[28]

Family

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Bonaparte marriedMarie Julie Clary,daughter ofFrançois Claryand his wife, on 1 August 1794 inCuges-les-Pins,France. They had three daughters:

He identified the two surviving daughters as his heirs.

He also fathered two children with Maria GiuliaColonna,the Countess ofAtri:

  • Giulio (1806–1838).
  • Teresa (1808–died in infancy).

Bonaparte had two American daughters born at Point Breeze, his estate inBordentown, New Jersey,by his mistress, Annette Savage ( "Madame de la Folie" ):

  • Pauline Josephine Ann (1819-1823); died young.
  • Catherine Charlotte (1822–1890); married Col. Zebulon Howell Benton ofJefferson County, New York,and had four daughters and three sons.[29][30]Son Louis Joseph Benton (1848–1940)[31]had one son, Frederick Joseph Benton (1901–1967).[32][33]

Freemasonry

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Joseph Bonaparte was admitted toMarseille's lodgela Parfaite Sincéritéin 1793.[34][35][36]He was asked by his brother Napoleon to monitor freemasonry as Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France (1804–1815).[37][38][39][40]He founded the Grand Lodge National of Spain (1809).[41]WithCambacérès,he encouraged the post-Revolution rebirth of the Freemasonry Order in France.[37][42][43][44]

Legacy

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Representation in other media

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See also

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References

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  1. ^The Confidential Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte with his Brother Joseph, Vol. 1, 80.
  2. ^The Confidential Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte with his Brother Joseph,Vol. 1, 82.
  3. ^The Confidential Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte with his Brother Joseph, Vol. 1, 81.
  4. ^J. S. C. Abbott,A History of Joseph, King of Naples,104.
  5. ^J. S. C. Abbott,A History of Joseph, King of Naples,105.
  6. ^J. S. C. Abbott,A History of Joseph, King of Naples,105–106.
  7. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers, 15.
  8. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers, 16.
  9. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers,22.
  10. ^abBiographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers, 29.
  11. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers,23.
  12. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers,24.
  13. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers,24; J. S. C. Abbott,A History of Joseph, King of Naples,113.
  14. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers,25.
  15. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers, 34–35.
  16. ^Biographical Sketch of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, Count de Survilliers, 35.
  17. ^J. M. Thompson,Napoleon Bonaparte: His Rise and Fall(1951) 244–245
  18. ^Ross, Michael The Reluctant King, 1977, pp. 34–35
  19. ^The Silver Messenger (11 September 1900)."Refuge of a King".Chronicling America.The Silver Messenger.Retrieved8 April2022.
  20. ^ab"Joseph Bonaparte at Point Breeze".Flat Rock.Retrieved8 July2011.
  21. ^"PHMC Historical Markers Program".Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2008.Retrieved24 October2007.
  22. ^"APS Member History".search.amphilsoc.org.Retrieved6 April2021.
  23. ^abcSlotnik, Daniel E. (31 January 2021)."Napoleon's Brother Lived in N.J. Here's What Happened to the Estate".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved31 January2021.
  24. ^"The Story of Bonaparte's Point Breeze".HouseHistree.com.Retrieved1 February2021.
  25. ^Stroud, Patricia Tyson (2000).The Emperor of Nature: Charles-Lucien Bonaparte and his World.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 37.ISBN978-0812235463.
  26. ^Wyck Association Collection (Mss.Ms.Coll.52). American Philosophical Society Library. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.https://search.amphilsoc.org/collections/view?docId=ead/Mss.Ms.Coll.52-ead.xml;query=Wyck;brand=default#top
  27. ^Hamilton, Thomas,Men and Manners in America,p.207(Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1833) (retrieved June 16, 2024).
  28. ^Kwoh, Leslie (10 June 2007)."Yes, a Bonaparte feasted here".Star Ledger.Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2008.Retrieved19 February2008.
  29. ^Haddock, John A. 1823– (26 October 1894)."Growth of a Century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894".Philadelphia, Pa.: Sherman – via Internet Archive.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^"Caroline Charlotte Delafolie Bonaparte b. 1822 Philadelphia, PA, d. 25 Dec 1890: Geneagraphie – Families all over the world".geneagraphie.com.Retrieved1 February2021.
  31. ^"Louis Joseph Benton b. 7 Mar 1848 New York d. 22 Dec 1933 Pennsylvania: Geneagraphie – Families all over the world".geneagraphie.com.Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2021.Retrieved1 February2021.
  32. ^1880 and 1910 US Census Pennsylvania population via Ancestry.com
  33. ^"Frederick Joseph Benton b. 19 Oct 1901 New York d. 1 Oct 1967 London: Geneagraphie – Families all over the world".geneagraphie.com.Retrieved1 February2021.[permanent dead link]
  34. ^La franc-maçonnerieJean Massicot (Desnoël ed.)
  35. ^Les Francs-maçons et leur religionJacques Duchenne (Publibook ed.)
  36. ^Revue d'histoire de Bayonne, du pays basque et du Bas-Adour,Numéro 159, p. 176
  37. ^abFranc-maçonnerie et politique au siècle des lumières: Europe-Amériquep. 55 – articleLe binôme franc-maçonnerie-Révolution– José Ferrer Benimeli (Presses Univ de Bordeaux ed., 2006)
  38. ^Histoire de la franc-maçonnerie en FranceJean André Faucher and Achille Ricker (Nouvelles éditions latines ed., 1967)
  39. ^Histoire du Grand Orient de Francep. 338, Achille Godefroy Jouaust, (Brissard et Teissier ed. 1865)
  40. ^Chronique de la Franc-maçonnerie en Corse: 1772–1920p. 66. Charles Santoni ( A. Piazzola ed., 1999)
  41. ^Masonería e Ilustración: Del siglo de las luces a la actualidad pp. 61, 109
  42. ^Les francs-maçons: Des inconditionnels de l'espoirp. 22 François Deschatres (L’Harmattan ed. 2012)
  43. ^Histoire de la franc-maçonnerie en France– p. 231 Jean André Faucher and Achille Ricker
  44. ^Essai sur l'origine et l'histoire de la franc-maçonnerie en Guadeloupe– Guy Monduc (G. Monduc ed., 1985)

Further reading

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[edit]
Joseph Bonaparte
Born:7 January 1768Died:28 July 1844
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Naples
1806 – 1808
Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Spain
1808 – 1813
Succeeded by
Ferdinand VII
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Emperor of the French
King of Italy

22 July 1832 – 28 July 1844
Succeeded by