Joachim Murat

French Marshal of the Empire

Joachim Murat (1767 – 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of the Empire and Admiral of France.

In Book 1 Part 2 Chapter 10, Bilibin mentions that Murat has paraded the French troops in Vienna, Austria’s occupied capital.

In Book 1 Part 2 Chapter 12, we learn from Bilibin that Murat and two other Marshals have hoodwinked the Austrians into giving them control of the bridge out of Vienna. The Coalition forces are forced to retreat.

8 Feb: Chapter 14
Murat attempts the same trick with the Russian army on the Vienna-Znaim road, offering a truce to give the army time to catch up and destroy the enemy. But Bagration is happy for the further delay while Kutuzov’s army escapes. Napoleon writes a furious letter to Murat telling him that Bagration has tricked him and orders Murat to advance immediately.

In Book 3 Part 3, Chapter 26, he enters Moscow and takes the Kremlin after a short fight.