The story of Napoleon's son-in-law who became king...and ended up in front of the firing squad

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The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was able to expand France's influence across large areas of Europe thanks to his successive military campaigns, which strengthened the empire's borders and imposed its influence on many regions in Italy and Spain. It also enabled him to conclude peace agreements that served French interests with prominent European powers such as Russia and Austria.

While these achievements were not the result of the efforts of Napoleon alone, he surrounded himself with a number of the most prominent military leaders of his time. Among these, the name of Joachim Murat, his sister's husband, emerged, who became one of the most famous commanders of the French army and the one closest to the Emperor.

Joachim Murat was born on March 25, 1767 to a humble family, and at the beginning of his life he was preparing to become a priest. However, he abandoned this path in 1787 and chose to join the army.

During the years of the French Revolution, his name emerged in a number of battles, and in 1795 he participated in operations targeting the royalists, which brought him closer to Napoleon and placed him within his circle of trusted military personnel.

Murat also participated in the French campaign against Egypt in 1798, then fought the battles of the Italian campaign in 1800. In the same year, he married Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister.

With the rise of the influence of the French Emperor, Murat rose in his role in the military ladder, obtaining the title of Marshal of the Empire in 1804. During the following years, he played prominent roles in the Napoleonic campaigns, and was famous for his leadership of the cavalry forces, before Napoleon appointed him in 1808 as King of Naples.

During his rule of Naples, Murat sought to introduce administrative and judicial reforms. He also accompanied Napoleon in his campaign against Russia in 1812, but the deteriorating conditions of the French army there prompted him to change his position.

In 1813, he returned to Naples seeking to preserve his throne, and turned his back on Napoleon by reaching an agreement with the Austrians that would guarantee his survival in power.

However, Napoleon's return from his exile on the island of Elba in 1815 prompted Murat to make a new attempt to maintain his influence. He declared war on Austria in the hope of unifying Italy and preventing the Bourbon family from regaining Naples. However, his defeat in the Battle of Tolentino forced him to flee, before he was captured while trying to return to recover his kingdom.

On October 8, 1815, Murat and a number of his followers arrived on the coast of Calabria, southern Italy. Residents quickly revealed his presence, and angry crowds gathered and pursued and assaulted him, before forces loyal to the Bourbon family were able to arrest him and transfer him to Piso Castle.

With the encouragement of the British ambassador, Ferdinand I, King of Naples and the Two Sicilies, agreed to carry out his death sentence urgently. On the other hand, Murat refused to appear before the court, which accused him of high treason and issued a death sentence against him by firing squad.

On October 13, 1815, Joachim Murat was taken to the castle square to carry out the sentence. There he refused to sit in the chair designated for execution and refused to blindfold himself.

Moments before his death, he kissed a memorial bearing a picture of his wife, then turned to the firing squad and said: “Soldiers, do your duty. Aim directly at my heart, but do not hit my face.”

After the execution of the sentence, Murat was buried in the Church of San Giorgio in the city of Piso, thus ending the life of one of Napoleon's most prominent military leaders.