Joachim Murat

Murat, Joachim (1767–1815), French marshal under Napoleon Bonaparte and king of Naples (1808–15). Murat gained his reputation as a brilliant cavalry leader in the Italian and Egyptian campaigns (1796–99), and contributed to French successes in the Napoleonic Wars. He married Napoleon's sister, Caroline. As king of Naples he fostered the beginnings of Italian nationalism. Although he joined the Allies in 1814, he supported Napoleon during the Hundred Days and was executed after an attempt to recapture Naples.

See also: Napoleon I.