Os Marechais do Império durante as Guerras Napoleónicas 1804-1815

Abstract

Os Marechais do Império foram os principais comandantes militares de Napoleão, contudo será que ficaram só por aqui? À medida que se explora as suas carreiras verificamos que foram governadores-gerais das conquistas imperiais e membros destacados na nova nobreza imperial, um símbolo da união do mérito revolucionário com o prestígio do Antigo Regime. Este trabalho visa explorar essa contribuição ao longo do conflito napoleónico, mostrando que os marechais foram mais que militares mas também agentes do Império que tiveram um papel maior e mais complexo.

The Marshals of the Empire were Napoleon’s main military commanders, but did they just do that? As their careers are explored, we find that they were governors-general of the imperial conquests, bringing with them the French administrative model and the Civil Code. They were also prominent members of the new imperial nobility, a symbol of the union of revolutionary merit with the prestige of the Old Regime. This work aims to explore that contribution throughout the Napoleonic conflict, showing that the marshals were more than military men but also agents of the Empire who had a bigger and more complex role.