From Napoleon’s general to Swedish King

Ajouté : 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]How did one of Napoleon's generals end up as king of Sweden? Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was the son of a French lawyer. At age 17, he joined the army and quickly rose through the ranks during the French Revolution. He impressed Napoleon Bonaparte, and when Napoleon became emperor, he promoted Bernadotte to general. Bernadotte fought with Napoleon in many important battles.

[00:00:17]In 1810, Sweden's King Charles the 13th had no children, and he was growing [music] old. The Swedish government began searching for an heir. Somebody suggested asking Napoleon's general Bernadotte. He was a talented military leader, and he treated Swedish prisoners as well. Earlier in the war, Bernadotte said yes. He arrived in Sweden and was officially adopted as the son of the Swedish [music] king. He quickly began running the country and began looking after Sweden's interests. He formed an alliance with France's enemies, Great Britain and Russia, and declared war on France. He then mobilized the Swedish army and won several battles against his former leader. After Napoleon's defeat, Bernadotte asked for control of Norway as a reward for Sweden's role in the war. Bernadotte ruled Sweden and Norway until his passing in 1844, and his dynasty still rules Sweden today.