1794: Alexandre de Beauharnais, widowing Josephine for Napoleon
July 23rd, 2008 Headsman
On this date in 1794, Napoleon Bonaparte’s future Empress became a widow.
Alexandre de Beauharnais — excuse me, that’s Alexandre François Marie de Beauharnais, Vicomte de Beauharnais to you — a liberal noble from Martinique who had served as a general in the American Revolution, was a pol with some juice in the earlier stages of the French Revolution, even declining to become Minister of War in June 1793.
It was a long fall to a short chop when he was accused of allowing Mainz to fall to the Germans through incompetence and/or insufficient revolutionary ardor. His brother Augustin was also among the day’s batch.
Just another forgettable aristocrat, shaved by the national razor.
But surviving Beauharnais — in prison herself at this moment, and in some danger of following his footsteps were it not for the imminent coup of Thermidor — was his wife by arranged marriage, 31-year-old sugar plantation heiress Josephine, later immortalized by remarrying the officer who would go on to bend all Europe to his will, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Thanks to his widow’s well-chosen conquest, Beauharnais’ children, dynastically married off under Napoleon’s adoption, would go on to sire a plethora of European royalty.
Part of the Themed Set: Thermidor.
On this day..
- 1880: George Bennett, assassin of George Brown - 2020
- 1971: Four for Sudan's Siesta Coup - 2019
- 1942: Nikola Vaptsarov, Bulgarian poet - 2018
- Feast Day of Rasyphus and Ravennus - 2017
- 326: Crispus and Fausta, incestuous lovers? - 2016
- 1908: Grete Beier, who wanted the fairy tale - 2015
- 1896: John Pryde, Brainerd murderer - 2014
- 1635: Hans Ulrich Schaffgotsch, man in the middle - 2013
- 1433: Pavel Kravar, Hussite emissary - 2012
- 1403: Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester - 2011
- 1756: Four members of the Swedish Hovpartiet - 2010
- 1977: 178 enemies of the people - 2009
Entry Filed under: 18th Century,Beheaded,Capital Punishment,Death Penalty,Execution,France,Guillotine,History,Mass Executions,Military Crimes,Nobility,Not Executed,Notably Survived By,Politicians,Public Executions,Soldiers
Tags: 1794, american revolution, French Revolution, general, july 23, napoleon, napoleon and josephine, napoleon bonaparte, paris
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