Unnamed Marshals of Napoleon
Character Key Number:
2853
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Unnamed Marshals of Napoleon
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Unnamed Marshals of Napoleon
Ever Present in Yoknapatawpha?:
No
Biography:
"Napoleon's marshals," otherwise known as the Marshals of the Empire, are characterized in "Appendix Compson" as a "glittering galaxy of knightly blackguards" (325). Napoleon reinstated the rank of marshal, the highest military rank in France, in 1804, and appointed 26 marshals, 18 of them in one month. These men were notable for reflecting his own preferences, rather than for having reached a given level of accomplishment. Nearly all lived luxurious lifestyles, at least in part due to their newly elevated status.