How many Marshals of the Empire did Napoleon appoint? 26.
Napoleon appointed 26 men as Marshals of the Empire during his reign. The dignity was created in 1804, at the beginning of the First French Empire, and remained in use through Napoleon’s abdication in 1814 and his brief return in 1815.
Marshal of the Empire was not technically a military rank. It was a high civil and military dignity that brought court privileges, ceremonial honors and the right to carry a distinctive marshal’s baton. Most recipients were experienced generals who commanded major armies and corps during the Napoleonic Wars.
The total can be confused with the number serving at one time: that number never exceeded 20. The original 1804 appointments included 18 men, among them active and honorary selections, while later appointments brought the lifetime total to 26. Several marshals became famous rulers in their own right; Joachim Murat became king of Naples, and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte became king of Sweden and Norway.