CHARLES XIV. JOHN (1764-R844). King of Sweden and Norway from ISIS to 1844, and before his elevation to the throne 1;enera1 Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, a celebrated marshal of Napoleon. Ile was born in Pau. France, January 21;. 1704, the son of a French lawyer. He fought in the RevoIntiona•y wars (front 1794 as general of division) in Belgium. Germany. and Italy, and in 1799. in the last year of the Direc tory, was Minister of \Var. In 1800 he sup pressed a rising of the Chimans, and in 1804 Na poleon created him marshal. lie bore a distin guished part in the victory of Austerlitz in 1805, for which lie was made Prince of Ponteco••o, and won fresh laurels in the campaign against the Prussians in 181M-07 and at \Vagrant in 1809.. lle was never one of the personal following (if Napoleon. who appears to have been jealous of the general. He was chosen by the Swedish Diet in 1810 Crown Prince and successor of Charles X111. (q.v.). The only condition of mmnent was that he should become a Protestant. Bernadotte agreed. changed his name to Charles .14(lin. and .:0011 began to exercise ninny of the royal func tions. The Crown Prince resisted the efforts 14 Napoleon to involve Sweden in his designs against England. The country was soon engaged
in war with France. and at the head of the liturtli•rn troops Prince Ch a joined the Allies in the final struggle with Napoleon, and eon tributed to the victory of Leipzig (October, 1813). lle forced Denmark in the Treaty of Kiel to give up Norway, and conducted the campaign for its subjugation (1814). Charles Xlii. died in 1818, and was succeeded by Prince Charles John as Charles XIV. John. The period of dais administration was characterized by progress in all direction,. both public and private. Charles was the only one of Napoleon's generals who founded a permanent dynasty. lle died Alarch 8, 1844. The present royal house of Sweden and Norway is descended from Bernadotte, but intermarriage with Germans has made it thoroughly Teutonic. See Consult: _Meredith, Memorials of Charles John, King of owl A oricay ( London. 1829) ; Sarrans, //istoire de Bernadotte, Charles Jean (Paris. 1845) ; Vccueil des lettres, discours et proclamations de Charles Al I". Jcazi (Stockholm, 1858).