Kingdom of Naples

In early 1806, Napoleon, having temporarily squashed the Austrians and Russians at
Austerlitz, dealt with the degenerate Bourbon rulers of Naples, who had signed a treaty of
neutrality with him in September 1805 - and welcomed and assisted an Anglo-Russian
invading force (which hastily re-embarked on learning of Austerlitz) in November. Napoleon
replaced them with his elder brother Joseph. In 1808 he promoted Joseph to King of Spain,
and gave Naples to his brother-in-law and cavalry commander, Marshal Joachim Murat. In
1813, Murat turned against Napoleon and so kept his kingdom; in 1815, however, in hopes of
making himself King of United Italy, he sided with Napoleon, but attached prematurely
(against Napoleon's advice), was defeated, and subsequently captured and shot by the restored
Bourbons.
Neapolitan troops had long had the reputation for fine appearance, coupled oddly with
outstanding poltroonery. Joseph, who lacked any military interests, did little to build a new
army, except for a strong guard (mostly French) and introducing a weak form of conscription.
Murat and his officials worked energetically, achieving an army of 70,000 men, of which
50,000 were trained and organized. It was, however, still a Neapolitan Army, needing a
backbone of foreign officers and units.
Little is known concerning this army's uniforms during 1806-1809, except that French
styles were followed. Thereafter, it became a colorist's delight. Murat was full of projects for
new uniforms, especially for his big Royal Guard, but many of these never got beyond
experimental models for jack of sufficient funds. Unfortunately, many of these proposed
uniforms were accepted as actual issue, even by reliable authorities such as Richard Kntel in
his Uniformk,de. Also the situation was further complicated by Q. Cenni (Italian artist, late
19th - early 20th centuries) who produced large numbers of uniform plates, most of them
imaginative and some outright fakes, and by the looting of private collections by at least one
of Mussolini's officials.
Only during the 1960s did the researches of Herbert Kntel and Roger Forthoffer uncover
the surviving, basic documentation necessary for an accurate reconstruction of the Neapolitan
Army's uniforms.
It was a beautiful army - consequently I covered it in more detail than its military value
deserved. As Napoleon told Joseph, "Your soldiers, or no soldiers at all - it's the same thing!

Index
Plate 1.
Plate 2.
Plate 3.
Plate 4.
Plate 5.
Plate 6.
Plate 7.
Plate 8.
Plate 9.
Plate 10.

Murat, (Joachim I), King of Naples, 1812.

General of Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to Murat, 1812.
Royal Orderly Officer, 1808-1809.
General of Division, 1812.
Light Infantry Regiment "Royal Corsica", Chasseur Private, 1808.
3rd Light Infantry Regiment, Voltigeur Private, 1814.
4th Light Infantry Regiment, Carabinier Officer, 1814.
1st Line Infantry Regiment, Standard Bearer, 1806-1811.
1st Line Infantry Regiment, Standard Bearer, 1812
2nd Line Infantry Regiment, Drum Major, 1812.

Plate 11.
Plate 12.
Plate 13.
Plate 14.
Plate 15.
Plate 16.
Plate 17.
Plate 18.
Plate 19.
Plate 20.
Plate 21.
Plate 22.
Plate 23.
Plate 24.
Plate 25.
Plate 26.
Plate 27.
Plate 28.
Plate 29.
Plate 30.
Plate 31.
Plate 32.
Plate 33.
Plate 34.
Plate 35.
Plate 36.
Plate 37.

2nd Line Infantry Regiment, Bandsman, 1812.

2nd Line Infantry Regiment, Fusilier Private, 1812.
3rd Line Infantry Regiment, Voltigeur Private, 1813.
4th Line Infantry Regiment, Grenadier Private, 1812.
5th Line Infantry Regiment, Fusilier Sergeant, 1813.
6th Line Infantry Regiment, Bandsman, 1812.
6th Line Infantry Regiment, Grenadier Captain, 1812.
7th Line Infantry Regiment, Sapper, 1812.
7th Line Infantry Regiment, Officer, Undress Uniform, 1812-1813.
7th Line Infantry Regiment, Regimental Artillery Company, Private, 1813.
8th Line Infantry Regiment, Regimental Artillery Company, First Sergeant, 1813.
1st Light Cavalry Regiment, Elite Company Trumpeter, 1813.
2nd Light Cavalry Regiment, Private, Field Uniform, 1813.
3rd Light Cavalry Regiment, Sapper, 1815.
4th Light Cavalry Regiment, Elite Company Trumpeter, 1814.
Cuirassier Regiment, 1808-1809.
Foot Artillery, Private, 1812.
Artillery Train Battalion, Officer, 1812.
Engineers, Private First Class, 1811-1812.
Provincial Dragoons, Basilicata, Elite Company Officer, c. 1812.
Provincial Legion, Calabria Ultra, Fusilier Private, 1814.
Provincial Legion, Cantado di Molise, Fusilier Private, 1814.
Naples Municipal Guard, Hussar Company Officer, 1814~1815.
Naples Municipal Guard, Voltigeur Private, 1813-1815.
Departmental Company of Naples, Private, 1813.
Royal Guard: Grenadier Regiment, Private, 1812.
Royal Guard: Grenadier Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Provisional Uniform, Private,
1812.
Plate 38. Royal Guard: Voltigeur Regiment, Sergeant-Major, 1809-1811.
Plate 39. Royal Guard: Regiment of Velites-Chasseurs, Corporal, 1809.
Plate 40. Royal Guard: 1st Regiment Foot Velites, Sapper, 1813.
Plate 41. Royal Guard: 2nd Regiment Foot Velites, Proposed Uniform, Private, 1812.
Plate 42. Royal Guard: Guides of the Guard, 1st Company, Sergeant, (no date).
Plate 43. Royal Guard: Light Cavalry Regiment, Private, Full Dress, 1813-1815
Plate 44. Royal Guard: Light Cavalry Regiment, Trumpet Major, Full Dress, 1813-1815.
Plate 45. Royal Guard: Mounted Velites, 1st Squadron, Private, c. 1810.
Plate 46. Royal Guard: Mounted Velites, 1st Squadron, Trumpeter, 1808-1813.
Plate 47. Royal Guard: Hussar Regiment, Private, 1813.
Plate 48: Royal Guard: Hussar Regiment, Trumpeter, 1813.
Plate 49. Royal Guard: Guards of Honor, Private, 1813.
Plate 50. Royal Guard: Cuirassier Regiment, Private, 1813.
Plate 51. Royal Guard: Lancer Regiment, Private, 1814-1815.
Plate 52. Royal Guard: Horse Artillery, Undress Uniform, Private, 1812.
Plate 53: Royal Guard: Horse Artillery, Trumpeter, 1812.
Plate 54. Royal Guard: Naval Battalion, Private, 1812.
Plate 55. Royal Guard: Gendarmerie d'Elite, Private, 1812.
Plate 56. Royal Guard: Company of Veterans, 1812-1815.
Scheme 1. Royal Guard, Grenadier Regiment
Scheme 2. Royal Guard, Gardes d'Honneur/Gardes du Corps
Scheme 3. Royal Guard, Velites/Hussars