[BERNADOTTE JEAN BAPTISTE]: (1763-1844) Marshal of France, Prince de Pontecorvo and King Charles XIV John of Sweden ...

[BERNADOTTE JEAN BAPTISTE]: (1763-1844) Marshal of France, Prince de Pontecorvo and King Charles XIV John of Sweden and Norway 1818-44. Unusual and very attractive 10 x 16.5 printed public notice, one page, Cologne, 12th February 1814, in French. The ''Affiche'' announcement, issued during the War of the Sixth Coalition, bears the heading `The Royal Prince of Sweden to French people'', and states in part `I have taken up arms by order of my King, to defend the Swedish people´s rights… I have crossed the Rhin. Seeing again the river shores, where so often and so fortunately I fought for you, I feel the necessity of letting you know my thoughts.´ Bernadotte then refers to Napoleon´s policies, saying `Your Government has permanently tried to degrade everything in order to have the right of despising everything. It is now time that the system changes. All enlightened persons wish the preservation of France; they only wish that it stops being the bane on earth´ Bernadotte further concludes stating `As adoptive son of Charles XIII, crowned by election of a free nation… I can only work for the prosperity of Scandinavia. May I fulfil this sacred duty to my new Homeland at the same time that I contribute to the happiness of my former compatriots. Charles Jean´ Small overall age wear and creasing, mostly to edges, otherwise G The initially amicable relationship which Charles John Bernadotte had with Napoleon soon changed because of the sudden unprovoked French invasion of Swedish Pomerania. The invasion was a clear violation of international law as well as an act of war. Crown Prince Charles John Bernadotte aligned Sweden with Napoleon's enemies in the Sixth Coalition, including Great Britain, Russia and Prussia, and became the Commander-in-chief of the Allied Army of the North that made the decisive attack on the last day of the French defeat at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813. During this battle and at a critical moment an entire Saxon division went over to his army in response to a proclamation released a week prior in which Bernadotte invited the Saxons to join their old commander in defeating Napoleon. A few months after, with this proclamation public notice, Bernadotte tries again and in the same way to reach and provoke the French people, tired and exhausted after so many years of wars.