10. Dominated by a Younger Brother
After France occupied Corsica, the Bonapartes moved to the French mainland, where Joseph continued his education. Never strong willed, he was often dominated by his younger brother, Napoleon. A pattern was established in childhood that lasted into adulthood, in which Joseph looked up to and followed his kid brother’s lead, not the other way around. Joseph wanted to become a writer. Unfortunately, he gave in to in to his father’s demands that he pursue a less flighty career, and instead studied law in Pisa, Italy. He then settled in Marseilles, where he met and married a rich merchant’s daughter. Both Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte supported the French Revolution. Joseph served the cause in the civilian government, and Napoleon in the military. While Joseph attended law school and wooed his future wife, Napoleon began his meteoric rise. He kicked off his ascent by expelling British-backed royalist rebels from Toulon in 1793.
