Louis-Gabriel Suchet (2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826), Duke of Albufera (French: Duc d'Albuféra), was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded as one of the greatest generals of the Napoleonic Wars.
Suchet was born to a silk manufacturer in Lyon. He originally intended to follow his father's business, but serving as a volunteer in the cavalry of the National Guard at Lyon, he displayed abilities which secured rapid military promotions.[1]
Revolutionary Wars
Suchet as a lieutenant colonel of the 4th battalion of the Army of the Alps in 1792, painted in 1834
In 1793, he was serving as a battalion chief (chef de bataillon) when he captured the British general Charles O'Hara at Toulon. During the 1796 Italian campaign, he was severely wounded at Cerea on 11 October. In October 1797, he was promoted to command of a half-brigade (demi-brigade).[1]
In May 1797, Suchet was one of three lieutenant colonels of the 18th Infantry Demi-brigade, with little hope of advancement. He was sent to Venice to procure uniforms for the troops. Since the Venetians believed that they might in future be ruled by the French, Suchet and an aide were treated like royalty. For two months, they enjoyed living in a palace, having a personal gondola and holding reserved seats at the opera. On 28 October 1797, 150 officers of André Masséna's division hosted a large dinner. The colonel of the 32nd Line, Dominique Martin Dupuy brought Suchet to Napoleon Bonaparte's table and said, "Well general, when will you make our friend Suchet a colonel?" Bonaparte tried to brush him off with the reply, "Soon: we will see about it." Thereupon Dupuy took off one of his epaulettes and placed it on Suchet's shoulder, saying, "By my almightiness, I make thee colonel." This clownish action was successful; Bonaparte immediately directed Louis-Alexandre Berthier to write out Suchet's nomination for advancement.[2]
His services in the Tyrol under Joubert that year and in Switzerland under Brune over the next were recognized by his promotion to the rank of brigadier general (général de brigade). He took no part in the Egyptian campaign but was made Brune's chief of staff in August and restored the efficiency and discipline of the army in Italy. In July 1799, he was promoted to division general (général de division) and made Joubert's chief of staff in Italy. In 1800, he was named second-in-command to Masséna. His dexterous resistance to the superior forces of the Austrians with the left wing of Masséna's army, when the right and centre were shut up in Genoa, not only prevented the invasion of France from this direction but contributed to the success of Napoleon's crossing the Alps, which culminated in the battle of Marengo on 14 June. He took a prominent part in the rest of the Italian campaign up to the armistice of Treviso.[1]
In the campaigns of 1805 and 1806, Suchet greatly enhanced his reputation at the Battles of Austerlitz, Saalfeld, Jena, Pułtusk, and Ostrolenka, in the last of which he commanded an infantry division. He obtained the title of count on 19 March 1808. Ordered to Spain, he took part in the Siege of Zaragoza, after which he was named commander of the army of Aragon and governor of that region. Within two years, he brought the area into complete submission by wise and adroit administration no less than by his brilliant valor. Beaten by the Spanish at Alcañiz, he sprung back and soundly defeated the army of Blake y Joyes at María on 14 June 1809. On 22 April 1810, he defeated O'Donnell at Lleida. After the siege of Tarragona, he was named marshal of France on 8 July 1811. In 1812, he captured Valencia,[1] for which he was rewarded with the dukedom of Albufera nearby, on 24 January.[3] When the tide turned against France, Suchet defended his territorial occupations one by one until compelled to withdraw from Spain, after which he took part in Soult's defensive campaign of 1814.[1]
The restored Bourbon king Louis XVIII made him a peer of France on 4 June with a seat in the upper house, but this was forfeited (effective 24 July 1815) by his support of Napoleon's return during the Hundred Days. During Napoleon's brief restoration, Suchet was given command of an army on the Alpine frontier.[1]
He died in the Castle of Saint-Joseph[4] near Marseille on 3 January 1826.[1] His son, Louis-Napoleon (1813-1877), succeeded him as Duc d'Albufera.
Legacy
His memoirs (Mémoires sur Ses Campagnes en Espagne) was published in two volumes from 1829 to '34.[1]
He married Honorine Anthoine de Saint-Joseph (Marseille, 26 February 1790– Paris, 13 April 1884), a niece of Julie Clary, the wife of Joseph Bonaparte, on 16 November 1808.[5][6] They had three children:[7]
^Castle of Saint-Joseph 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine on Napoleon & Empire website
^Brotonne, Léonce de (1895). Les sénateurs du consulat et de l'empire (in French). H. Champion. p. 111.
^Rousseau, François (1900). La carrière du Maréchal Suchet duc d'Albufera: documents inédits (in French). Didot. p. 57.
^Révérend, vicomte Albert (1906). Titres, anoblissements et pairies de la restauration 1814-1830 (in French). Chez l'auteur et chez H. Champion. pp. 283.
References
Phipps, Ramsay Weston (2011) [1935]. The Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon I: The Army of Italy (1796-1797), Paris and the Army of the Interior (1792-1797), The Coup d'Etat of Fructidor (September 1797). Vol. 4. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN978-1-908692-27-6.
Suchet (1829), Memoirs of the War in Spain, from 1808 to 1814, vol. 2, London: Henry Colburn, p. 439
Attribution:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911), "Suchet, Louis Gabriel", Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 26 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 7
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louis Gabriel Suchet.
"Louis Gabriel Suchet, Duc d'Albufera" , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 22 (9th ed.), 1887, p. 617
Suchet, Louis-Gabriel (1829–34), St. Cyr-Nogues (ed.), Mémoires (in French)
Suchet, Louis-Gabriel (2007), Kautz, Pete (ed.), Memoirs of the War in Spain, London: Henry Colburn, ISBN978-1-85818-477-7
May 05, 2023
louis, gabriel, suchet, march, 1770, january, 1826, duke, albufera, french, albuféra, french, marshal, empire, most, successful, commanders, french, revolutionary, napoleonic, wars, regarded, greatest, generals, napoleonic, wars, marshal, empirelouis, gabriel,. Louis Gabriel Suchet 2 March 1770 3 January 1826 Duke of Albufera French Duc d Albufera was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars He is regarded as one of the greatest generals of the Napoleonic Wars Marshal of the EmpireLouis Gabriel SuchetDuke of AlbuferaPortrait by GuerinBorn2 March 1770 1770 03 02 Lyon FranceDied3 January 1826 1826 01 04 aged 55 near Marseilles FranceAllegiance Kingdom of the French French First Republic First French Empire Bourbon RestorationService wbr branchArmyYears of service1792 1815RankMarshal of the EmpireBattles warsSee list War of the First CoalitionSiege of Toulon 1793 Battle of Loano 1795 Second Battle of Dego 1796 Battle of Lodi 1796 Battle of Borghetto 1796 Battle of Castiglione 1796 Battle of Bassano 1796 Battle of Arcole 1796 Battle of Rivoli 1797 Battle of Tarvis 1797 War of the Second CoalitionBattle of Novi 1799 Battle of Pozzolo 1800 War of the Third CoalitionBattle of Ulm 1805 Battle of Schongrabern 1805 Battle of Austerlitz 1805 War of the Fourth CoalitionBattle of Saalfeld 1806 Battle of Jena Auerstedt 1806 Battle of Pultusk 1806 Battle of Ostroleka 1807 Battle of Eylau 1807 Peninsular WarSiege of Saragossa 1809 Battle of Alcaniz 1809 Battle of Maria 1809 Battle of Belchite 1809 Siege of Lerida 1810 Siege of Mequinenza 1810 Siege of Tortosa 1810 1811 Siege of Tarragona 1811 Battle of Montserrat 1811 Battle of Saguntum 1811 Siege of Valencia 1812 Battle of Castalla 1813 Battle of Tarragona 1813 Battle of Ordal 1813 War of the Seventh CoalitionAwardsGrand Cross of the Legion of HonourOther workAuthor Contents 1 Early life 2 Revolutionary Wars 3 Napoleonic Wars 4 Hundred Days and later life 5 Legacy 6 Family 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further readingEarly life EditSuchet was born to a silk manufacturer in Lyon He originally intended to follow his father s business but serving as a volunteer in the cavalry of the National Guard at Lyon he displayed abilities which secured rapid military promotions 1 Revolutionary Wars Edit Suchet as a lieutenant colonel of the 4th battalion of the Army of the Alps in 1792 painted in 1834 In 1793 he was serving as a battalion chief chef de bataillon when he captured the British general Charles O Hara at Toulon During the 1796 Italian campaign he was severely wounded at Cerea on 11 October In October 1797 he was promoted to command of a half brigade demi brigade 1 In May 1797 Suchet was one of three lieutenant colonels of the 18th Infantry Demi brigade with little hope of advancement He was sent to Venice to procure uniforms for the troops Since the Venetians believed that they might in future be ruled by the French Suchet and an aide were treated like royalty For two months they enjoyed living in a palace having a personal gondola and holding reserved seats at the opera On 28 October 1797 150 officers of Andre Massena s division hosted a large dinner The colonel of the 32nd Line Dominique Martin Dupuy brought Suchet to Napoleon Bonaparte s table and said Well general when will you make our friend Suchet a colonel Bonaparte tried to brush him off with the reply Soon we will see about it Thereupon Dupuy took off one of his epaulettes and placed it on Suchet s shoulder saying By my almightiness I make thee colonel This clownish action was successful Bonaparte immediately directed Louis Alexandre Berthier to write out Suchet s nomination for advancement 2 His services in the Tyrol under Joubert that year and in Switzerland under Brune over the next were recognized by his promotion to the rank of brigadier general general de brigade He took no part in the Egyptian campaign but was made Brune s chief of staff in August and restored the efficiency and discipline of the army in Italy In July 1799 he was promoted to division general general de division and made Joubert s chief of staff in Italy In 1800 he was named second in command to Massena His dexterous resistance to the superior forces of the Austrians with the left wing of Massena s army when the right and centre were shut up in Genoa not only prevented the invasion of France from this direction but contributed to the success of Napoleon s crossing the Alps which culminated in the battle of Marengo on 14 June He took a prominent part in the rest of the Italian campaign up to the armistice of Treviso 1 Napoleonic Wars Edit Portrait of Marshal Suchet in Spain by Vicente Lopez Portana c 1813 In the campaigns of 1805 and 1806 Suchet greatly enhanced his reputation at the Battles of Austerlitz Saalfeld Jena Pultusk and Ostrolenka in the last of which he commanded an infantry division He obtained the title of count on 19 March 1808 Ordered to Spain he took part in the Siege of Zaragoza after which he was named commander of the army of Aragon and governor of that region Within two years he brought the area into complete submission by wise and adroit administration no less than by his brilliant valor Beaten by the Spanish at Alcaniz he sprung back and soundly defeated the army of Blake y Joyes at Maria on 14 June 1809 On 22 April 1810 he defeated O Donnell at Lleida After the siege of Tarragona he was named marshal of France on 8 July 1811 In 1812 he captured Valencia 1 for which he was rewarded with the dukedom of Albufera nearby on 24 January 3 When the tide turned against France Suchet defended his territorial occupations one by one until compelled to withdraw from Spain after which he took part in Soult s defensive campaign of 1814 1 Suchet s grave in Pere Lachaise Cemetery ParisHundred Days and later life EditThe restored Bourbon king Louis XVIII made him a peer of France on 4 June with a seat in the upper house but this was forfeited effective 24 July 1815 by his support of Napoleon s return during the Hundred Days During Napoleon s brief restoration Suchet was given command of an army on the Alpine frontier 1 He died in the Castle of Saint Joseph 4 near Marseille on 3 January 1826 1 His son Louis Napoleon 1813 1877 succeeded him as Duc d Albufera Legacy EditHis memoirs Memoires sur Ses Campagnes en Espagne was published in two volumes from 1829 to 34 1 The chicken dish poularde a la d Albufera is named after him Family EditHe married Honorine Anthoine de Saint Joseph Marseille 26 February 1790 Paris 13 April 1884 a niece of Julie Clary the wife of Joseph Bonaparte on 16 November 1808 5 6 They had three children 7 Louise Honorine 1811 1885 Louis Napoleon 1813 1877 daughter unknown name 1820 1835 See also EditNapoleonic Wars List of French generals of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars French cuisine Asensio NebotNotes Edit a b c d e f g h Chisholm 1911 p 7 Phipps 2011 pp 215 216 Suchet 1829 p 439 Castle of Saint Joseph Archived 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine on Napoleon amp Empire website Brotonne Leonce de 1895 Les senateurs du consulat et de l empire in French H Champion p 111 Rousseau Francois 1900 La carriere du Marechal Suchet duc d Albufera documents inedits in French Didot p 57 Reverend vicomte Albert 1906 Titres anoblissements et pairies de la restauration 1814 1830 in French Chez l auteur et chez H Champion pp 283 References EditPhipps Ramsay Weston 2011 1935 The Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon I The Army of Italy 1796 1797 Paris and the Army of the Interior 1792 1797 The Coup d Etat of Fructidor September 1797 Vol 4 Pickle Partners Publishing ISBN 978 1 908692 27 6 Suchet 1829 Memoirs of the War in Spain from 1808 to 1814 vol 2 London Henry Colburn p 439Attribution This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Suchet Louis Gabriel Encyclopaedia Britannica vol 26 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 7Further reading Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louis Gabriel Suchet Louis Gabriel Suchet Duc d Albufera Encyclopaedia Britannica vol 22 9th ed 1887 p 617 Suchet Louis Gabriel 1829 34 St Cyr Nogues ed Memoires in French Suchet Louis Gabriel 2007 Kautz Pete ed Memoirs of the War in Spain London Henry Colburn ISBN 978 1 85818 477 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Louis Gabriel Suchet amp oldid 1140857707, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
