Étienne Maurice Gérard

Étienne Maurice Gérard
Hugues-Bernard Maret
Personal details
Born	(1773-04-04)4 April 1773 Legion of Honor (Grand Cross)
Military service
Allegiance	First French Republic  First French Empire  Kingdom of France
Rank	Marshal of France
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars Belgian Revolution

Étienne Maurice Gérard, 1st Comte Gérard (4 April 1773 – 17 April 1852) was a distinguished French general and statesman. He served under a succession of French governments including the ancien regime monarchy, the Revolutionary governments, the Restorations, the July Monarchy, the First and Second Republics, and the First Empire (and arguably the Second),^[1] becoming prime minister briefly in 1834.

Biography

Early life and career

Born at

In the Spanish campaign of 1810 and 1811, Gérard gained special distinction at the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro; and in the expedition to Russia he was present at the battle of Smolensk and the battle of Valutino, and displayed such bravery and ability in the battle of Borodino that he was made général de division. He won further distinction in the disastrous retreat from Moscow.^[1]

Campaigns of 1813–1814

In the campaign of 1813, in command of a division, he took part in the battle of Lützen and the battle of Bautzen, as well as in the operations of Marshal Macdonald, and at the battle of Leipzig (in which he commanded the XI Corps) he was gravely wounded. After the battle of Bautzen, he was created by Napoleon a count of the Empire. In the

During the Hundred Days, Napoleon made Gérard a Peer of France and placed him in command of the IV Corps of the Army of the North. In this capacity Gérard took a brilliant part in the battle of Ligny, and on the morning of 18 June he was foremost in advising Marshal Grouchy to march to the sound of the guns to aid the emperor at Waterloo. Having failed in this he took part in the battle of Wavre.^[1]

Gérard retired to

However, in 1831 he took the command of the Northern Army, and was successful in forcing the army of the Netherlands to withdraw from Belgium (see Belgian Revolution). In 1832 he commanded the besieging army in the famous siege of the citadel of Antwerp.^[1]

He was again chosen war minister in July 1834,

Gérard married Rosemonde de Valence. Their granddaughter was Rosemonde Gérard.^[2]

Notes

References

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•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gérard, Étienne Maurice". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 764.