Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, Duke of Belle-Isle
Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet | |
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Étienne François, duc de Choiseul | |
Personal details | |
Born | Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Belle-Isle, Louis Charles Armand Fouquet (brother) | 22 September 1684
Awards | Order of the Holy Spirit Order of the Golden Fleece |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Kingdom of France |
Branch/service | French Royal Army |
Rank | Marshal of France |
Battles/wars | War of the Spanish Succession War of the Quadruple Alliance War of the Polish Succession War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War |
Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet | |
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The Marshal-Duke of Belle-Isle | |
Louis Marie, comte de Gisors | |
Father | Louis Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Isle |
Mother | Catherine Agnès de Lévis |
Signature | |
Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle (22 September 1684 – 26 January 1761) was a French general and statesman.
Life and career
Born in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Belle-Isle was the grandson of Nicolas Fouquet, who served as Superintendent of Finances under Louis XIV. His family was in disgrace because of Fouquet's brash ambition in the eyes of Louis XIV. Determined to blot out his family's prior disgrace, he entered the army at an early age and was made proprietary colonel of a dragoon regiment in 1708. He rose during the War of the Spanish Succession to the rank of brigadier, and in March 1718 to that of Maréchal de Camp.[1] He was present at the capture of Fuenterrabía in 1718 and of San Sebastián in 1719 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720.)[2]
Aided by the rise of Cardinal Fleury, Belle-Isle was made lieutenant-général, and grew in influence over French military policy.[3] In the War of the Polish Succession he commanded a corps under the orders of Marshal Berwick, capturing Trier and Traben-Trarbach and taking part in the Siege of Philippsburg in 1734. When peace was made in 1736,
Belle-Isle's military and political reputation was now at its height, and he was one of the government's principal advisers on military and diplomatic affairs. In 1741 he was sent on diplomatic mission to Frankfurt, Germany as French Plenipotentiary to carry out, in the interests of France, a grand scheme of political reorganization in the moribund empire, and especially to obtain the election of
Belle-Isle was named Maréchal de France in 1741 and received control of a large army, with which it is said that he promised to make peace in three months under the walls of Vienna. The truth of this story is open to question, for no one knew better than Belle-Isle the limitations imposed upon commanders by the military and political circumstances of the times. He was, according to one scholar, "the most important single influence on French policy in the crucial year of 1741."[7]
However, the circumstances in which he found himself severely limited his efforts both as a general and as a statesman.[2] Following his initial victories, Belle-Isle suffered regression and defeat. This was at least partly because Frederick the Great, having already accomplished his aims, pulled Prussia out of the war prematurely, leaving Belle-Isle at the mercy of a much larger Austrian army. Despite the desperate circumstances, however, the daring French retreat from Prague would distinguish Belle-Isle's military brilliance and bravery. In ten days he led 14,000 men—5000 men stayed in the city under the command of François de Chevert[8]—into and across the Upper Palatine Forest whilst being harassed by the enemy's light cavalry and suffering great hardships. But by never allowing himself to be cut off, he was able to reach the relative safety of Eger, after losing 1500 men.[8] His subordinate, François de Chevert, and his 5000 men, defended Prague so well that the Austrians allowed them to leave the city through an honourable capitulation. The means by which this was obtained supposedly included Chevert threatening to burn down the city.[9]
The campaign, however, had discredited Belle-Isle; he was ridiculed in Paris and Fleury is said to have turned against him, and to complete his misfortunes, he was taken prisoner by the English in going from Cassel to Berlin through Hanover.[2]
He was forced to remain a year in England, in spite of the demands of Louis XV and the
During his three years as Secretary of War, Belle-Isle undertook many reforms. Most Important was the development of a French military school for officers, seeing as the officer corps was shown to be inadequate during the wars of the past few decades.[12] This included the suppression of the proprietary colonelcies of nobles who were too young to command; and he instituted an Order of Merit. These reforms of the officer corps were similar to the structure of the Prussian army in that it attempted to place merit and honour above the blind appointments of nobility. The successfulness of his reforms is debated, because by this time the Seven Years' War was in progress. According to one scholar, Walter L. Dorn, Belle-Isle's efforts came "too late to make a difference" in the war and the continuing decline of French military power.[12]
Belle-Isle was a close friend of
Belle-Isle held an interest in literature throughout his life, and was elected a member of the French
Notes
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Belle-Isle, Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 697. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Scott (2006), p. 53
- ^ a b c d Chisholm (1911)
- ^ Anderson (1995), p. 83
- ^ Anderson (1995), p. 53
- ^ Lodge (1970), p. 81
- ^ Lodge (1970), p. 115
- ^ Anderson (1995), p. 25
- ^ a b Hassall (1896), p. 157
- ^ Hassall (1896), p. 113
- ^ Hassall (1896), p. 189
- ^ Hassall (1896), p. 253
- ^ a b Dorn (1940), p. 86
- ^ Cooper-Oakley (1912)
References
- Anderson, M. S. (1995). The War of the Austrian Succession 1740–1748. New York: Longman. ISBN 9780582059504.
- Cooper-Oakley, Isabella (1912). The Comte De Saint Germain, the Secret of Kings (2nd ed.). London: Whitefriars Press.
- Dorn, Walter L. (1940). Competition for Empire 1740–1763. London: Harper & Brothers.
- Hassall, Arthur (1896). The Balance of Power 1715–1789. London: Macmillan.
- Lodge, Richard (1970). Studies in Eighteenth-Century Diplomacy 1740–1748. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
- Scott, Hamish M. (2006). The Birth of a Great Power System 1740–1815. New York: Pearson/Longman. ISBN 9780582217171.