Nicolas Oudinot

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Kingdom of the French
 First French Republic
 First French Empire
 Bourbon Restoration
 July Monarchy
Service/branchArmy
RankMarshal of the Empire
Battles/warsFrench Revolutionary Wars
Napoleonic Wars
AwardsGrand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Other workGovernor of Les Invalides (1842–1847)

Nicolas Charles Oudinot, comte d'Oudinot, duc de Reggio (25 April 1767 in Bar-le-Duc – 13 September 1847 in Paris), was a Marshal of the Empire. He is known to have been wounded 34 times in battle, being hit by artillery shells, sabres, and at least twelve bullets over the course of his military career. Oudinot is one of the Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, Eastern pillar Columns 13, 14.

Early life

Nicolas Charles Oudinot was the son of Nicolas Oudinot and Marie Anne Adam, the only one of their nine children to live to adulthood. His father was a

Medoc from 1784 to 1787, when, having no hope of promotion on account of his non-noble birth, he retired with the rank of sergeant.[1]

French Revolutionary Wars

Oudinot as a lieutenant colonel of the 3rd battalion of the volunteers of the Meuse, 1792

The

general of brigade, in June 1794 for his conduct at the Battle of Kaiserslautern.[1]

He continued to serve with distinction on the German frontier under

Legion of Honour, but was not included in the first creation of marshals.[1]

Napoleonic Wars

Oudinot was elected a member of the chamber of deputies, but had little time to devote to politics. He took a leading role in the war of 1805, commanding the famous division of "grenadiers Oudinot," made up of hand-picked troops and organised by him, with which he seized the Vienna bridges, received a wound at the Battle of Schöngrabern in Lower Austria against the Russians. In 1807, he participated in Joachim Murat's victory in the Battle of Ostrolenka in Poland and fought with resolution and success at the Battle of Friedland.[1]

Heraldic achievement of Nicolas-Charles Oudinot as Duke of Reggio

In 1808 he was made governor of

duché-grand fief of Reggio in the satellite Kingdom of Naples, and received a large money grant in April 1810.[1]

From 1810 to 1812 Oudinot administered the government of the former

Russian campaign. His corps was instrumental in building the bridge over the Berezina that allowed the evacuation of troops after the defeat at the Battle of Berezina. During this period he suffered another wounding in battle.[1]

He was present at the

Battle of Grossbeeren. He was then superseded by Marshal Ney, but the latter was defeated at the Battle of Dennewitz.[1]

Oudinot was not disgraced. He held important commands at the

Louis XVIII. Unlike many of his old comrades, he did not desert to his former master during Bonaparte's 1815 return.[1]

Later life

His last active service was in the

French invasion of Spain in 1823, in which he commanded a corps and was for a time governor of Madrid. He died as Governor of the Parisian veterans institution Les Invalides
.

Honours

Personal life

He married first, in September 1789, Charlotte Derlin (1768–1810) and had 7 children:

He married secondly, in January 1812, Eugenie de Coucy (1791–1868) and had 4 children:

  • Louise-Marie (1816–1909)
  • Caroline (1817–1896)
  • Charles-Joseph (1819–1858)
  • Henri (1822–1891)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Chisholm 1911.
  2. ^ Handelsblad (Het) 14-08-1849
Attribution
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Oudinot, Charles Nicolas". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  • Chandler, David (editor). Napoleon's Marshals. London: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987.
    ISBN 0-297-79124-9

External links
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