Etienne Maurice Gerard

See also: Gerard

The count Maurice Etienne Gerard is a Marshal of France, born with Damvillers (Meuse) the April 4th 1773 and died in Paris the April 17th 1852.

Biography

Wire of Jean Gerard (1739 - 1801), royal usher and usher of prévôté royal of Damvillers and Marville then trader with Damvillers, and of Marijuana Saint-Remy cheese, Etienne Maurice Gerard took part in all the campaigns of the Empire and climbs all the levels of the military career.

Wars of the French revolution

Engaged at eighteen years the October 11th 1791 in the 2nd battalion of volunteers of the Meuse, named pomegranate one year later, it accepted the baptism of fire in 1792 in the processions of the Argonne, under the orders of Dumouriez, before taking share with the Bataille of Jemmapes (November 6th) and being named Quartermaster-sergeant (December 16th), then Sous-lieutenant a few days after (December 21st) and lieutenant one year later (December 30th 1793). Meanwhile, it had fought with Neerwinden (March 18th 1793).

The following year, in April 1794, Gerard was affected with the 71e half-brigade ordered by Bernadotte, and belonging to the army of North. With it passed the Sambre (June 12th), fought with Fleurus (June 16th), took part in the catch of Charleroi (June 25th), before fighting again with Fleurus (June 26th).

At the end of 1794, it followed Bernadotte to the Armée with Sambre-and-Meuse lately created and placed under the command of Jourdan. It was distinguished with the Passage from Roër to Aldhoven, springing through the enemy lines to establish a rope through the river in order to make it possible the troops to cross (October 2nd 1794). This beautiful action was noticed by Bernadotte, which made name lieutenant Gerard associated with his staff (April 28th 1795). In 1796, it took part in all the combat by which the army of Sambre-and-Meuse was made main from left bank of the the Rhine and tried, but without durable success, to carry out an opening in German territory. The August 22nd 1796, it took share with the combat of Teining.

Named Captain (April 20th 1797), it became Aide-de-camp of Bernadotte and followed it, in January 1798, in its embassy with Vienna (February-April 1798). In the Austrian capital, it showed greatest intrepidity to push back an excited riot against the embassy of France which had raised a Tricolor to its balcony and to save the life of its ambassador. It was successively promoted assistant of the general adjudants, major and Colonel (1800).

Under the First Empire

A decree of 1801 having laid out that the major generals could not have assistance-of-camp of a rank higher than that of major, Gerard had to cease his functions at Bernadotte and remained in the inactivity until the August 20th 1805, date on which an imperial decree appointed it ordering adjudant and first assistance-of-camp of Bernadotte, which had been high with the dignity of Maréchal of Empire in 1804.

It was wounded with Austerlitz (1805) while charging brilliantly with the head with its squadrons against the Russian imperial guard. It was promoted Brigadier general the November 13rd 1806 after having shown a great bravery with the battle of Halle. With Iéna (1806), it charged the Prussian cavalry with the head with the 4th regiment of hussards, collapsed it and made him a great number of prisoners. It was also announced, as chief of Staff of the 9th body, ordered by Bernadotte, with Erfurt and Wagram, where, to the head of the cavalry saxonne, it contributed significantly to the French victory. A little later created it baron of the Empire (August 15th 1809).

The following year, he refused to follow Bernadotte in Sweden and was sent to the armed with Spain of the July 26th 1810 at October 1st 1811, where he was distinguished with the Bataille from Fuentes de Oñoro (May 5th 1811). He was with the Portugal in 1810 with the count d' Erlon and to the Large army only in 1812 returned.

It was then sent to the army of Italy in the capacity as commander of the 10th brigade of light cavalry, the December 25th 1811.

When the Campagne of Russia was decided, it passed to the 1st Large army corps and contributed to the catch of Smolensk (August 17th 1812) where it replaced the general Gudin, mortally wounded, with the head of its division.

The September 23rd 1812, shortly after the Battle of Moskowa where it had been distinguished once again, Gerard was named Major general and accepted the command of the 3rd division of the 1st Large army corps. It entered Moscow before taking part in disastrous the Retraite of Russia under the orders of the marshal Ney and the prince Eugene.

With the Bérézina, Gerard ordered as a second, under the orders of Ney, the body formed to protect the scattered remains from the army. It ordered then the rear-guard, made up of 12.000 Napolitain S and of 3 battalions of Conscrit S. It was able at Frankfurt-on-the Oder without to have undergone too great losses; but then the fate of its troops, about isolated, appeared desperate. The surroundings of Frankfurt were flooded by the Russians, the population was in full insurrection against the French, and the emperor Alexandre was there in person with considerable forces and made it summon, by one of its assistance-of-camp, to evacuate the city. Gerard answered proudly that it would not evacuate, and operated with as well skill as three days after it was in peaceful retirement on the Elba. He took then the command of the outposts.

He was made Count Empire by imperial decree of the January 21st 1813.

The March 7th, it accepted the command of the 11th body in the Campagne of Saxony. It was announced under the orders of Macdonald to Lützen and Bautzen

Cured of a wound which it accepted a few days afterwards, Gerard took again the command of his division, when the armistice of Plesowitz was broken. With the combat of Goldberg, it renewed, under the orders of Lauriston which ordered in the absence of the duke of Tarente, which it had done at the edges Sprée.

It was announced to the attack of Nieder-With the where it forced divisions of the duke of York and of the Prince de Mecklembourg to pass by again the Katzbach. With this Battle of Katzbach, the Gerard general, though wounded of one ball to the thigh, the battle field did not leave.

At the second day of Leipzig (October 18th 1813), it accepted with the head a more serious wound, which forced it to yield the command.

It was however rather early restored to take share with the countryside of France in 1814. It was named ordering body of the reserves of Paris, only composed of conscripts. It fought with Brienne. With the Battle of Rothière, it ordered the right wing, and in spite of the obstinate attacks of an enemy higher of number, it kept all its positions and gave up only at midnight, and by strict order of the Emperor, the defense of the bridge of Dienville.

It contributed to the victories of the countryside of France to Saint-Dizier. Before leaving Paris, Napoleon entrusted to him the command of the body of divisions of reserve which were to act in the plains of Champagne. He stopped the walk of the generals Giulay and Colloredo as chief of the right wing of the Large army and thus contributed to the victories of Nogent, Nangis and Montereau, where he replaced the marshal Victor.

The February 22nd, with the head of the 2nd body, it dispersed the enemy avant-garde ordered by Platow and, two days later, forced division Hardegg to beat a retreat and continued it until - beyond Bar.

Having adhered to the forfeiture of in May 1814, it was charged to bring back in France the garrison of Hamburg. In testimony of satisfaction, Louis XVIII did it knight of the royal and military Ordre of Saint-Louis (June 1st 1814) and Grand Cross of the Légion of honor (July 29th 1814). Little time afterwards, it was named general inspector of the 5th division military and indicated for the command camp Belfort.

The March 22nd 1815, Gerard was general inspector of infantry in Alsace; of Strasbourg, where it was in inspection, it applauds however the return of Napoleon i and accepted the command of the Armée with the Moselle which became the 4th army corps.

It was high with the dignity of Pair of France (June 2nd 1815). While giving the new eagles to its troops, he says to them: “Soldiers, here the new eagles which the Emperor entrusts to your value; those of Austerlitz were worn by fifteen years of victories; here the moment to give new evidence of your courage: the enemy is in front of you! ”

He accepted at the beginning of June the order to go to forced marches on the border North. With the head of its army corps, it crosses the Sambre and its troops acted heroically to the Bataille of Ligny where the success of this important combat was the result of its skilful provisions as much as its personal intrepidity and of that of its troops.

The 18, it was in the direction of Wavre when one heard the gun on the side of the Forêt of Look after. The commanders of the various bodies had then met in council; the Gerard general wanted that, according to the general principles of the war, one was right with the gun, while passing the Dyle on the Pont of Munster. Grouchy was denied this opinion only by contrary and positive orders of the Emperor. This movement would have perhaps changed the result of the Bataille of Waterloo. Before the end of the day, Gerard accepted a fifth wound. A ball of the rear-guard of Blücher crossed the chest to him at the time when, to the head of the infantry, it was going to attack the village of Bierges. He wanted nevertheless to share the fate of the remainder of the army and was made transport beyond the the Loire.

Under the Second Restoration

After the capitulation of Paris, the marshal Davout designated the generals Kellermann, Gerard and Haxo to treat, in the name of the army, with the new government. This mission accomplished, Gerard was put in non-activity in September 1815 and was withdrawn with Brussels where he married (August 10th 1816), Louise Pink Aimé de Timbrune-Thiembrone de Valence, second girl of the general Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Timbrune de Thiembronne and of Edmée Nicole Pulchérie Brûlart de Genlis, girl of the countess of Genlis. They had three children:

  • Georges Cyrus Gerard (1818 - 1841), diplomat, who was embassy secretary to Constantinople;

  • Louis Maurice Fortunate, count Gerard (1819 - 1880), colonel of cavalry, Officer of the Legion of Honor, died without alliance. It however had, of a relation with Sylvie Perruche, Louise Pink Etiennette known as Rosemonde Gerard;
  • Nicole Etiennette Congratulated Gerard (1822 - 1845) which married Laurent Arnulf Olivier Desmier, count d' Archiac, of which posterity.

It returned to France in 1817 and settled with the castle of Villers-Saint-Paul (Oise), of which it had acquired in June 1817.

The January 28th 1822, it was elected appointed 1st district of the Seine to replace the baron Pasquier, raised with peerage, and it was re-elected by the same district the May 9th according to. It sat in the liberal opposition, signed the protest against the expulsion of Handbook, and was not re-elected in 1824. The November 17th 1827, it was returned to the Room by the 3rd electoral district of the the Dordogne (Bergerac) and, the same day, it was also elected in the 3rd district of the Oise (Clermont). With the Room, it constantly took the defense of the former soldiers of the Empire, returned without treatment in their hearths and fallen, for much, in misery. He was re-elected the June 23rd 1830 in the district of Clermont.

Under the Monarchy of July

During the revolution of 1830, it actively supported the cause of the duke of Orleans. It was one of the first signatories of the protest against the Ordonnances of Saint-Cloud and was named Minister for the War by the provisional municipal Commission which undertook to manage the capital in front of the failure of the civil authorities and military (V. Ministère named by the municipal commission of Paris).

Louis-Philippe confirmed it in his functions of Minister for the War in his first ministry the August 11th, and raised it with the dignity of Marshal of France the August 17th 1830. Gerard had already caused, it, the re-establishment of the national colors; the August 11th, it made operate the dissolution of the royal guard and the house of Charles X, and the August 16th, ordered the reconstitution of the municipal Guard; the August 27th, it signed the dissolution of the Superior council of the War.

It preserved the wallet of the War in the ministry Laffitte until the November 17th 1830, date on which, too judged interventionist in the businesses of Belgium, it left the government, officially for health reasons. After these nominations, the voters of Clermont re-elected it appointed the October 21st 1830.

In January 1831, it was named member of the general advice of Oise and, the July 5th 1831, was elected appointed by the college of Senlis. With the House of Commons, he voted with the conservatives.

Belgium had led it to leave the ministry: it was to offer to him, in 1832, its last great victory military. The Gerard marshal was called, the August 4th 1831, with the command of the army of North. After a thirteen day campaign, it forced the Dutchmen to evacuate all their positions in Belgium except for the citadel of Antwerp. Returned to Belgium the November 15th 1832, it put the seat in front of Antwerp which it forced to capitulate the December 23rd what was worth to him, on behalf of Belgium, a sword of honor in testimony of recognition. The February 11th 1833, it was named Pair France.

The July 18th 1834, Guizot and Thiers having obtained the departure of the marshal Soult, the Gerard marshal had to direct the ministry with the wallet of the War (V. Gouvernement Etienne Maurice, count Gerard). Then haloed glory of its Belgian forwarding, it presented a profile similar to that of its predecessor, that known as of “the famous sword”, while being characterized some by its proximity with the third party. It had been selected on the authorities of Thiers, which had had all the sorrows of the world to decide it to accept, the marshal not having shown any inclination with the direction of the government, in which it feared to use his popularity. Poor speaker, which constituted a major handicap in a mode where the parliamentary tournaments were essential, the marshal appeared “a man difficult to handle, anxious to print his mark vis-a-vis ministers who to leave him any room for maneuver”.

As Minister for the War, his administration saw the creation of the Spahis and the organization of the special committees of weapons. As President of the council, it tried, but without success, to impose the amnesty claimed by the left third and had to resign in front of the refusal of Louis-Philippe, of Guizot and Thiers, the October 19th 1834.

It was named large chancellor of the Légion of honor to replace the marshal Mortier, victim of the attack of Fieschi the July 28th 1835. It gave up this function the December 11th 1838 to replace the marshal Mouton as commander-in-chief of the national guard. The weakening of its sight forced it to give up this function and, the October 21st 1842, it became again large chancellor of the Legion of honor, posts which was withdrawn to him by the provisional government in February 1848.

It was named senator of the Second Empire the January 26th 1852 and died a few months afterwards in Paris the April 17th 1852. Its body, that of his wife and those of their three children are buried in a crypt contiguous to the church of Nogent-sur-Oise.

States of service

Ranks and assignments

During the French revolution

During the Directory

During the Consulate

During Ier Worsens

=> 06.04. 1814: First dismissal of Napoleon i, beginning of the First Restoration => 01.03. 1815: Fine of the First Restoration, beginning of the Hundred Days

During the Hundred Days

  • March 1815: Employee in the 5th military division
  • March 31st 1815: Commander-in-chief of the army of the Moselle become 4th body of observation and ordering higher 3rd and the 4th military divisions
=> 22.06. 1815: Second dismissal of Napoleon i, beginning of the Second Restoration

During the Restoration

  • September 1815: In non-activity after the dismissal of the army
  • December 30th 1818: Included/understood as available within the framework of organization of the general staff

During the Monarchy of July

Campaigns

Decorations

Homages and judgments

  • the town of Damvillers raised a statue with the Gerard marshal in 1858.
  • “Valiant soldier, but not very wide spirit, soft will, having the majority of his/her friends on the left, Gerard marshal hardly had other concern but that of popularity, ready to be let carry out by those which appeared to him in measurement to exempt it. ” (Paul Thureau-Dangin)

Iconography

References

Sources

  • Benoit Yvert (to dir.), Prime Ministers and presidents of the Council since 1815. History and dictionary reasoned , Paris, Perrin, 2002 - ISBN 2-262-01354-3

External bonds

  • Alain Begyn, Site on the military career of the marshal Gerard

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