Jean Alexandre Ihler

Jean-Alexandre Ihler born in 1745 and died in 1805 is a French general of the time of the French revolution

Biography

Jean Alexandre IHLER has been born in 1745 with Thann (Haut-Rhin), it came from an old family installed for two centuries in the city.

He had, thanks to his father, itself military (Jean Thiébaut IHLER, captain with the Regiment of Alsace, and lieutenant-colonel of the Battalion of the militia of Colmar, was one of the most important characters of Thann and respected like such), begun very early his career militaire.
As of 14 years, indeed, it directs soldiers, and is lieutenant of the battalion of his father, in Colmar. The thing was not rare at the time, in the easy mediums. And if, for us others, human of the 21e century, the 14 years age is almost still synonymous with tender childhood, nobody at the 18th century were not offusquait of this state of affairs, not even troops (hardly older besides) directed by these pré-adolescents.
Also let us recall that the army was not a uniform unit related to the State. The regiments were bought, given or exchanged by noble the richest, for which to have a good regiment was pledge of prestige at the Court of Versailles.

In 1761 and 1762, in full Seven year old war, Jean Alexandre was affected with the regiment of Lamarck, and made countryside in Germany, against the English. Peace being signed in 1763, Jean Alexandre will find the intoxication of the combat only into 1768/1770, at the time of the Countryside of Corsica, at the sides in particular of the Duc of Lauzun, guillotine at the time of Terror in spite of its enthusiasm for the revolutionary cause.

It was named Capitaine in 1771, then Major with the regiment of Bubble in 1781 during the war of American Independence which returned celebrates Fayette. For this reason, it took part in the head office of Gibraltar. In 1786, Jean Alexandre had become Lieutenant-colonel. He thus could, in his turn, to order a regiment, the 98ème Régiment of Infantry, which he made during the Revolution, since 1791, become colonel then.

The year according to, it made countryside within the Army of the Center, then was named Brigadier on July 12th, 1792. However, Jean-Alexandre, for a reason that I am unaware of, resigned of his functions on July 14th, right before being informed of his nomination… (the times of station were much longer than today!). It is this resignation too quickly given which did not enable him to obtain a patent of final Brigadier, but only provisoire.
It was then employed by Dumouriez, and ordered from Liege in January 1793, whereas to a few hundred kilometers from there, in Paris, the things were envenimaient: Louis XVI passed on the scaffold, with the fear and the stupor of all the European countries.

A few weeks afterwards, it was celebrates it battle of Neerwinden. Jean Alexandre had just been affected with the Army of North (February 1793), and had received the command of the place of Douai in April.
Of this allied offensive, directed - and lost by the Dumouriez general, who made 2000 dead among the Austrians, 2500 killed and wounded and 1500 prisoners among French, one knows many détails.
This battle followed closely the lifting of the head office of Maastricht, to Belgium. Indeed, the approach of the Austrian soldiers, very many, obliged the Miranda general and his 15000 men to be left this ville.
precipitately Besides Dumouriez regarded that as an serious error. We were then on March 2nd, 1793. One of divisions of Miranda, to the orders of Jean Alexandre Ihler, went on Harcourt and Viset, where it meets in the troops of Dietamann and Leveneur. This quasi-rout of the French failed to turn very badly, because in same time the Austrians attacked the left side of the French, who were thus likely to see themselves scattered, without chief, the majority of the isolated and vulnerable regiments.

Of what it precisely occurred of the situation of the troops of the Ihler general, we have a document written by Antoine de Jomini (1779-1869, banking, military, historian, having belonged to the staff of Napoleon) specialist in the military strategies. Here thus, textually, which he wrote:
“ the French Army was thus on March 5th, in a dreadful position: the Ihler general hardly had just arrived at Viset that the Imperial ones seized Tongres and that Valence evacuated Liege. Gained thus by its two sides, its loss seemed certain; but fortunately that the Austrians were unaware of the situation in which this body was seen committed. Ihler left the 5 in the morning, and arrived, after a painful walk through the enemy columns, to regain the road of Liege to Saint-Tron, where it meets finally in the army. Dampierre and Champmorin had done as much of it; while Neuily and Stengel, going up the Meuse on Namur, were collected there by the division of Harville which had remained during all this time in the inaction. The army, reassured on the fate of all these detachments, was folded up then with a little more confidence on Tirlemont and Leuwen. ” Jomini adds, in connection with Jean Alexandre: “ It appears that Ihler moved on Liege, from which the rapid departure of Miranda and Valence came to deliver the doors to the Imperial ones. This general bivouacked during the night of the 5 to the 6, around this city, occupied by the enemy; and Saint Tron, the 6 gained, with more happiness than one should not count there. ”

To the bad news which gave the Army of Dumouriez was added the pressure of the sans-culottes, increasingly savage towards the military nobility and leaders of which they did not tolerate the failures, showing them to betray the Revolution, and to be with the pay of the “stickers”. Also, Dumouriez tentat it a great blow, at the same time to regild its brand image, and to carry a really serious blow to the ennemi.
They were then, fifteen days later, the battle of Neerwinden. This one took place on March 18th, and, alas, soldier once again by a failure, even crueler that one, which completed to discredit Dumouriez in the spirit of the Parisiens.
leaders Jean Alexandre Ihler was slightly wounded, whereas others were killed, and of many captive facts. Dumouriez, as for him, feeling the wind to turn, chooses to pass to the enemy, and it was delivered with some of its men to the services of the Austrians.

Following these events, Jean Alexandre was named by major general the Dampierre general, one of the highest military ranks, on a purely provisional basis. June 13rd, it was confirmed in this rank by the representatives of the people, close to the Army of North, but it never obtained certificate, and had to be satisfied with the executive council only of one patent of Marshal of Camp.
It took part then in the combat of the forest of Raismes, ordered the camp of Hecq in June 1793, took part in the combat of the forest of Mormal, close to Maubeuge, from where it was driven out in August. Another defeat followed the first, because it was pushed back of Englefontaine on September 12th.
The novel members of Convention accentuated their pressure then, because nothing went well within new France, and the fault was rejected more and more on those which had noble blood, and even middle-class man. Thus, only two days after, on September 14th, Jean Alexandre was suspended of his functions, and wrongly (!) registered voter on the list of the emigrants of the Moselle, following a banal denunciation. It was shown to be a creature of Dumouriez, Lafayette and Custine, ex-noble, and in more one “German”.

Fortunately for its head, it could justify its situation and raise the suspicions which weighed on him. It in spite of was very suspended its functions, but before measurement is effective, it had already presented its resignation. It will be striped of this compromising list only in April 1795, on justification of uninterrupted residence in France and with the armies.

It returned in Thann in September 1794, and its return created sensation among the population. It was admitted with the retirement in October and recipient of a pension of 4396 pounds, which was immediately reduced to 3000.
Jean-Alexandre lived then in the suburb of the Vosges, in his brother-in-law Nicolas Marandet, husband of his sister Marie Emilienne. He also, however revolutionist of the first hour, had lost its illusions, and was made forget for some time.

Turbulences of the Revolution being alleviated, Jean Alexandre will be able to withdraw himself definitively in Plantières, close to Metz, where after having made last once promise of fidelity, in November 1800, he will die in 1805.

Appendices

Sources

Whole or part of this article is resulting from Jean-Alexandre Ihler on the http://perso.orange.fr/ftbo/thann site. Publication under free license GNU of documentation.

Internal bond

Louis-Théobald Ihler (or Aloïse Théobald), his younger brother.

External bond

See a series of original documents (mails) on the site http://thann.fr.st

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