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Edouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph, Duke Mortier

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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OF TREVISO (1768-1835), marshal of France, was born at Cateau Cambresis on the 13th of February 1768, and entered the army as a sub-lieutenant in 1791. He served in the campaigns of 1792 and 1793 on the north-eastern frontier and in the Netherlands, and subsequently on the Meuse and the Rhine. In the war against the second coalition in 1799 he was promoted successively general of brigade and general of division. His conduct of the French occupation of Hanover led Napoleon to include Mortier in the first list of marshals created in 1804. He commanded a corps of the grande armee in the Ulm campaign in which he distinguished himself particularly by his brilliant action of Diirrenstein; in 1806 he was again in Hanover and north-western Germany, and in 1807 he served with the grande armee in the Friedland campaign. In 1808 he was created duke of Treviso, and shortly afterwards he commanded an army corps in Napoleon's campaign for the recapture of Madrid. He remained in Spain for two campaigns, winning the victory of Ocana in November 1809. In 1812 and 1813 he commanded the Young Guard, and in the "defensive" campaign of 1814 he rendered brilliant services in command of rearguards and covering detachments. In 1815, after the flight of Louis XVIII.,, he rejoined Napoleon and was given a high command, but at the opening of the Waterloo campaign he fell ill. After the second restoration he was for a time in disgrace, but in 1819. he was readmitted to the Chamber of Peers and in 1825 received the Order of the Saint Esprit. In 1830-1831 he was ambassador of France at St Petersburg, and in 1834-1835 minister of war and president_ of the council of ministers. In 1835, while. accompanying Louis Philippe to a review, the marshal with eleven other persons was killed by the bomb aimed at the king by Fieschi (July 28, 183 5)