Jean-François Leval

Jean-François Leval (born April 18, 1762 in Paris ; † August 7, 1834 there ) was a French Général de division of the infantry .

Life

Leval was the son of Jean François Leval and his wife Marie Madeleine Ducres. He joined the royal army early on and was stationed in the colonies for some time ; u. a. he fought at Pensacola . From 1791 he was again stationed in and near Paris. Back in France he became part of Napoleon's early on . He fought in the Battle of Tienen (March 16, 1792) under the command of Generals de Valence and was transferred to the Sambre and Maas Army ( Jean-Baptiste Jourdan ) in early 1793 .

Leval quickly made a career in the Grande Armée and was promoted to Général de brigade in 1794 . As such he fought at Fleurus (June 26, 1794), at Ostrach (March 21, 1799), in the battle of Stockach (March 25, 1799), in the battle of Jena and Auerstedt (October 14, 1806), near Lübeck (November 6, 1806) and also at Preußisch Eylau (February 7/8, 1807).

Leval was able to return to France briefly, but was soon entrusted with a new command and used in the Napoleonic Wars in Spain . Leval fought in Spain and Portugal and was able to distinguish himself several times through bravery. He took part in the battles of Pancorbo (October 31, 1808), Medellin (March 28, 1809), Talavera (July 27-28, 1809), Ocaña (November 19, 1809), Barrosa (March 5, 1811), Tarifa (June 21, 1813) and Bayonne (December 9/13, 1813).

The siege of Tarifa , late 1811 to early 1812, he had to break off without result; all other warlike actions in which Leval had participated turned out successfully for Napoleon. In 1814 Leval returned to France with his troops.

When Napoleon was banished to the island of Elba , Leval withdrew into private life and did not join his rule of the Hundred Days .

At the age of 72, Jean-François Leval died on August 7, 1834 in Paris, where he found his final resting place.

Honors

• November 15, 1808 Grand Officier of the Legion of Honor
• May 28, 1809 Baron de l'Émpire
• His name can be found on the north pillar (7th column) of the triumphal arch on Place Charles-de-Gaulle (Paris).

literature

• David Chandler: The campaigns of Napoleon . Weidenfeld, London 1993, ISBN 0-297-81367-6 (reprint of the London 1966 edition).
• David Gates: The Spanish Ulcer. A history of the Peninsular War . Pimlico Books, London 2002, ISBN 0-7126-9730-6 .
• Kevin F. Kiley: Once there were titans. Napoleon's generals and their battles 1800–1815 . Greenhill, London 2007, ISBN 978-1-85367-710-6 .
• Digby Smith : The Napoleonic Wars Data Book . Greenhill, London 1998, ISBN 1-85367-276-9 .
• Stephen Pope: The Cassell Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars . Cassell, London 1999, ISBN 0-304-35229-2 .