Michel-Marie Pacthod
Michel-Marie Pacthod (born January 16, 1764 in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois , † March 24, 1830 in Paris ) was a French Général de division of the infantry .
Life
Pacthod came from a family in Saint-Julien, then part of Piedmont . Early on he sympathized with the ideas of the French Revolution and when the opportunity arose, he joined the French troops.
Since he was always known for his bravery, he was promoted quickly. During the siege of Toulon (September 18 to December 18, 1793) he was wounded seven times.
As a member of the General Staff, he took over the military command of the city of Marseille in January 1795 . At that time, British troops had occupied the island of Corsica and General Napoleon Bonaparte's family came into exile in Marseille. Since Napoleon was of the opinion throughout his life that Pacthod had lacked the necessary support from his family, he prevented his military promotions for a long time.
Even when Pacthod stood out in the battles near Halle (October 17, 1806) and Lübeck (November 6, 1806), Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte tried to put Pacthod in a better position, but Napoleon always refused to do so by pointing out on what happened in Marseille.
In the fighting at Mohrungen (January 25, 1807) Pacthod was wounded, but was able to take part in the Battle of Friedland (June 14, 1807). He was then used in the Napoleonic Wars on the Iberian Peninsula and fought at Durango (October 31, 1808) and Espinosa (November 10-11, 1808).
Then Pacthod moved to the Armée d'Italie and distinguished himself at Raab (June 14, 1809) and Wagram (July 5/6, 1809). Further highlights of his military life were the battles near Bautzen (May 20/21, 1813) and Hoyerswerda (May 27, 1813); a low point was the defeat in the Battle of the Katzbach (August 26, 1813), when his division broke up to flee and the remains of them were taken prisoner. In the Battle of Leipzig he commanded the 10th Infantry Division in the 5th Corps of Général de Lauriston . In the battle of Fère-Champenoise (March 25, 1814) he was captured along with General François Pierre Amey .
Pacthod was not an absolute follower of Napoleon and was therefore very open to the return of the Bourbons . He therefore did not support Napoleon's rule of the Hundred Days and was thereupon during the Restoration of King Louis XVIII. promoted to various military-administrative posts.
Michel-Marie Pacthod died at the age of 66 on March 24, 1830 in Paris and was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery .
Honors
- 1808 baron de l'émpire
- 1813 comte de l'émpire
- His name can be found on the southern pillar (26th 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).
- Kevin F. Kiley: Once the were titans. Napoleon's generals and their battles, 1800-1815 . Greenhill, London 2007, ISBN 978-1-85367-710-6 .
- Charles Mullié: Biography of the célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850 . Poignavant, Paris 1853 (2 vol.).
- Georges Six: Dictionnaire biographiques des généraux & amiraux français de la révolution et de l'émpire. 1792-1814 . Saffroy, Paris 1999, ISBN 2-901541-06-2 (reprint of the Paris 1934 edition).
- Digby Smith : Napoleonic Wars data book . Greenhill, London 1998, ISBN 1-85367-276-9 .
Footnotes
- ↑ Carl von Clausewitz : Vom Kriege , II, 6, 9.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pacthod, Michel-Marie |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French infantry division general |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 16, 1764 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saint-Julien-en-Genevois |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 24, 1830 |
| Place of death | Paris |