Nicolas Joseph Maison ( fr. Nicolas Joseph Maison ) (1771–1840) - Marshal of France, Governor of Paris, Ambassador to St. Petersburg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of War of France.
Nicolas Joseph Maison | ||||
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Date of Birth | ||||
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Date of death | ||||
Place of death | ||||
Affiliation | France | |||
Rank | Marshal of France | |||
Commanded | 5th Division, 1st Division, Morey Corps, Military Ministry of France | |||
Battles / Wars | War of the First Coalition , War of the Second Coalition , War of the Third Coalition , War of the Fourth Coalition , War of the Fifth Coalition , Napoleon's Campaign to Russia , War of the Sixth Coalition | |||
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Biography
A peasant by birth, born December 19, 1771.
He began his service in 1789 in the National Guard and by the beginning of the Great French Revolution was captain. On July 22, 1792, he volunteered for the ranks of the Paris Volunteers, distinguished himself in the battles of Zhemappes and Fleurus , was wounded twice, and on May 1, 1796, was promoted to captain of the republican army.
After the Italian campaign of 1796, he became an adjutant of Bernadotte , with whom he participated in the Dutch expedition of 1799, and was again seriously wounded when repelling the Anglo-Russian landing force in the village of Scout.
In the campaign of 1805 , at Austerlitz , Mezon, being in the ranks of the 1st Corps, with the square of the 95th and 27th Infantry Regiments beat off attacks of the Russian Guard, for which he was promoted to brigadier general.
In the campaign of 1806–1807, Mezon participated in the battles of Saalfeld , where he tilted the corps of Prince Württemberg , and Jena , then captured Lübeck . By the end of this war, Maison was appointed Chief of Staff of the 1st Corps.
Appointed in 1808, the chief of the corps headquarters of the troops operating in Spain , Mezon showed great scrupulousness in the battle of Spinola (November 1808), which prompted Napoleon to entrust him with the bosses of the Guard and direct him to Madrid , in which Mezon took an active part in the attack and was wounded in the leg.
In 1809, Maison fought again with the British in Holland .
In a campaign of 1812 to Russia, Maison commanded a brigade in the 2nd Corps of Oudinot and especially distinguished himself in the August and October battles of Polotsk . During the battle of August 6, he was promoted to divisional generals; On October 6, during the whole day, Mezon defended the redoubt, which provided one of the flanks of the French location and changed hands several times, and on October 7, after a fierce battle in the streets of Polotsk, successfully covered the French retreat for Dvina .
For crossing the Berezina , where Mezon replaced the wounded Udino and Legrand as commander of the 2nd Corps, he received a baronial title.
At the head of the 5th Division Corps Loristona , he participated in the battles of Lutzen and Bautzen . On May 14, 1813, during the pursuit of the Allies during the movement from Hanau to Lignitz , the Meson battalions near Michelsdorf were attacked from an ambush organized by order of Blucher . Despite the suddenness of the attack, Maison, with a discordant crowd of poorly trained conscripts, although at the cost of sensitive losses, still reflected 25 Prussian squadrons. On July 14, 1813, Maison was granted to the counts.
Under Leipzig, his division fought off Gossa and Mezon was injured again. During the Allied invasion of France in 1814, Maison at the head of the 1st Division guarded Belgium against the Wintzingerode corps; slowly retreating in front of superior forces, for successful actions with Kurtre Mezon on July 22 he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor .
After the abdication of Napoleon, Maison switched sides with the Bourbons and was appointed governor of Paris . During the Hundred Days, he remained loyal to Louis XVIII , who on July 31, 1817 gave Maison the title of Marquis and the title of Peer of France.
In 1828, Charles X entrusted the command of the troops sent to occupying Morea to Mezon , for which on February 22, 1829, he was granted a Marshal of France . Under Louis Philippe, Maison was Minister of Foreign Affairs (from November 4, 1830), Ambassador of the French Crown to Vienna and Ambassador of King Louis-Philippe in St. Petersburg (from 1833), and then from April 30, 1835 to September 19, 1836 war minister.
Marshal Maison died on February 13, 1840 in Paris . Subsequently, his name was carved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris .
Notes
Sources
- Maison, Nikolai-Joseph, Marquis // Military Encyclopedia : [in 18 t.] / Ed. VF Novitsky [et al.]. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-islands I. D. Sytin , 1911-1915.
- Charles Mullié . Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850, 1852.