François Certain Canrobert
Encyclopedia
François Certain de Canrobert, usually known as François Certain-Canrobert and later simply as Maréchal Canrobert (27 June 1809, Saint-Céré
, Lot
– 28 January 1895, Paris
), was a marshal of France
.
, was the scion of a relatively obscure family whose grandfather had been ennobled in 1738 (the senior branch of the family, extinct in 1918, used the surname "Certain de La Meschaussée"): he became a Royalist émigré
and consequently his few properties were confiscated during the French Revolution and he was even briefly imprisoned in the Temple
in 1801. His mother was born Angélique de Niocel, also from a family of recent nobility (her grandfather had been ennobled in 1775 and her brother married a niece of Marshal Joachim Murat
, brother-in-law of Napoleon
).
The future Marshal was educated at Saint-Cyr
; he received a commission as sub-lieutenant in 1828, becoming lieutenant in 1832.
Sent to Algeria
in 1835, he served in the expedition to Mascara, at the capture of Tlemcen
, and in 1837 was promoted to captain and then captain adjudant-major. In the same year he received the Légion d'honneur
for courageous conduct. In 1839 he was employed in organizing a battalion of the French Foreign Legion
for the Carlist Wars
. In 1841 he was again serving in Algeria. Promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1846 and colonel of the 3rd regiment in 1847, he commanded the expedition against Ahmed Sghir in 1848, and defeated the Arabs at the Djerma Pass. Transferred to the Zouaves (1848-50), he defeated the Kabyles, and in 1849 displayed both courage and energy in reinforcing the blockaded garrison of Bou Saada
, and in command of one of the attacking columns at Zaatcha (December 1849). For his valour on the latter occasion he received the rank of general of brigade and the commandership of the Legion of Honour. He led the expedition against Narah in 1850 and destroyed the Arab stronghold.
Summoned to Paris, he was made aide-de-camp to the president, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, and took part in the coup d'état
of December 2, 1851
. In the Crimean War
he commanded a division at the Battle of Alma
, where he was twice wounded. He held a dormant commission entitling him to command in case of Saint-Arnaud
's death, and he thus succeeded to the chief command of the French army a few days after the battle. He was slightly wounded and had a horse killed under him at Inkerman
, when leading a charge of Zouave
s. Disagreements with the British commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan
, and in general, the disappointments due to the prolongation of the siege of Sevastopol led to his resignation of the command, but he did not return to France, preferring to serve as chief of his old division almost up to the fall of Sevastopol
.
After his return to France in August 1855 he was sent on diplomatic missions to Denmark and Sweden, and created a Marshal of France
and a Senator for Life. He was also made grand cross Legion of Honour, and honorary Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath
. He commanded the III Army Corps in Lombardy
in 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence
, distinguishing himself at Magenta
and Solferino
. He successively commanded the camp at Châlons
, the IV army corps at Lyon
and the army of Paris.
During the Franco-Prussian War
he commanded the VI army corps, which won great distinction at Mars-la-Tour
and at the Gravelotte
, where Canrobert commanded on the Saint-Privat position
. The VI Corps was amongst those shut up in Metz
and included in the surrender of that besieged fortress.
After the war Canrobert was appointed a member of the superior council of war, and was also active in political life, being elected Senator for Lot in 1876 and for Charente in 1879 and again in 1885. He died in Paris and was buried in the Hôtel des Invalides, receiving a state funeral: due to Canrobert's role in the coup of December 1851
and in the French defeat at Metz, it provoked protests from a deputy of the left, Gustave Hubbard, who was subsequently badly wounded during a duel
by Canrobert's firstborn son.
The Marshal married in 1863 Leila-Flora MacDonald, daughter of a captain of the British army and a great granddaughter of the Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald. They had a daughter and two sons.
His memoirs (Souvenirs) were published in 1898 at Paris.
Saint-Céré
Saint-Céré is a commune of 3, 540 people situated in the Lot valley in the Dordogne. The commune includes within its borders the castle of St-Laurent-Les-Tours, where the artist Jean Lurçat lived and worked for many years, and from which he operated a secret radio for the French Resistance...
, Lot
Lot (département)
Lot is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot River.- History :Lot is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the province of Languedoc. In 1808, some of the original southeastern cantons were...
– 28 January 1895, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), was a marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
.
Biography
His father, Antoine Certain de Canrobert, Knight of Saint LouisOrder of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
, was the scion of a relatively obscure family whose grandfather had been ennobled in 1738 (the senior branch of the family, extinct in 1918, used the surname "Certain de La Meschaussée"): he became a Royalist émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
and consequently his few properties were confiscated during the French Revolution and he was even briefly imprisoned in the Temple
Temple (Paris)
The Temple was a medieval fortress in Paris, located in what is now the IIIe arrondissement. It was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century, as their European headquarters. In the 13th century it replaced earlier works of the Vieille Temple in Le Marais...
in 1801. His mother was born Angélique de Niocel, also from a family of recent nobility (her grandfather had been ennobled in 1775 and her brother married a niece of Marshal Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
, brother-in-law of Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
).
The future Marshal was educated at Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
; he received a commission as sub-lieutenant in 1828, becoming lieutenant in 1832.
Sent to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in 1835, he served in the expedition to Mascara, at the capture of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
, and in 1837 was promoted to captain and then captain adjudant-major. In the same year he received the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
for courageous conduct. In 1839 he was employed in organizing a battalion of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
for the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
. In 1841 he was again serving in Algeria. Promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1846 and colonel of the 3rd regiment in 1847, he commanded the expedition against Ahmed Sghir in 1848, and defeated the Arabs at the Djerma Pass. Transferred to the Zouaves (1848-50), he defeated the Kabyles, and in 1849 displayed both courage and energy in reinforcing the blockaded garrison of Bou Saada
Bou Saada
Bou Saada is a town and municipality in M'Sila Province, Algeria, situated 245 km south of Algiers. The municipality population was estimated at 134,000 in 2008....
, and in command of one of the attacking columns at Zaatcha (December 1849). For his valour on the latter occasion he received the rank of general of brigade and the commandership of the Legion of Honour. He led the expedition against Narah in 1850 and destroyed the Arab stronghold.
Summoned to Paris, he was made aide-de-camp to the president, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, and took part in the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of December 2, 1851
French coup of 1851
The French coup d'état on 2 December 1851, staged by Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte , ended in the successful dissolution of the French National Assembly, as well as the subsequent re-establishment of the French Empire the next year...
. In the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
he commanded a division at the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, where he was twice wounded. He held a dormant commission entitling him to command in case of Saint-Arnaud
Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud
Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud was a French soldier and Marshal of France during the 19th century...
's death, and he thus succeeded to the chief command of the French army a few days after the battle. He was slightly wounded and had a horse killed under him at Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
, when leading a charge of Zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
s. Disagreements with the British commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC , known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British soldier.-Early life:...
, and in general, the disappointments due to the prolongation of the siege of Sevastopol led to his resignation of the command, but he did not return to France, preferring to serve as chief of his old division almost up to the fall of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
.
After his return to France in August 1855 he was sent on diplomatic missions to Denmark and Sweden, and created a Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
and a Senator for Life. He was also made grand cross Legion of Honour, and honorary Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. He commanded the III Army Corps in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
in 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
, distinguishing himself at Magenta
Battle of Magenta
The Battle of Magenta was fought on June 4, 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai....
and Solferino
Battle of Solferino
The Battle of Solferino, , was fought on June 24, 1859 and resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian Army under Victor Emmanuel II against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was the last major battle in world...
. He successively commanded the camp at Châlons
Chalons
Chalons may refer to:Places* Châlons, in France's Isère département* Châlons-en-Champagne, formerly Châlons-sur-Marne, in the Marne département* Chalon-sur-Saône, in the Saône-et-Loire département* Roman Catholic Diocese of Châlons...
, the IV army corps at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and the army of Paris.
During the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
he commanded the VI army corps, which won great distinction at Mars-la-Tour
Battle of Mars-La-Tour
The Battle of Mars-La-Tour was fought on 16 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War near the town of Mars-La-Tour in northeast France. Two Prussian corps encountered the entire French Army of the Rhine in a meeting engagement, and with the surprise entailed, successfully forced the Army of the...
and at the Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
, where Canrobert commanded on the Saint-Privat position
Saint-Privat-la-Montagne
Saint-Privat-la-Montagne is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Saint Privat is located between the former French-German frontier as it was between 1871 and 1918 and between 1940 and 1944...
. The VI Corps was amongst those shut up in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
and included in the surrender of that besieged fortress.
After the war Canrobert was appointed a member of the superior council of war, and was also active in political life, being elected Senator for Lot in 1876 and for Charente in 1879 and again in 1885. He died in Paris and was buried in the Hôtel des Invalides, receiving a state funeral: due to Canrobert's role in the coup of December 1851
French coup of 1851
The French coup d'état on 2 December 1851, staged by Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte , ended in the successful dissolution of the French National Assembly, as well as the subsequent re-establishment of the French Empire the next year...
and in the French defeat at Metz, it provoked protests from a deputy of the left, Gustave Hubbard, who was subsequently badly wounded during a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
by Canrobert's firstborn son.
The Marshal married in 1863 Leila-Flora MacDonald, daughter of a captain of the British army and a great granddaughter of the Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald. They had a daughter and two sons.
His memoirs (Souvenirs) were published in 1898 at Paris.