Louis Des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, duc de Mahon
Encyclopedia
Louis Des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, duc de Mahon (1717, Avignon
- 1796, Madrid
) was a French soldier. He distinguished himself in the Seven Years' War
then, complaining that he was not rising through the ranks in the French Army, left it for the Spanish army. In the Spanish service he became supreme commander during the 1780 hostilities between the United Kingdom
and Spain
, retook Mahon
and Minorca
from the British and was rewarded by being made Duke of Mahon.
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
- 1796, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) was a French soldier. He distinguished himself in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
then, complaining that he was not rising through the ranks in the French Army, left it for the Spanish army. In the Spanish service he became supreme commander during the 1780 hostilities between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, retook Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
and Minorca
Invasion of Minorca, 1781
The Franco-Spanish conquest of Minorca from its British defenders in February 1782, after the Siege of Fort St. Philip lasting over five months, was an important step in the achievement of Spain's aims in its alliance with France against Britain during the American War of Independence...
from the British and was rewarded by being made Duke of Mahon.