List of French general officers (Peninsular War)

The following list of French general officers (Peninsular War) lists the générals (général de brigade and général de division) and maréchals d'Empire, that is, the French general officers who served in the First French Empire's Grande Armée in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War (1808–1814). The rank given refers to that held until 1814. The list includes foreign nationals who fought in French military units.

Overview

Napoleon had intended the campaign on the Peninsula to be a walkover, but what he would come to call the Spanish Ulcer,[1] ended up with him having had to send in thirteen of his maréchals (ten of whom were of the first promotion – of fourteen – and included Soult, one of only six men to have been appointed Marshal General of France in the history of France), as well as two "honorary" marshals, Kellermann and Lefebvre, and enter Madrid himself. Apart from the original 28,000 troops that had entered Spain under Junot, heading for Portugal, he would have to send in a further two hundred and seventy thousand men — more than half of the empire's total military strength.[1]

List
Name Command Action seen Notes
Abbé
(28 August 1764 – 9 April 1834)
(General of Brigade)		 3rd Division / IX Corps La Bisbal de Falset (Battle of);
Tortosa (Siege of);
Tarragona (Siege of);
Montserrat (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
San Marcial (Battle of);
Bidassoa (Battle of the);
Nivelle (Battle of);
Nive (Battle of the);
Bayonne (Battle of);
Alorna (Marquis of)
(16 January 1754 – 2 January 1813)
(Lieutenant General / General of Division)		 Portuguese Legion
Arenberg
(28 April 1785 – 27 February 1861)
(Colonel)		 Chevau-Légers d'Arenberg Arroyo dos Molinos (Battle of) – WiA/PoW; Technically, a field officer, not a general officer, but as he led his own troops, the Chevau-Légers d'Arenberg, into battle, he is included in this list.
Berthier
(20 February 1753 – 1 June 1815)
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Napoleon's Chief of staff
Bessières, Bertrand
(6 January 1773 – 15 November 1855)
(General)		 7th Division / Army of Spain Molins de Rey (Battle of);
 Younger brother of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières.
Bessières, Jean-Baptiste
(6 August 1768 – 1 May 1813)
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Army of the North Cabezón (Battle of); Elder brother of General Bertrand Bessières.
Bonet
(8 August 1768 – 23 November 1857)
(General of Division)		 8th Division / Army of Portugal Salamanca (Battle of) – WiA; Took over command at Salamanca when his superior, Marmont, was wounded.
Boussart
(13 November 1758 – 11 August 1813)
(General of Division)		 Cavalry Division / Army of Aragon Bailén (Battle of) – PoW;
Valencia (Siege of) – WiA;
Castalla (Battle of) – DoW;
Bouvier des Éclaz
(3 December 1757 – 12 January 1830)
(General of Brigade)		 3rd Dragoon Brigade / Cavalry Division / Army of the Midi Usagre (Battle of);
Boyer
(General of Brigade)		 Dragoon Division / Army of Portugal Venta del Pozo (Battle of);
Brenier
(12 November 1767 – 8 October 1832)
(General of Division)		 6th Division / Army of Portugal Portugal (Invasion of);
Vimeiro (Battle of) – WiA/PoW;
Almeida (First siege of);
Almeida (Second siege of);
Battle of Salamanca;
Briche
(12 August 1772 – 21 May 1825)
(General of Brigade)		 1st Dragoon Brigade / Cavalry Division / Army of the Midi Gebora (Battle of the);
Albuera (Battle of);
Bron
(30 November 1757 – 18 May 1847)
(General of Brigade)		 2nd Dragoon Brigade / Cavalry Division / Army of the Midi Usagre (Battle of);
Arroyo dos Molinos (Battle of) – PoW;
Carrié
(General of Brigade)		 Auxiliary Brigade / Kellermann's Command (1810) Astorga (Combat of);
Alba de Tormes (Battle of) – PoW		 Carrié served under General Kellerman
Cassagne
(5 June 1774 – 6 July 1841)
(General of Brigade)		 1st Brigade / 2nd Division / Army of Andalusia
Cavrois
(23 January 1774 – 22 November 1820)
(General of Brigade)		 2nd Brigade / Cavalry / Army of Portugal
Chabran
(21 June 1763 – February 1843)
(General of Division)		 Division / VII Corps Bruch (First battle of);
Molins de Rey (Battle of);
Chassé
(18 March 1765 – 2 May 1849)
(General)		 Dutch Brigade Pancorbo (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Ocana (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Maya (Battle of);
Clausel
(12 December 1772 – 21 April 1842)
(General of Division)		 Army of the North Salamanca (Battle of); Clausel took over the command at Salamanca when his two superiors, Marshal Marmont and General Bonet, were both wounded by shrapnel.
Compère
(21 May 1774 – 7 September 1812)
(General of Brigade)		 Neapolitan Division Valencia (Siege of);
Conroux
(17 February 1770 – 11 November 1813)
(General of Division)		 2nd Division / IX Corps Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Bornos (Second battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
San Marcial (Battle of);
Bidassoa (Battle of the);
Nivelle (Battle of) – DoW;
Curto
(General of Brigade)		 Light Cavalry Division / Army of Portugal Venta del Pozo (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Debelle
(27 November 1770 – 19 July 1826)
(General)		 Sahagún (Battle of);
Decaen
(13 April 1769 – 9 September 1832)
(General)
Delaborde
(21 December 1764 – 3 February 1833)
(General)		 Roliça (Battle of);
Vimeiro (Battle of) – WiA;
Corunna (Battle of);
Porto (First battle of);
Porto (Second battle of);		 Delaborde led divisions during the Invasion of Portugal under Junot and later under Soult.
Dessolles
(3 July 1767 – 3 November 1828)
(General)		 Almonacid (Battle of);
Ocaña (Battle of)
Drouet
(29 July 1765 – 25 January 1844)
(General)		 Vitoria (Battle of);
Maya (Battle of);
Dubreton
(18 January 1773 – 27 May 1855)
(General)		 Burgos (Siege of);
Duhesme
(7 July 1766 – 20 June 1815)
(General)		 Gerona (Battle of);
Gerona (Second siege of);
Dulauloy[2] (9 December 1761 – 1832)
(General)
Dupont
(4 July 1765 – 9 March 1840)
(General)		 Alcolea Bridge (Battle of);
Córdoba (Capture of);
Bailén (Battle of);
Duprès
(3 October 1755 – 21 July 1808)
(General)		 Alcolea Bridge (Battle of);
Córdoba (Capture of);
Bailén (Battle of) – KiA;		 Duprès is also referred to as Dupré.
Ferey
(21 September 1771 – 22 July 1812)
(General)		 Bussaco (Battle of);
Casal Novo (Battle of);
Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of) – KiA;
Filangieri
(10 May 1784 – 9 October 1867)
(General)		 He was sent back to Italy after having killed General François Franceschi-Losio in a duel in 1810.[3]
Foy
(3 February 1775 – 28 November 1825)
(General)		 Vimeiro (Battle of)– WiA;
Corunna (Battle of);
Porto (First battle of);
Porto (Second battle of) – WiA;
Buçaco (Battle of) – WiA;
Salamanca (Battle of);
Garcia Hernandez (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
Franceschi
(5 December 1766 – 19 March 1813)
(General)		 Mansilla (Battle of);
Franceschi-Losio
(3 July 1770 – 1810)
(General)		 He was killed by Carlo Filangieri in a duel at Vitoria in 1810.[3]
Gazan
(29 October 1765 – 9 April 1845)
(General)		 Albuera (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Girard
(21 February 1775 – 27 June 1815)
(General)		 Albuera (Battle of);
Arroyo dos Molinos (Battle of);
Gobert
(1 June 1760 – 17 July 1808)
(General)		 Bailén (Battle of) – DoW[4]
Godinot
(1 May 1765 – 27 October 1811)
(General)		 Albuera (Battle of);
Zujar (Battle of);
Bornos (Battle of);
Gouvion-Saint-Cyr
(13 April 1764 – 17 March 1830)
(General)		 Cardadeu (Battle of);
Molins de Rey (Battle of);
Grouchy
(23 October 1766 – 29 May 1847)
(General)		 Following the Dos de Mayo Uprising in Madrid in 1808, Grouchy, acting on orders of Joachim Murat, presided over the court-martial that ordered the execution of all Spaniards captured bearing arms,[5] as depicted by Goya in The Third of May 1808.
Habert
(22 December 1773 – 19 May 1825)
(General)		 Lerida (Siege of);
Tortosa (Siege of);
Tarragona (Siege of);
Saguntum (Battle of);
Valencia (Siege of);
Castalla (Battle of);
Ordal (Battle of);
Harispe
(7 December 1768 – 26 May 1855)
(General)		 Margalef (Battle of);
Jourdan
(29 April 1762 – 23 November 1833)
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Julienne
(3 June 1775 – 2 June 1838)
(General)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Almonacid (Battle of);
Junot
(24 September 1771 – 29 July 1813)
(General)		 Vimeiro (Battle of);
Astorga (Siege of);
Sobral (Battle of);
François Etienne de Kellermann[6]
(4 August 1770 – 2 June 1835)
(General)		 Alba de Tormes (Battle of)[7]
Lagrange
(10 January 1763 – 16 January 1836)
(General)
La Houssaye
(20 October 1768 – 19 June 1848)
(General)		 Corunna (Battle of);
Braga (Battle of);
Porto (First Battle of);
Second Porto (Second Battle of);
Arzobispo (Battle of);
Lallemand
(23 June 1774 – 9 March 1839)
(General)		 Maguilla (Battle of);
Lannes
(10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809)
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Tudela (Battle of);
Zaragoza (Second siege of);
Lapisse
(25 November 1762 – 30 July 1809)
(General)		 Espinosa (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of) – DoW;
Lasalle
(10 May 1775 – 6 July 1809)
(General)		 Cabezón (Battle of);
Maransin
(20 March 1770 – 15 May 1828)
(General)		 Albuera (Battle of)
Latour-Maubourg
(22 May 1768 – 20 May 1834)
(General)		 Uclés (Battle of);
Villafranca (Battle of);
Medellín (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Ocana (Battle of);
Gebora (Battle of);
Albuera (Battle of);
Usagre (Battle of);
Villafranca (Battle of) – WiA;
Lebrun
(20 October 1768 – 19 June 1848)
(General)		 Corunna (Battle of);
Braga (Battle of);
Porto (First battle of);
Porto (Second battle of);
Arzobispo (Battle of);
Lefebvre-Desnouettes
(14 September 1773 – 22 May 1822)
(General)		 Tudela (Battle of);
Pancorbo (Battle of);
Zaragoza (First siege of);
Benavente (Battle of) – PoW;
Leval
(18 April 1762 – 7 August 1834)
(General)		 Pancorbo (Battle of);
Medellín (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Almonacid (Battle of);
Ocaña (Battle of);
Barrosa (Battle of);
Tarifa (Siege of)
Vitoria (Battle of);
Liger-Belair
(General)		 Valdepeñas (Uprising of);
Bailén (Battle of);
Loison
(General)		 Évora (Battle of);
Lorge
(22 November 1767 – 28 November 1826)
(General)		 Corunna (Battle of);
MacDonald
(17 November 1765 – 7 September 1840)
(General)		 La Bisbal (Battle of);
Marescot
(1 March 1758 – 5 November 1832)
(General)		 Bailén (Battle of);
Marmont
(20 July 1774 – 22 March 1852)
(Marshal – third promotion)		 Ciudad Rodrigo (Siege of);
Salamanca (Battle of) – WiA
Masséna
(6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817)
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Ciudad Rodrigo (Siege of);
Almeida (Siege of);
Buçaco (Battle of);
Sabugal (Battle of);
Fuentes de Oñoro (Battle of);		 Following his victory at Buçaco, he forced the allies to retreat into the Lines of Torres Vedras.
Merle
(26 August 1766 – 5 December 1830)
(General)		 Medina de Rioseco (Battle of);
Corunna (Battle of);
Porto (First battle of);
Porto (Second battle of);
Buçaco (Battle of);
Sabugal (Battle of);
Fuentes de Oñoro (Battle of);
Merlin (Antoine François)[8]
(27 December 1778 – 31 August 1854)
(General)		 Salamanca (Battle of);
Merlin (Christophe-Antoine)[9]
(27 May 1771 – 9 May 1839)
(General)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Almonacid (Battle of);
Ocana (Battle of);
Mermet
(9 May 1772 – 28 October 1837)
(General)		 Porto (First battle of);
Grijó (Battle of);
Porto (Second battle of);
Ciudad Rodrigo (Siege of );
Almeida (Siege of ), the Côa (Battle of the);
Buçaco (Battle of);
Redinha (Battle of);
Fuentes de Oñoro (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Milhaud
(10 July 1766 – 8 January 1833)
(General)		 Almonacid (Battle of);
Moncey
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Zaragoza (Second siege of);
Montbrun
(1 March 1770 – 7 September 1812)
(General)		 Somosierra (Battle of);
Bussaco (Battle of);
Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Mortier
(Marshal – first promotion)		 V Corps Zaragoza (Second siege of);
Campo Maior Castle (Siege of);
Murat
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Dos de Mayo Uprising;
Musnier
(General)		 Margalef (Battle of);
Napoleon I
(15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821)
Ney
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Tudela (Battle of);
River Côa (Battle of the);
Almeida (First siege of);
Ormancey
(2 August 1754 – 22 July 1824)
(General)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Pannetier
(28 November 1769 – 3 December 1843)
(General)		 Alcolea Bridge (Battle of);
Córdoba (Capture of);
Bailén (Battle of);
Philippon
(27 August 1761 – 4 May 1836)
(General)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Cádiz (Siege of);
Gebora (Battle of the);
Badajoz (First siege of);
Badajoz (Second siege of);
Albuera (Battle of);
Popon
(21 February 1772 – 18 February 1824)
(General)		 Tamames (Battle of);
Alba de Tormes (Battle of);
Ciudad Rodrigo (Siege of);
Almeida (Siege of);
Buçaco (Battle of);
Casal Novo (Battle of);
Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of);
San Millan-Osma (Battle of);
Tolosa (Battle of);
Sorauren (Battle of);
Bidassoa (Battle of the);
Pryvé
(19 July 1762 – 13 February 1831)
(General)		 Alcolea Bridge (Battle of);
Córdoba (Capture of);
Bailén (Battle of);
Quesnel
(18 January 1765 – 8 April 1819)
(General)		 Portugal (1807 Invasion of)  – PoW;
Portugal (1809 Invasion of);
Figueras (Siege of)		 Following the Invasion of Portugal, he was appointed Governor of Porto. He and his 30-man dragoon escort were captured on 6 June 1808 when news of the rebellion in Spain reached the Spanish General Belesta, whose 6,000 troops were garrisoned in the city. After being handed over to the British at Corunna, he was freed by French soldiers on 16 January 1809.
Reille
(General)		 Gerona (Second siege of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Rey
(22 September 1768 – 18 June 1846)
(General)		 Ocaña Battle of;
Baza (Battle of);
Tarragona (Siege of);
San Sebastián (Siege of) – PoW;
Orthez (Battle of);
Toulouse (Battle of)
Roize
(General)		 Valdepeñas (Uprising of);
Rosily
(3 June 1748 – 19 August 1832)
(Vice admiral)		 Capture of Rosily Squadron – PoW;
Rouyer
(2 March 1765 – 10 August 1824)
(General)
Ruffin
(31 August 1771 – 15 May 1811)
(General)		 I Corps Somosierra (Battle of);
Uclés (Battle of);
Medellin (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Barrosa (Battle of) – WiA/PoW/DoW
Ruty
(4 November 1774 – 24 April 1828)
(General)		 Ciudad Rodrigo (Siege of);
Almeida (Siege of);
Albuera (Battle of);
Sarrut
(16 August 1765 – 26 June 1813)
(General)		 Buçaco (Battle of);
Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of);
San Millan-Osma (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of) – DoW
Schwarz
(General)		 Bruch (First battle of);
Manresa (Battle of);
La Bisbal (Battle of)– PoW
Sébastiani
(11 November 1771 – 20 July 1851)
(General)		 IV Corps Pancorbo (Battle of);
Ciudad Real (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Almonacid (Battle of);
Solignac
(15 March 1773 – 11 November 1850)
(General)		 Vimeiro (Battle of);
Souham
(30 April 1760 – 28 April 1837)
(General)		 Venta del Pozo (Battle of);
Vich (Battle of) – WiA;
Soult
(Marshal – first promotion)		 Badajoz (Siege of);
Corunna (Battle of);
Albuera (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
Strolz
(6 August 1771 – 27 October 1841)
(General)		 Talavera (Battle of);
Almonacid (Battle of);
Suchet
(2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826)
(Marshal – fourth promotion)		 III Corps Lérida (Siege of);
Tarragona (Siege of)
Taupin
(17 August 1767 – 10 April 1814)
(General)		 Bussaco (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
San Marcial (Battle of);
Bidassoa (Battle of the);
Nivelle (Battle of);
Nive (Battle of the);
Orthez (Battle of);
Toulouse (Battle of) – KiA;
Thomières
(18 August 1771 – 22 July 1812)
(General)		 Invasion of Portugal (1807);
Roliça (Battle of);
Vimeiro (Battle of) – WiA;
Corunna (Battle of);
Bussaco (Battle of);
Fuentes de Onoro (Battle of);
Salamanca (Battle of) – KiA;
Trelliard
(7 February 1764 – 14 May 1832)
(General)		 Majadahonda (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
the Pyrenees (Battle of);
Valletaux
(23 November 1773 – 23 June 1811)		 Cogorderos (Battle of) – KiA;
Vandermaesen
(11 November 1767 – 1 September 1813)
(General)		 San Marcial (Battle of) – KiA;
Vedel
(General)		 Puerta del Rey;
Bailén (Battle of);
Verdier
(General)		 Zaragoza (First siege of);
Victor
(Marshal – second promotion)		 Valmaseda (Battle of);
Battle of Espinosa;
Barrosa (Battle of);
Villatte
(14 April 1770 – 14 May 1834)
(General)		 Pancorbo (Battle of);
Valmaseda (Battle of);
Barrosa (Battle of);
Espinosa (Battle of) Uclés (Battle of);
Medellin (Battle of);
Talavera (Battle of);
Vitoria (Battle of);
Pyrenees (Battle of the);
Bidassoa (Battle of the);
Nivelle (Battle of the);
Nive (Battle of the);
Orthez (Battle of);
Toulouse (Battle of);
Werlé
(6 September 1763 – 16 May 1811)
(General)		 Ocana (Battle of);
Albuera (Battle of) – KiA;

See also

References
  1. Hindley, Meredith (2010) "The Spanish Ulcer: Napoleon, Britain, and the Siege of Cádiz" in Humanities, January/February 2010, Volume 31, Number 1. National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  2. Mullié, C. (1852) (in French) Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850/M "Biography: Charles François Dulauloy" Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. Mullié, C. Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850 Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  4. Mullié, Charles (1852) (in French) Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850: G–O, pp. 1–2. At Google Books. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  5. Cayuela Fernández, José Gregorio; Gallego Palomares, José Ángel (2008). La Guerra de la Independencia. Historia bélica, pueblo y nación en España (1808-1814) (in Spanish). Universidad de Salamanca. p. 536. ISBN 9788478003341. Retrieved 30 November 2019 – via Google Books.
  6. Jensen, Nathan D. "General François-Etienne Kellerman." Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  7. Gates, David (2001)The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War, p. 146. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-7867-4732-0. Google Books. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  8. Mullié, C. (1852) (in French) Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850/M "Biography: Antoine François Eugène Merlin" Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  9. Mullié, C. (1852) (in French) Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850/M "Biography: Christophe-Antoine Merlin" Retrieved 1 August 2013.
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