Marmont, Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de

(1774–1852)

   A marshal of the French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte, Auguste Marmont was trained as an artillerist and served as Napoleon’s aide-de-camp during his Italian campaign, 1796–1797, and expedition to Egypt, 1798–99. He helped Napoleon seize power in the coup of Brumaire in 1799 and in the following year distinguished himself in command of the artillery at the Battle of Marengo. He served for five years as governor of Dalmatia, where he proved himself both effective and popular with the people. He replaced Marshal Masséna in command of an army in Spain in 1811, but was decisively defeated and severely wounded at the Battle of Salamanca the next year. He was transferred for service in Germany, where he fought the Allies as they pushed Napoleon’s forces back into France itself in 1814. Defeated at Laon, Marmont concluded a secret convention with the Allies and surrendered his corps, making continued French resistance impossible - a betrayal for which neither Napoleon nor the French people ever forgave him.

   FURTHER READING:

    Chandler, David, ed. Napoleon ’ s Marshals. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000;

    Delderfield, R. F. Napoleon ’ s Marshals. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 2002;

    Macdonell, A. G. Napoleon and His Marshals. New York: Prion Books, 1996.

   GREGORY FREMONT-BARNES