 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (March 2024)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Joseph Souham | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 30 April 1760 (1760-04-30) |
| Died | 28 April 1837 (1837-04-29) (aged 76) |
| Allegiance | France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Rank | Général de Division |
| Battles / wars | |
Joseph, comte Souham (French pronunciation:[ʒozɛfswam]; 30 April 1760 – 28 April 1837) was a French general who fought in theFrench Revolutionary Wars and theNapoleonic Wars. He was born atLubersac and died atVersailles. After long service in the French Royal Army, he was elected to lead a volunteer battalion in 1792 during theFrench Revolution. He was promoted togeneral of division in September 1793 after playing a prominent role in thedefense of Dunkirk. In May 1794 with his commander absent, he took temporary command of theArmy of the North and defeated the Coalition army atTourcoing. He led the covering forces at thesiege of Ypres and participated in the successful invasion of theDutch Republic. He spent many years in occupation duties in Holland and then his career suffered because of his association withPichegru andMoreau. Starting in 1809 he was employed in Spain during thePeninsular War, winning theBattle of Vich where he was wounded. When he was in army command again, he forcedWellington's army to retreat atTordesillas in 1812 and became one of the few French generals to remain undefeated in the war. The following year he led a division atLützen and a corps atLeipzig. He remained loyal to the Bourbons during theHundred Days.
Souham served in the Royal French army as a private from 1782 to 1790. In 1792, having shown himself active in the cause of theRevolution, he was electedchef de bataillon of a volunteer battalion from theCorrèze.[1] He served with his unit at theBattle of Jemappes.
By 1793, Souham had risen to the rank ofgénéral de division during theFlanders Campaign. When his army commander,Jean-Charles Pichegru fell ill, Souham assumed army command and defeated the Allied army at theBattle of Tourcoing in May 1794. He served under Pichegru in Holland (1795), but in 1799 he fell into disgrace on suspicion of being involved in Royalist intrigues. He was reinstated in 1800 and served underJean Moreau in the Danube campaign of that year. During theFrench Consulate he appears to have been involved in conspiracies and was suspected with his old commanders Moreau and Pichegru of participation in the plot ofGeorges Cadoudal.[1]
He was unemployed from 1800 to 1809. In the latter year a shortage of available experienced officers caused him to be put back on active duty. He was sent to Spain, where he took a notable part inGouvion St Cyr's operations inCatalonia.[1] Theactions at Vic in which he was wounded won him the title ofcomte de l'empire.
WhenMarshal Marmont had been wounded at theBattle of Salamanca in 1812, MarshalAndré Masséna, who was unable to assume the post himself, recommended Souham for the post. The latter was thus pitted againstWellington, and by skilful maneuvers drove the allied general back fromBurgos and regained the ground lost atSalamanca.[1] In January 1813, he was recalled to France.
In 1813, he took command of a division in MarshalMichel Ney's III Corps. AtLützen he greatly distinguished himself. Faced by the bulk of the combined Russian and Prussian armies, he bitterly defended the area around Gross-Gorschen. At theBattle of Leipzig he was wounded while leading III Corps.
After the fall of the First Empire he stayed loyal to the Bourbons and, having suffered for the Royalist cause, was well received byLouis XVIII, who gave him high commands. These honours Souham lost at the return of Napoleon and were regained once more after the Second Restoration. He retired in 1832, and died on 28 April 1837 in Versailles.[1]
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Joseph Souham" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Souham, Joseph, Count".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 436.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
