French Imperial Navy

picture info	French Imperial Navy The French Imperial Navy () was the name given to the French Navy during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, and subsequently during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. The first use of the title 'Imperial Navy' was in 1804, following the Coronation of Napoleon, a name derived from the old French Navy under The Republic. It notably saw action at the Battle of Trafalgar, and its defeat prevented Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom. After the First Bourbon Restoration in 1814, the navy was renamed to its old title of French Royal Navy, but after Napoleon's return in March 1815, briefly became the Imperial Navy once more. Following the Second Bourbon Restoration, the navy once again became royal, and the title wasn't used again. History Fleet of the Restoration In 1789 the Kingdom of France had the second strongest navy in the world (only second to the Royal British Navy). The navy had been rebuilt since the disasters of the Seven Years' War. During the American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career of Napoleon Bonaparte, successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars, Revolutionary Wars. He was the ''de facto'' leader of the First French Republic, French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814 and again in Hundred Days, 1815. Napoleon's political and cultural legacy endures to this day, as a highly celebrated and controversial leader. He initiated many liberal reforms that have persisted in society, and is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. His wars and campaigns are studied by militaries all over the world. Between three and six million civilians and soldiers Napoleonic Wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Louis-René Levassor De Latouche Tréville Louis-René Madelaine Le Vassor, comte de La Touche-TrévilleLevot, p.295 (3 June 1745 – 19 August 1804)Levot, p. 296 was a French vice-admiral. He fought in the American War of Independence and became a prominent figure of the French Revolutionary Wars and of the Napoleonic wars. Born into a noble family of naval officers, Latouche enlisted at the age of 13. He rose to become a competent frigate captain, battling several British ships during the American War of Independence. His two-frigate squadron once manoeuvred a 74-gun ship of the line to the point of sinking, and he was entrusted with important personalities of the time as passengers, notably Louis XVI and the Marquis de Lafayette. During the Revolution, Latouche, a Freemason and aide to Phillipe Égalité, took progressive positions as a deputy in the Estates General and later in the National Constituent Assembly. His noble status nevertheless made him a target during the Reign of Terror, and he was imprisoned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoléon Bonaparte, although the form of the government changed several times. This period was characterized by the fall of the monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and, finally, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power. End of the monarchy in France Under the Legislative Assembly, which was in power before the proclamation of the First Republic, France was engaged in war with Prussia and Austria. In July 1792, the Duke of Brunswick, commanding general of the Austro–Prussian Army, issued his Bru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Coronation Of Napoleon Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French on Sunday, December 2, 1804 (11 Frimaire, Year XIII according to the French Republican calendar), at Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris. It marked "the instantiation of hemodern empire" and was a "transparently masterminded piece of modern propaganda". Napoleon wanted to establish the legitimacy of his imperial reign, with its new dynasty and new nobility. To this end, he designed a new coronation ceremony unlike that for the kings of France, which had emphasized the king's consecration (''sacre'') and anointment and was conferred by the archbishop of Reims in Reims Cathedral. Napoleon's was a sacred ceremony held in the great cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in the presence of Pope Pius VII. Napoleon brought together various rites and customs, incorporating ceremonies of Carolingian tradition, the ''Ancien Régime'' and the French Revolution, all presented in sumptuous luxury. On May 18, 1804, the ''Sénat conservateur'' vested the Rep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in the world, ranking seventh in combined fleet tonnage and fifth in number of naval vessels. The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers,Along with the U.S., U.K., China, Russia, Italy, India and Spain with its flagship being the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States Navy, and one of two non-American vessels to use catapults to launch aircraft. Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continual service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played a critical role in establishing and securing the French colonial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez (7 August 1763 – 17 May 1845) was a French sailor, Navy officer, and admiral of the First French Empire. Willaumez joined the French Navy at the age of 14, and proved a competent sailor. Having risen to the rank of pilot, he started studying navigation, attracting the attention of his superiors up to Louis XVI himself. He became an officer and served under Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux in his expedition to rescue Lapérouse and explore the Indian Ocean and Oceania (including Tasmania, also known as Van Diemen's Land). At the French Revolution, Willaumez rose in rank and served in Saint-Domingue, where he led a brilliant defence of the frigate ''Poursuivante'' against the 74-gun HMS ''Hercule'' in the action of 28 June 1803. He fought the Haitian Revolution, commanding the station of Saint-Domingue. During the Empire, in 1806, Willaumez commanded a squadron in the Atlantic campaign of 1806. He sailed to the Cape of Good Hope, Brazil and the Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Pierre-Charles Villeneuve Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve (31 December 1763 – 22 April 1806) was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of the French and the Spanish fleets that were defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Early career Villeneuve was born in 1763 at Valensole, and joined the French Navy in 1779. He took part in naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, serving as an ensign on ''Marseillais'', in de Grasse's fleet. Despite his aristocratic ancestry, he sympathised with the French Revolution, dropping the nobiliary particle from his name, and was able to continue his service in the Navy when other aristocratic officers were purged. He served during several battles, and was promoted to rear admiral in 1796 as a result of this. At the Battle of the Nile in 1798 he was in command of the rear division. His ship, , was one of only two French ships of the line to escape the defeat. He was captured soon afterwards whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Laurent Jean François Truguet Laurent Jean François Truguet (10 January 1752, Toulon – 26 December 1839, Toulon) was a French admiral. Life Youth up to the Revolution Of aristocratic origins, and the son of a chef d'escadre, Laurent de Truguet entered the gardes de la marine in 1765. He navigated successively the ''Hirondelle'', ''Provence'', ''Atalante'', ''Pléiade'' and ''Chimère''. He won several prizes, awarded to the best gardes by Louis XV. He became enseigne de vaisseau in 1773 and had already been in eight campaigns by July 1778, when war was declared against England. In the war in America, he served on the frigate ''Atalante'' then on the vessel ''Hector'' under the comte d'Estaing, and took part in the battle at Saint Lucia. Lieutenant de vaisseau from 1779, in the land attack on Savannah, he saved the life of admiral d'Estaing despite being severely wounded himself, for which he was made a knight of Order of Saint Louis. On the ''Languedoc'' then the ''Citoyen'', he took part in va ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Antoine-Jean-Marie Thévenard Antoine Jean Marie Thévenard (7 December 1733, in Saint-MaloCunat, p.387 – 9 February 1815, in ParisCunat, p.389) was a French politician and vice admiral. He served in the French ruling regimes of Louis XVI, those of the Revolution, Napoleon I and Louis XVIII, and is buried at the Panthéon de Paris. His son Antoine-René Thévenard, ''capitaine de vaisseau'', was killed at the Battle of Aboukir whilst commanding the 74-gun ''Aquilon''. Career Thévenard was born to Antoine Thévenard, a senior officer in the merchant navy,Arnault, p.426 and Jeanne Moinet. He began sailing as a lieutenant in 1747 on merchantmen captained by his father, and went on to sail for the Compagnie des Indes.Cunat, p.388 Aged 12 he embarked on a Compagnie des Indes ship and fought in several battles. He became a lieutenant in 1754 and destroyed the English establishments on the Newfoundland coast and took part in the pirate François Thurot's expedition to Ireland (1759). He earned the rank of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Pierre César Charles De Sercey Vice Admiral Pierre César Charles Guillaume, Marquis de Sercey, born at the Château du Jeu, La Comelle on 26 April 1753 and died in Paris, 1st arrondissement on 10 August 1836, was a French naval officer and politician. He is best known for his service in the American Revolutionary War, his role in Saint-Domingue and the Mascarene Islands, and for commanding the French naval forces in the Indian Ocean from 1796 to 1800. Early life Coming from old Burgundian nobility, he lost his father Jean-Jacques, Marquis de Sercey, captain of the Lorraine-Dragons regiment, at the age of five. His family moved to Paris, and at thirteen he obtained permission from his mother Marie-Madeleine du Crest, shortly before her death, to join the Royal Navy, inspired by the exploits of a brother who had distinguished himself during the boarding of an English ship. Now an orphan, he embarked in 1766 as a volunteer on the frigate ''Légère'', leaving Brest for a nine-month campaign in the Windwar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Albin Roussin Albin Reine Roussin (21 April 1781 – 21 February 1854) was a French admiral and statesman. Republic and Empire His father was a lawyer who was arrested during the French Revolution when Roussin was aged twelve. He left home in Dijon and travelled to Dunkerque where he enlisted as a cadet in the French Navy in December 1793. He served from 1794 to 1797 on various frigates. In 1801 he sat and passed the midshipman's exam following to lessons from the hydrographer Jean Petit-Genet. His first posting as an officer was to command a gunboat at Antwerp, part of the "National Flotilla" of coastal ships, collecting in various Channel ports for Napoleon's projected invasion of England. By 1803 he was promoted to ensign and embarked aboard the frigate '' Sémillante'' under the command of Captain Léonard-Bernard Motard. They would spend six years in the Indian Ocean, based on Réunion, preying on British shipping bound to and from India. The worn-out ''Sémillante'' was paid off at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Édouard Thomas Burgues De Missiessy Édouard-Thomas de Burgues, comte de Missiessy (23 April 1756, Forcalquier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 24 March 1837, Toulon) was a French naval officer and admiral. He joined the navy in April 1766, as a volunteer aboard his father's ship and spent most of his early service in the Mediterranean, in the frigates of the Toulon Fleet. When France entered the American Revolutionary war, Missiessy joined the 64-gun Vaillant in Admiral d'Estaing's fleet, where he took part in the initial engagements off Newport, St Lucia and Grenada, and in September 1779, the failed attack on Savannah. Missiessy's first command came in 1782 when he was promoted to ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' of the cutter ''Le Pygmée''. He was soon after captured by the British but later released in an exchange of prisoners. In 1789, the year of the outbreak of the French Revolution, Missiessy was a frigate commander in the Mediterranean. Promoted to capitaine de vaisseau in January 1792, he received the co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]