Anne Gilbert de Laval or Anne-Gilbert Laval or Anne Guilbert de La Val (9 November 1762 – 6 September 1810) became a

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

and led a division in the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. Like many other officers, he saw rapid promotion during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. He commanded a demi brigade beginning in 1794. He fought in numerous actions during the 1796 campaign in Germany, including the battles of Ettlingen and

Neresheim Neresheim is a town in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated northeast of Heidenheim, and southeast of Aalen. It's the home of the Neresheim Abbey, which still hosts monks, was '' Reichsfrei'' until the Germa ...

. In 1799 he was promoted to

general of brigade Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...

shortly after the First Battle of Zurich. Afterward, he fought at Second Zurich, Stockach, and Messkirch. In 1808 he led a brigade in the invasion of Spain and was promoted to

general of division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corp ...

the next year. He led a division under Louis Gabriel Suchet at

Alcañiz Alcañiz () is a town and municipality of Teruel province in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon historical region. It lies som ...

and

Belchite Belchite is a municipality and town in the province of Zaragoza, Spain, about 40 km southeast of Zaragoza. It is the capital of Campo de Belchite ''comarca'' (administrative region) and is located in a plain surrounded by low hills, the highe ...

in 1809. He received a patent of nobility in June 1810 and died of fever at

Mora de Rubielos Mora de Rubielos is a municipality located in the mountainous area of the Iberian System, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2009 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1,756 inhabitants. Mora de Rubielos has a beauti ...

a few months later. His surname is one of the Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 36.

Revolution

Laval was born on 9 November 1762 at

Riom Riom (; Auvergnat ''Riam'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the se ...

in the province of Auvergne, France. Today Riom is part of the

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.chef de brigade of the 103rd Line Infantry Demi Brigade. In the ''amalgame'' of 1796 the 103rd became part of the new 100th Line Infantry Demi Brigade. Laval assumed command of the 100th Line on 16 February 1796.Broughton, ''French Infantry Regiments, Part X'' In June 1796 the 100th Line was part of Guillaume Philibert Duhesme's division, which had 7,438 infantry and 895 cavalry. This formation belonged to Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr's Left Wing of

Jean Victor Marie Moreau Jean Victor Marie Moreau (, 14 February 1763 – 2 September 1813) was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States. Biography Rise to fame Moreau was born at Morla ...

Army of Rhin-et-Moselle The Army of the Rhine and Moselle (french: Armée de Rhin-et-Moselle) was one of the field units of the French Revolutionary Army. It was formed on 20 April 1795 by the merger of elements of the Army of the Rhine and the Army of the Moselle. The ...

. The demi brigade participated in a victory over

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

troops at

Renchen Renchen ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Renche) is a small town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, part of the district of Ortenau. Geography Renchen is located in the foothills of the northern Black Forest at the entrance to the Rench valley at the ed ...

on 28 June. During Moreau's advance into southern Germany, Laval's troops were present at the battles of Ettlingen on 9 July 1796

on 11 August, and Friedberg on 24 August. As the Army of Rhin-et-Moselle withdrew, it is probable that the 100th Line fought at the battles of Biberach on 2 October 1796, Emmendingen on 19 October, and Schliengen on 24 October. The 100th Demi Brigade served during the Siege of Kehl. This operation lasted from 10 November 1796 to 9 January 1797 when the French withdrew. One source showed Laval commanding a brigade at the battles of

Ostrach Ostrach is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Geography Ostrach lies between the Danube and Lake Constance, about halfway between Sigmaringen and Ravensburg. It lies on the brook of the same name, w ...

and Stockach in March 1799, though this may be a mistaken identification of Jean François Leval. On 4 June 1799, the 100th Demi Brigade fought in the 4th Division at the First Battle of Zurich. Laval was promoted to

less than a week later on 10 June 1799. At the

Second Battle of Zurich The Second Battle of Zurich (25–26 September 1799) was a key victory by the Republican French army in Switzerland led by André Masséna over an Austrian and Russian force commanded by Alexander Korsakov near Zürich. It broke the stale ...

on 25 and 26 September 1799, he led a brigade in Nicolas Soult's 3rd Division. Soult's 11,000 troops crossed the

Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Linth ...

River, surprising and defeating 13,000 Austrian and Russian defenders. The success resulted in the death of Austrian commander

Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze Friedrich Freiherr (Baron) von Hotze (20 April 1739 – 25 September 1799), was a Swiss-born general in the Austrian army during the French Revolutionary Wars. He campaigned in the Rhineland during the War of the First Coalition and in Switzer ...

and the severing of

Alexander Suvarov Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy ...

's escape route. Under the command of Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan, the 3rd Division participated in the unsuccessful effort to trap Suvarov's army in the Alps. From 30 September through 5 October, actions were fought at Klöntalersee, Muotathal, Näfels, and Schwanden. In April 1800, Laval led a brigade in Moreau's Army of the Rhine. His division commander was Dominique Vandamme and the component units were the 1st Light Infantry and the 36th, 83rd, and 94th Line Infantry Demi Brigades, and the 8th Hussars. Vandamme's division belonged to Claude Lecourbe's Right Wing. Vandamme cowed the fortress of Hohentwiel into surrendering on 1 May 1800. Two days later, the division was in action at the Battle of Stockach. On 5 May, Vandamme's troops fought at the

Battle of Messkirch The Battle of Meßkirch was fought on 4 May 1800 and 5 May 1800 and resulted the victory of French army against the Austrians.The battle is referred to in some sources as the Battle of Moeskirch and as the Battle of Möskirch. Overview ''Se ...

. Laval missed the Battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December 1800. During the fall campaign, he led a brigade in Charles-Étienne Gudin's division of Lecourbe's Right Wing. On 14 December at

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

, the Austrian rear guard repulsed elements of Lecourbe's wing, including Gudin's division.

Empire

By this time

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 ...

made the poor decision to take Spain by force and replace King Charles IV. The French introduced 70,000 French troops into Spain and on 16 February 1808 seized control of a number of fortresses and cities. On 2 May 1808, the Spanish people rebelled against the French occupation forces, starting the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. Laval and Claude Rosthollant were the brigade commanders in

Bernard-Georges-François Frère Bernard-Georges-François Frère, Count of the Empire, (; 8 January 1762, in Montréal, Aude – 16 February 1826, in Paris) was a French soldier of the French Revolutionary Wars, who later rose to the top military rank of General of Division, t ...

's 3rd Division which belonged to

Pierre Dupont de l'Étang Pierre-Antoine, comte Dupont de l'Étang (4 July 1765 – 9 March 1840) was a French general of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as a political figure of the Bourbon Restoration. Life Revolutionary Wars Born in Chabanais, C ...

's 2nd Corps of Observation of the Gironde. Frère's division included the 1,160-strong 15th Light Infantry Regiment, the 2,870-man 2nd Legion of Reserve, and the 1,174-strong 1st Battalion of the 2nd Swiss Infantry Regiment. The division was detached from the corps and did not share in the Bailén disaster. Instead Frère was sent from Madrid to reopen communications with Marshal

Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey (or Jannot de Moncey), 1st Duke of Conegliano (31 July 1754 – 20 April 1842) was a French military officer and a prominent commander in the French Revolutionary Wars and later a Marshal of the Empire during the Napo ...

's corps in its retreat after the Battle of Valencia. The two forces united on 8 July 1808 and withdrew to Madrid. Laval was promoted to

on 1 April 1809. In May 1809, the

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

in Spain received a new leader, Louis Gabriel Suchet. Laval assumed command of the 1st Division with 4,000 soldiers in eight battalions. The 2nd Division was led by

Louis François Félix Musnier Louis François Félix Musnier de La Converserie (18 January 1766 – 16 November 1837) became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and led a division during the Napoleonic Wars. He joined the French Royal Army as an officer in 1 ...

and the cavalry by

Pierre Watier Pierre Watier or Pierre Wathier (4 September 1770 – 3 February 1846), was a French general of division during the First French Empire under Napoleon. He served in the cavalry during his entire career. After his exploits at Battle of Austerli ...

. Altogether, the corps mustered only 11,000 men. After the successful Siege of Zaragoza, the French overran the southern part of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

. Since war with Austria was looming, Napoleon withdrew half of Aragon's occupation troops leaving the French weak. The Spanish guerillas became active again, compelling the French to evacuate some districts. Soon, a Spanish army under General

Joaquín Blake y Joyes Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981), Spanish football winger * Joaquín (footballer, born 1982 ...

appeared and threatened French control of Aragon. Suchet attacked the Spanish army in the

Battle of Alcañiz The Battle of Alcañiz resulted in the defeat of Major-General Louis Gabriel Suchet's French army on 23 May 1809 by a Spanish force under General Joaquín Blake y Joyes. The victory is credited to General Martín García-Loygorri's superb c ...

on 23 May 1809. The French army included 7,292 infantry in 14 battalions, 526 cavalry in six squadrons, and 18 artillery pieces. Blake's force was made up of 8,101 foot soldiers, 445 horsemen, and 19 guns. Laval's 1st Division counted two battalions each of the French 14th Line Infantry Regiment and the Polish 3rd

Legion of the Vistula The Legion of the Vistula ( pl, Legia Nadwiślańska) was a unit of Poles in the service of Napoleonic France, one of the larger Polish legions of the Napoleonic period. Creation of the Legion The Legion was formed in Breslau, Neustadt, Brie ...

.Smith (1998), 311 Blake arrayed his troops on three hills in front of the town of

. Laval made a tentative attack on the Spanish right flank, but it was driven off. Suchet then ordered Musnier to crack Blake's center. Musnier formed five of his battalions into a massed column and sent it marching toward Blake's line. After being pounded by all 19 Spanish guns and riddled by musketry, the French and Poles ran away. At this, the wounded Suchet withdrew his corps from the field. In the fighting, the III Corps lost 800 killed and wounded, while Blake suffered only 300 casualties. Suchet subsequently abandoned much of Aragon, while Blake received 25,000 new recruits. Luckily for the French, not enough muskets were available to supply them all with weapons. After his victory, Blake marched on Zaragoza. He divided his 20,000 men into three divisions and advanced down the Huerva River.

Juan Carlos de Aréizaga Juan Carlos de Aréizaga (born 17 January 1756; died 1816) was a Spanish general, who fought in the Peninsular War. In 1808 he was a retired colonel, residing in Pamplona, where he made friends with a young Francisco Javier Mina. After the outbre ...

's division marched on the right bank while Blake took two divisions down the left bank. Suchet detailed Laval and one 2,000-man brigade to contain Aréizaga, while massing Musnier's division and Pierre-Joseph Habert's brigade against Blake. In the

Battle of María The Battle of María (15 June 1809) saw a small Spanish army led by Joaquín Blake y Joyes face an Imperial French corps under Louis Gabriel Suchet. Background The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés. Battle ...

on 15 June 1809, Suchet defeated Blake and forced him to retreat. The Spanish army remained intact, though it lost 16 of its 25 guns. The French and Poles lost 700 or 800 casualties out of 10,000 infantry, 800 cavalry, and 12 guns. The Spanish suffered losses of 1,000 killed, 3,000 to 4,000 wounded, and hundreds captured out of 14,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. Habert's brigade, which was part of Laval's division, included the 14th Line and 3rd Vistula Legion. The next day, Suchet tried to bring the combined Spanish army to battle at Botorrita, but Blake slipped away.Gates (2002), 164 On 18 June 1809, Blake made a stand in the Battle of Belchite. The Spanish army deployed on some hills before the town of

. Suchet ordered Musnier to assault the Spanish left and Habert to attack the right. Musnier's troops drove back Blake's left wing. As Habert's offensive gained momentum, a lucky hit detonated a number of Spanish ammunition wagons. The explosion panicked Blake's troops and they all fled. Suchet left Musnier to watch Blake's force and marched back to Zaragoza with Laval to restore order. The Spanish suffered 2,000 casualties out of 11,000 infantry and 870 cavalry, plus all nine of their remaining guns. The French lost only 200 killed and wounded. In addition to the units forming Habert's brigade, Laval had the 44th Line Infantry Regiment on hand. Laval spent the next few months pacifying the northern part of Aragon. At the end of August he took 3,000 troops and successfully assaulted the monastery of San Juan de la Peña near

Jaca Jaca (; in Aragonese: ''Chaca'' or ''Xaca'') is a city of northeastern Spain in the province of Huesca, located near the Pyrenees and the border with France. Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón River, situated at the crossing of two great ea ...

. Colonel Renovales withdrew and was later trapped between III Corps troops and French national guards. Under the terms of his surrender the Spaniard was allowed free passage to Catalonia where he continued his guerilla operations. But Aragon was quiet in September and October. In December, Laval occupied the area near

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with a ...

, forcing the Junta of Aragon to flee. In January 1810, the 23,140-man III Corps was organized into three infantry divisions under Laval, Musnier, and Habert, and a cavalry brigade under General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart. Laval's 1st Division included 6 battalions and 4,290 effectives. The division was made up of two battalions each of the 2nd Legion of the Vistula and the 14th and 44th Line Infantry Regiments. The 3rd Legion of the Vistula was nominally part of the division but detached elsewhere. At this time, the division's headquarters were at

Mont-ral Mont-ral is a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the ''Comarques of Catalonia, comarca'' of Alt Camp, Tarragona (province), Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The Prades Mountains are located within the municipal boundaries. History Mont-ral was ...

. Suchet wanted to move against Mequinenza and Lérida, but King

Joseph Bonaparte it, Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte es, José Napoleón Bonaparte , house = Bonaparte , father = Carlo Buonaparte , mother = Letizia Ramolino , birth_date = 7 January 1768 , birth_place = Corte, Corsica, Republic of ...

insisted that he advance on

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

instead. Accordingly, he set out for the city and reached there on 6 March. His main column consisted of 8,000 men from Laval's division and part of Musnier's. They set out from Teruel and later rendezvoused with Habert's division. Suchet found Valencia's Spanish defenders determined to resist. Without heavy artillery to breach the walls, the French withdrew only four days later. While Suchet was absent from Aragon, the guerillas became very active in the province. Near Teruel, 300 French soldiers and four artillery pieces were captured by partisans. Back in Aragon, Suchet mounted the successful

Siege of Lérida In the Siege of Lérida from 29 April to 13 May 1810, an Imperial French army under Louis Gabriel Suchet besieged a Spanish garrison led by Jaime García Conde. On 13 May, García Conde surrendered with his 7,000 surviving soldiers. Lleida (L ...

. Since he was left behind to defend Aragon, Laval did not participate in the siege or in the subsequent

Siege of Mequinenza The siege of Mequinenza (15 May to 8 June 1810) saw a 16,000-man Imperial French corps commanded by Louis Gabriel Suchet invest a 1,000-strong Spanish garrison under Colonel Carbon. Mequinenza and its castle were captured by the French after ...

in June. Laval was named

Baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles of nobility to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both before and since, Napoleon found that th ...

on 14 June 1810. With Lérida captured, new orders arrived from Napoleon to seize Tortosa. The new commander in Catalonia, Marshal Jacques MacDonald was ordered by the emperor to cooperate with Suchet. In July, Suchet sent a force close to Tortosa while he assembled his siege equipment at Mequinenza. At the beginning of August, Henry O'Donnell led 2,500 Spanish regulars to Tortosa. On 3 August, O'Donnell marched out of Tortosa to attack Laval's division, which was watching the city. The Spanish troops broke through the first defensive line but were unable to defeat the French and had to retreat. O'Donnell subsequently returned to

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

. Soon afterward, Suchet chased away the Army of Valencia which was threatening the force in front of Tortosa. By mid-August, MacDonald and 16,000 soldiers were finally cooperating with Suchet. Laval died of fever at

on 6 September 1810.Bergerot (1986), 121 His name is on the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...

on Column 36.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laval, Anne Gilbert de French generals French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars French military personnel killed in the Napoleonic Wars People from Riom 1762 births 1810 deaths Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe