Auguste-Jean-Gabriel, comte de Caulaincourt (born 16 September 1777 in

Caulaincourt, Aisne Caulaincourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department References

Communes of Aisne Aisne commu ...

-† 7 September 1812 at the

battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...

) was a French

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

commander who rose to the rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

during the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...

. He was the son of French general and senator Gabriel-Louis de Caulaincourt and younger brother of general and diplomat

Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt Armand-Augustin-Louis de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza (, 9 December 177319 February 1827), was a French military officer, diplomat and close advisor to Napoleon I. Early life and family Armand de Caulaincourt was born into a noble family in the ...

.Fierro, Alfredo; Palluel-Guillard, André; Tulard, Jean - ''"Histoire et Dictionnaire du Consulat et de l'Empire”'', Éditions Robert Laffont, , p. 600.

Revolutionary Wars

Following his older brother's footsteps, Auguste-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt joined the army and, like his brother, became ''aide-de-camp'' to general d'Aubert Dubayet, in 1795. He was employed in the ''Armée du Rhin'' and subsequently served under general Masséna in the Switzerland campaign. Just after the battle of Zürich Masséna promoted him to the rank of ''chef d'escadron'' (squadron commander).

Napoleonic Wars

In 1804 Caulaincourt was appointed ''aide-de-camp'' to

Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...

, with the rank of ''chef de brigade'' (colonel) of a

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...

brigade. The next year he fought at the

battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...

and in 1806 he resumed his duties as ''aide-de-camp'' to Louis Bonaparte, who had become King of Holland. Louis also named him ''Grand Ecuyer'' ("Master of the Horse"), major-general, and

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ...

in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

. In 1808 Caulaincourt rejoined the French Army and was made ''général de brigade'' (brigadier general) and a baron of the Empire, just before being sent to fight in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. There he took Cuenca (3 July 1808) and fought in several other

skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an ir ...

es which brought him the rank of ''général de division'' (general of division) and the command of all dragoon regiments in Spain. Caulaincourt had been badly wounded in early 1810 and spent time recovering in France, where he was called back to service in 1812 as part of the second ''

Grande Armée ''La Grande Armée'' (; ) was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1804 to 1808, it won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empi ...

'' that

Napoleon I 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 ...

assembled with the purpose of Invading Russia. Caulaincourt was killed at the

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...

on September 7, 1812 by a

cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

leading the French assault of the great

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

. Napoleon thought very highly of Caulaincourt. During the Russian Campaign, Caulaincourt was given command of the Imperial general headquarters. Following his death at the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon told his brother, the Grand Ecuyer, Armand de Caulaincourt, the Duke of Vicenza, that his loss was a terrible blow and that he was being groomed for high command. Napoleon said: " aulaincourtwas a splendid man... He was my best cavalry officer. He had a quick eye, and he was brave. By the end of the campaign he would have replaced Murat s commander of the Imperial cavalry corps" Following his death, as a mark of esteem and for a lack of officers as many died in battle, Napoleon promoted all the officers of Caulaincourt's staff.Caulaincourt, Armand (1935) With Napoleon in Russia: The Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza. Pp. 84, 140. William Morrow and Company, New York.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caulaincourt, Auguste-Jean-Gabriel De 1777 births 1812 deaths People from Aisne French generals Cavalry commanders French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars French military personnel killed in the Napoleonic Wars Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe