Charles-Marie-Esprit Espinasse (2 April 1815 – 4 June 1859) was a French military officer who was briefly Minister of the Interior and Public Security in 1858. He died during the Italian campaign of 1859.

Life

Charles Marie Esprit Espinasse was born in Castelnaudary on 2 April 1815, son of Jean Espinasse and Germaine Robert. He was admitted to the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr in 1833. On graduation he became a sub-lieutenant in the 47th infantry regiment of the line. He went on to the Foreign Legion, where he was promoted to lieutenant in April 1838. Espinasse participated in the campaign in

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from 1835 to 1849, where he was severely wounded in combat at Aures with four shots to the chest, lower abdomen and thighs. On 17 January 1841 he was a captain in the 1st Regiment of Foot Chasseurs. He was promoted to battalion commander in the regiment of Zouaves, where he served from 20 October 1845 to 1 May 1849. With the 22nd Infantry he participated in the Siege of Rome, where he distinguished himself by being the first to enter the city. In 1851 General

Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (20 August 1798 – 29 September 1854) was a French soldier and Marshal of France. He served as French Minister of War until the Crimean War when he became Commander-in-chief of the army of the East. Biog ...

brought him to Paris to command the 42nd Infantry. Espinasse supported

Louis Napoleon Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

in the coup of 2 December 1851, and became his aide de camp. On 10 May 1852 he was promoted to brigadier general. He was given command of the 3rd infantry brigade at the Helfaut camp near

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audoma ...

. He married Mary Festugière of

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

in 1853, with whom he had three children. At the start of the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

he led the 1st Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division. He distinguished himself in the

Battle of the Chernaya The Battle of the Chernaya (also Tchernaïa; Russian: Сражение у Черной речки, Сражение у реки Черной, literally: Battle of the Black River) was a battle by the Chyornaya River fought during the Crimea ...

and the

Battle of Malakoff The Battle of Malakoff (french: Bataille de Malakoff, russian: Бой на Малаховом кургане) was a French attack against Russian forces on the Malakoff redoubt and its subsequent capture on 8 September 1855 as a part of the ...

. He was promoted to major general, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division of General

Pierre Bosquet Pierre François Joseph Bosquet (8 November 18105 February 1861) was a French Army general. He served during the French conquest of Algeria and in the Crimean War of 1853-1856; returning from Crimea he was made a Marshal of France and a Senator ...

's 2nd Corps. On return to France, Espinasse became inspector general of infantry in 1857. The emperor appointed him Minister of the Interior and Public Security after the assassination attempt by

Felice Orsini Felice Orsini (; ; 10 December 1819 – 13 March 1858) was an Italian revolutionary and leader of the '' Carbonari'' who tried to assassinate Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. Early life Felice Orsini was born at Meldola in Romagna, the ...

on 14 January 1858. He held this position from 7 February to 14 June 1858, when he was appointed senator. Espinasse joined the army of Italy on 2 April 1859 as commander of the 2nd Division of the 2nd Corps of General MacMahon's army. Espinasse was killed in the village of

Magenta, Lombardy Magenta (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. It became notable as the site of the Battle of Magenta in 1859. The color magenta takes its name from the battle, most likely referring to the un ...

on 4 June 1859, during the

Battle of Magenta The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai. It took place near the town of Magent ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Espinasse, Charles-Marie-Esprit People from Castelnaudary 1815 births 1859 deaths French generals French interior ministers Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Knights of St. Gregory the Great