Claude Ignace François Michaud (28 October 1751 – 19 October 1835) commanded French troops during the French Revolutionary Wars, rising to command the '' Army of the Rhine'' in 1794. After serving in a cavalry regiment from 1780 to 1783 he returned to civilian life. During the French Revolution he became

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of a volunteer battalion. In 1793 he was promoted to both

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 ...

and general of division. He led a division at

Haguenau Haguenau (; Alsatian: or ; and historically in English: ''Hagenaw'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of France, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg, some to the south. To the ...

and Second Wissembourg. When Jean-Charles Pichegru was transferred to lead the '' Army of the North'' in January 1794, Michaud was elevated to army command somewhat unwillingly. That year he led the army at

Schifferstadt Schifferstadt ( pfl, Schiwwerschdadd, ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), ...

and the Vosges. The army was consolidated with the ''

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 ...

'' in April 1795. He commanded posts in the interior until 1800 when he led troops at the Mincio in Italy. He commanded soldiers in Holland and North Germany from 1805 to 1813 during the First French Empire. He retired in 1814 and died in 1835. MICHAUD is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 13.

References

* * * * French generals French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Counts of the First French Empire People from Doubs 1751 births 1835 deaths Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe {{mil-hist-stub