Gaspard Jean-Baptiste Brunet (14 June 1734 – 15 November 1793) commanded the French ''
Army of Italy'' 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 was executed during the
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
. Despite this fate his son
Jean Baptiste Brunet
Jean Baptiste Brunet (7 July 1763 – 21 September 1824) was a French general of division in the French Revolutionary Army. He was responsible for the arrest of Toussaint Louverture. He was promoted to command a light infantry demi-brigade at the ...
also became a French general. From the minor nobility, he entered the
French Royal Army
The French Royal Army (french: Armée Royale Française) was the principal land force of the Kingdom of France. It served the Bourbon Dynasty from the reign of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century to that of Charles X in the 19th, with an interlude ...
as a gunner in 1755, transferred to an infantry unit and fought in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
. He received the
Order of Saint-Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (french: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a rewar ...
and was promoted to
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 ...
in 1779.
He became ''maréchal de camp'' (
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 ...
) in 1791 and served in the ''Army of Italy'' under
Jacques Bernard d'Anselme
Jacques Bernard Modeste d'Anselme (22 July 1740, Apt – 17 September 1814, Paris) was a French general of the French Revolutionary Army, notable as the first commander of the ''Army of the Var'' which soon became the '' Army of Italy''. He fell ...
in 1792. After a brief stint as interim army commander in the winter of 1792–93, he was promoted
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 ...
and assumed the duties of commander-in-chief from May to August 1793. His defeat at
Saorgio and the suspicions of the all-powerful
representatives on mission
Representative may refer to:
Politics
*Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
*House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
*Legislator, someon ...
caused him to be arrested, imprisoned and
guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at th ...
d.
BRUNET is one of the
names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe The following is a list of the 660 names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris. Most of them represent generals who served during the French First Republic (1792–1804) and the First French Empire (1804–1815). Underlined names signify tho ...
, on Column 23.
References
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French generals
French military personnel of the Seven Years' War
French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars
People executed by guillotine during the French Revolution
Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
1734 births
1793 deaths
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