Jean-Baptiste François Desmarets (

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 1682 – 1762), marquis of Maillebois, was a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

. He was the son of Nicolas Desmarets, marquis of Maillebois (marquis de Maillebois, in French) (1648–1721)

Controller-General of Finances The Controller-General or Comptroller-General of Finances () was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1661 to 1791. It replaced the former position of Superintendent of Finances (''Surintendant des finances''), which was ab ...

during the reign of Louis XIV of France and nephew of

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

. He learned the art of war from

Claude Louis Hector de Villars Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince of Martigues, Marquis then (1st) Duke of Villars, Viscount of Melun (, 8 May 1653 – 17 June 1734) was a French people, French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was on ...

. He distinguished himself during the

Siege of Lille (1708) The siege of Lille (12 August – 10 December 1708) was the main operation of the 1708 campaign season during the War of the Spanish Succession. Following their victory in the Battle of Oudenaarde, the Allies decided to besiege Lille, an importa ...

, and commanded a division in Italy during the War of Polish Succession. He conquered

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

in less than three weeks (1739), and received the rank of Marshal in 1741. During the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

he was sent again to fight the Austrians in Italy and won the Battle of Bassignano in 1745. The next year though, he was decisively beaten by superior forces in the Battle of Piacenza, after which he had to abandon the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...

. After the war, he was made governor of the

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

(1748).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desmarets, Jean-Baptiste 1682 births 1762 deaths Maillebois French marquesses Marshals of France Military personnel from Paris