Joseph Conrad (December 8, 1788 – June 2, 1837) was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

officer who served in the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

serving in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

and Spain during the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...

. Paul Azan. (1907). ''La Légion Étrangère en Espagne, 1835-1838.'' H. Charles-Lavauzelle, Paris.

Military Career in the Napoleonic Era

On April 28, 1807, at age 18 he entered the École Spéciale Impériale Militaire, the premier French

military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

at the time. The next year Conrad quickly moved up the ranks being promoted to Corporal to Sergeant to Sergeant-major in rapid succession. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on March 25, 1809 in the 28th Régiment Infanterie Légère, which set out for Germany shortly thereafter. He fought at the

Battle of Essling In the Battle of Aspern-Essling (21–22 May 1809), Napoleon crossed the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were attacked and forced back across the river by the Austrians under Archduke Charles. It was the first time Napoleon ...

where his regiment was part of the 2nd Division of the 2nd Corps under Marshall Jean Lannes. Conrad was wounded in the leg at this battle. The next year he deployed to Spain where he was wounded in action a second time at the Battle of Fuentes de Orono. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1812. He transferred to the

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 ...

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

in 1813 where received a gunshot wound in the left shoulder. He was bestowed the award of

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in both the Knight and Chevalier grades on October 8, 1813. Eight days later he was taken prisoner in Leizpeg. He returned to France in September 1814 and was assigned to the 13th Régiment Infanterie Légère where he served until he was dismissed following Napoleon's abdication in 1815.

Military Career in the Bourbon Restoration

Conrad returned to military service in 1816 serving in both the Upper and Lower Rhine as an adjutant.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Joseph Officers of the French Foreign Legion Military personnel of the First Carlist War 1837 deaths 1788 births École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni Military personnel from Strasbourg French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars