Jean-Baptiste François des Marets, marquis de Maillebois on:
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Jean-Baptiste François Desmarets (
Jean-Baptiste François Desmarets (Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, 1682 – 1762), marquis of Maillebois, was a Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
.
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 (french: Contrôleur général des 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 ('' ...
during the reign of Louis XIV of France and nephew of Jean-Baptiste Colbert.
He learned the art of war from Claude Louis Hector de Villars. He distinguished himself during the Siege of Lille (1708)
The siege of Lille (12 August – 10 December 1708) was the salient operation of the 1708 campaign season during the War of the Spanish Succession. After an obstinate defence of 120 days, the French garrison surrendered the city and citadel of ...
, and commanded a division in Italy during the War of Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of their ...
. He conquered Corsica 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 that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
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
The Battle of Piacenza was fought between a Franco-Spanish army and the Austrian army near Piacenza, in Northern Italy on June 16, 1746. It formed part of later operations in the War of the Austrian Succession. The result was a victory for ...
, after which he had to abandon the Duchy of Milan.
After the war, he was made governor of the Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
(1748).
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