Jean-François-Madeleine de Gentil (born in

Artaise-le-Vivier Artaise-le-Vivier () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Ardennes region of northern France. Geography Artaise-le-Vivier is located some 25 km south-east of Charleville-Mézières and 15 km south by south-west of Sedan. Acc ...

on 8 March 1789 and died in Paris on 29 March 1852) was a French officer who participated to the French conquest of Algeria.

Family

Jean-François Gentil is the son of Louis-Français de Gentil who was squire and lord of

, and was a former officer in the 1st Infantry Regiment. His mother is the named Alexisse-Edmée de Meaux d'Armonville whom his father married and from whom he had nine children. His father emigrated to France during the year 1792 with three of his sons, including Jean-François Gentil, with whom he campaigned in the

Armée des Émigrés The Armée des émigrés (English: ''Army of the Émigrés'') were counter-revolutionary armies raised outside France by and out of royalist émigrés, with the aim of overthrowing the French Revolution, reconquering France and restoring the mona ...

Military training

Jean-François Gentil was admitted to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr on 29 December 1808, from which he left on 27 July 1809 as a Sub-lieutenant in the "1er régiment de chasseurs-conscrits", which then became the "3e régiment de voltigeurs de la Garde impériale" of the "Jeune Garde".

Military campaigns in Europe

Campaign and siege of Germany and Austria (1809)

As a sub-lieutenant in the "1er régiment de chasseurs-conscrits", he took part in the 1809 military campaign in Germany.

Campaign of Napoleon I in Spain (1810–1811)

The sub-lieutenant that he was then in the same regiment also participated in the two military campaigns of 1810 and 1811 during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. Thus, after his return from

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

, Gentil then reinforced the army corps that roamed the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

, and he distinguished himself at the

Siege of Astorga The siege of Astorga was an attempt by French forces to capture Astorga, Spain in a campaign of the Peninsular War. Astorga was located on the flank of the French invasion of Spain and Portugal, and was meant to be used as a headquarters d ...

in the Kingdom of León from 21 March 1810. Gentil therefore took part in this siege that history considers one of the finest feats of arms of the Spanish Civil War.

First military promotion

On 6 December 1811, he was appointed as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

officer in the "Régiment des flanqueurs-chasseurs" of the "Jeune garde". On 15 December of the same year, he became lieutenant adjutant-major of the "1er régiment de voltigeurs" of the same weapon.

French invasion of Russia (1812)

Lieutenant Jean-François Gentil was part with the "1st regiment of voltigeurs" of the military campaign of 1812 in Russia. His feet froze during the fighting, and he lost the big toe of his right foot and two phalanges of two other fingers.

German campaign of 1813

After being promoted to the rank of Adjutant Major on 8 April 1813, he then took part in the

German campaign of 1813 The German campaign (german: Befreiungskriege , lit=Wars of Liberation ) was fought in 1813. Members of the Sixth Coalition, including the German states of Austria and Prussia, plus Russia and Sweden, fought a series of battles in Germany ag ...

. He distinguished himself by his bravery and his fight in the Battle of Dresden, where he was shot in the left arm. As a reward for his heroic conduct on this day of 26 August 1813, he received as a gratuity the medal of the cross of the

Legion of Honour 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 ...

Campaign in north-east France (1814)

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier-Campagne de France

Captain Gentil actively participated in the

French campaign The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

led by the

Sixth Coalition Sixth is the ordinal form of the number six. * The Sixth Amendment, to the U.S. Constitution * A keg of beer, equal to 5 U.S. gallons or barrel * The fraction Music * Sixth interval (music)s: ** major sixth, a musical interval ** minor six ...

against the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

, which took place from late December 1813 to April 1814. While

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

was trying to stop the invasion of France and keep his throne, Captain Gentil was shot in the head in the

Épinal Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department. Geography The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Moselle, south of Nancy. Épinal station has rail connecti ...

affair dated 11 January 1814.

Hundred Days (1815)

During the reorganization of the French Army, he was incorporated with his rank of captain in the 3rd line infantry regiment. It was then that in the Hundred Days period during 1815, he passed to the 4th regiment of voltigeurs of the new and young imperial guard. He actively participated with this regiment in the campaign of the Army of the North during the spring of 1815.

First transitional phase (1815–1816)

The captain Gentil was dismissed and put on non-working leave on 22 September 22 1815 for a period of a whole year. The following year when the departmental legions were created in France, Gentil was admitted as captain of the Eure legion on 20 November 1816.

Garde royale (1819)

In 1819, Marshal

Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, 1st Marquis of Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (; 13 April 1764 – 17 March 1830) was a French military commander in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who rose to the rank of Marshal of the Empire. He is regarde ...

wanted to modify the organization and the military spirit of the French royal guard. He then appointed Captain Gentil with several former officers of the Empire to be incorporated into this corps. This is how Gentil passed with his rank of captain in the 4th regiment of the royal guard.

Second transitional phase (1828–1832)

Captain Gentil was included in the Royal Guard's dismissal list and was put on leave pay in 1828. He was not recalled to military activity until 8 November 1832 when he was appointed as battalion commander in the 49th line infantry regiment.

French conquest of Algeria (1832–1847)

Plan de Thénia des Béni Aïcha dans le territoire des Khachna à l'est d'Alger

Promoted to the rank of Maréchal de camp, General Gentil was appointed at the beginning of 1844 to command the military subdivision and the territory of Algiers in

Mitidja Mitidja, (Arabic: , Berber: Mettijet ⵎⴻⵜⵙⵉⵛⵝ) is a plain stretching along the outskirts of Algiers in northern Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , ...

. This is how he took part on February 1846 in the expedition against the tribes of Khachna Massif within

Kabylia Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which ...

and contributed powerfully to the success of the murderous fight of Ouarez-Eddin, which resulted in obtaining the submission of the Flissa tribe.

Promotion to the rank of Major General (1848)

Jean-François Gentil was promoted to the rank of major general on 17 August 1848.

Awards

Jean-François Gentil was decorated with several medals during his military career, including: * Knight of the '' Order of Saint Louis''. * Officer of the ''

'' by decree dated 13 April 1846. * Officer of the '' Order of Leopold'' by Belgian royal decree dated 10 July 1847.

Death

General Gentil died in the city of Paris on 29 March 1852 at the age of 63 and was buried in one of his cemeteries. The cause of his sudden death was due to the fact that he succumbed to an

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

in his family home.

Bibliography

* * *

References

1789 births 1852 deaths People from Saint-Cyr-l'École French Army officers French Algeria 1830s in Algeria Order of Saint Louis recipients Knights of the Order of Saint Louis Recipients of the Order of Leopold II Grand Officers of the Order of Leopold II Recipients of the Legion of Honour Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur {{France-mil-bio-stub