Benjamin, Duke of Soubise

Benjamin de Rohan - Soubise (* 1583, † October 9, 1642 in London), abbreviated " de Soubise ," 1626 was the first Duke of Frontenay and a French Huguenot leader, a peer of France.

Family

Benjamin de Rohan was a younger son of René II de Rohan and his wife Catherine de Parthenay, the only daughter and heiress of the Huguenot General Jean V. de Parthenay - l'Archeveque, Seigneur de Soubise. His older brother was Henri II de Rohan, who was raised in 1603 by Henry IV to the duke and peer of France. Benjamin de Rohan was thus a scion of the French aristocracy, and as his mother's heir, Lord of Soubise.

Life

He fought under Maurice of Orange in the Netherlands campaigns, and in 1615 joined the party of Henri II de Bourbon, prince de Condé on. In the wars of religion, which under Louis XIII. 1621 began, he was in command of the Huguenots in the provinces of Poitou, Brittany and Anjou with prudence and showed exceptional bravery in the defense of St. Jean d' Angely, but had to move back in 1622 before the enemy forces to La Rochelle.

Soubise seized then beginning in 1625 the islands of Ré and Oléron, as well as in the port of Blavet on the Brittany coast of the royal, consisting of 15 large ships fleet. His expedition into Médoc failed it. On September 15, 1625 beat him Duke Henri II de Montmorency at the height of the island of Ré and Oléron drove him out. Soubise, it took some a second trip to England, where he moved to the English King Charles I, to send one after the other three fleets the beleaguered La Rochelle to help. Nevertheless fell this last bulwark of the Huguenots 1628.

Although he was included in the peace of 29 June 1629 Soubise remained in England to promote from here the cause of the Protestants. He died on October 9, 1642 childless in London. His goods and title inherited one of his distant relatives, François de Rohan ( 1630-1712 ). A descendant of the latter was Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise, Peer and Marshal of France.