Henri-Gatien Bertrand

Henri- Gatien, comte Bertrand ( * March 28, 1773 in Châteauroux, Indre, France, † January 31, 1844 ) was a French general, Grand Maréchal du Palais and one of the closest confidants of Napoleon.

Life

Bertrand came from a respected family and entered during the revolution in the Parisian National Guard, then the engineer corps. He served 1795-96 in the Pyrenees and in the Italian army and made the expedition to Egypt. Here closer to become known as director of the fortifications of Alexandria Napoleon, he was promoted to brigadier general. In 1797 he was assigned to the General Aubert du Bayet mission. After he had shown in the Battle of Austerlitz great bravery, the emperor appointed him in 1805 to the Adjutant General and later the Count.

1806 caused Bertrand as Division General handing over the Spandau Citadel and distinguished himself in 1807 at the Battle of Friedland from. In July 1809, he was by the Lobau he built bridges significantly to the victory at the Battle of Wagram. In 1812 he took part in the Russian campaign. In 1813 he commanded the reserve or IV Army Corps in the battles of Großgörschen, Bautzen, large berries and Dennewitzplatz. On October 3, it was not possible for him to prevent the Elbe crossing Yorck at Wartenburgstrasse. In Leipzig he protected on 16 and 18 October in Lindenau the road to Thuringia, then covered the retreat to the Rhine and after the Battle of Hanau, the crossing of the Rhine at Mainz. After Duroc death of Emperor appointed him Marshal of the Court ( Grand Maréchal du Palais ).

In 1814 he accompanied the emperor to Elba, was his confidant during the Hundred Days, fought by his side at Waterloo, followed him with his family to St. Helena, and remained there until the death of Napoleon. Although he was sentenced to death in Paris in 1816, but he was not extradited from England and 1821 by Louis XVIII. rehabilitated on his return to France.

After the July Revolution, he was elected to the chamber, and here joined the Liberal Party. In 1834 he retired to his estate at Châteauroux. In 1840 he was sent to the Prince Joinville to collect the mortal remains of Napoleon to St. Helena. Busy with the preparations for the publication of the memoirs of Napoleon, he died on January 31, 1844 in Châteauroux.

Honors

His name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in the 14th column. At the reorganization of the Paris Invalides to the grave lay Napoleon Bertrand was reburied there in 1847.

• Frenchman
• Military person (France )
• Person in the coalition wars (France)
• Member of the Legion of Honour ( Grand Cross )
• Born in 1773
• Died in 1844
• Man