Maximilien Sébastien Foy

Maximilien -Sébastien, comte Foy ( born February 3, 1775 in Ham, Picardie, † November 28, 1825 in Paris) was a French general and statesman. He is regarded as one of the ablest and most courageous commanders of Napoleon and was after the second restoration of one of the leaders of the liberal opposition.

Life

Foy was the son of an old soldier who had fought at Fontenoy and had then settled as a postmaster, and an English mother. He was educated in the military school at La Fere. He made as an artillery officer with the 1792-93 campaigns in Belgium, but was arrested for public disapproval of some blood commands of the Convention. After the 9th Thermidor released, he distinguished himself from 1795 to 1797 in the campaigns of the Rhine and Moselle army in 1798 in Switzerland, and 1799 in the army of the Danube under Masséna from.

In 1800 he went over to the Italian army and commanded a brigade as Adjutant General of the vanguard with distinction. After the Peace of Amiens in 1802 was Foy colonel of artillery and 1804, although he was known as Napoleon trailer Moreau, under General Marmont Chief of the General Staff of the Artillery in the camp of Utrecht. In the war with Austria (1805 ), he commanded under Marmont and was then sent to Friuli and Venice.

1807 Napoleon sent him at his request 1200 Gunner Turkey against the Russians and the British to help. After his return Foy commanded under Junot in Portugal, since November 1808 as a brigadier general and since 1812 as a major general ( Napoleon had him personally promoted ) in Spain, where he died on July 21, 1812 temporarily in place of the wounded Marmont command of the in battle inferior of Salamanca army took over. During the retreat he led his infantry troops in the Battle of Garcia Hernandez were surprised, but in 1813 he proved himself at the return of the troops to southern France. It was only on 27 February 1814, he left, dangerously wounded, the army, and came as Inspector General of Infantry to Nantes.

Although Louis XVIII. him to the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, Inspector of the 2nd and 16th military division, later appointed to the Count, but he joined Napoleon on his return again, commanded by Marshal Ney 1815 a division and was wounded at Waterloo.

After he had lived retired for a time, the Aisne in 1819 sent him as deputies in the chamber where he continually proved to be one of the best and most determined constitutional- liberal speakers and at the top of a weak in number opposition, the ultra-royalist and clerical majority, fought particularly under the Ministry Villele, energetic, and not without success.

He died on 28 November 1825. During his funeral, the Liberals held a big demonstration against the Bourbons. His coffin was followed by about 100,000 people, and by national subscription was 1 million for his family collected. 1879 his statue was unveiled in Ham.

Foy was a member of the Federation of Freemasons, he was probably taken in a Feldloge.

Honors

His name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in the 35th column.

Works

The " Discours du Général Foy ," where a biography Foys was added by Tissot, published in Paris in 1826 (2 volumes). Issued; was from his estate the " Histoire de la guerre de la péninsule sous Napoléon " (Leipzig 1827 German, Paris 1827, 4 volumes).