Jean Victor Moreau: invincible and underdog. Jean Victor Moreau: invincible and loser Italian army and battles against Suvorov
In early January 2009, a new book by Alexei Zotov, The Forgotten Moreau, was published in a limited edition, dedicated to the difficult fate of the French general, friend of Tsar Alexander I - Jean-Victor Moreau (1763-1813) and Napoleon's main rival. The book barely fit on 1,000 pages of text, accompanied by 700 illustrations, maps, diagrams and facsimiles of previously never published documents, 7 letters from Moreau and 1 note from Napoleon. In this fundamental biographical study, there are chapters dedicated to the famous Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, Paul I and Gatchina, as well as the diplomatic maneuvers of Alexander I and his cabinet in order to get Moreau as commander-in-chief of the coalition forces in the fight against Napoleon. We publish excerpts from the chapter "Moro and Suvorov".In March 1799, the Second Coalition fielded 320,000 men against France, 80,000 of whom were the troops of Suvorov and Rimsky-Korsakov. The Directory could counter these forces with about half, namely 170,000 soldiers, the density of the front decreased significantly, and the French gradually began to give up their positions.
The Anglo-Russian Expeditionary Force landed in Holland and Brun was unable to hold back the numerically superior enemy. The campaign led by Jourdan was even more disastrous than in 1796. Again defeated by the Archduke Karl at Stockach on March 24, 1799, he was forced to retreat, reducing the front line to 100 km - from Ostrach to the Rhine, which had just been forced by the Austrians, who threatened to invade Alsace.
Under pressure from the Austro-Russian troops of Gotz and Rimsky-Korsakov, Massena retreated from Feldkirch to the line of the river. Limmat reached Zurich, which decided to defend with the support of General Lekurba, who by this time was already famous as a major military specialist in military operations in the highlands. According to French historians, it is he who, in the end, will have the honor of defeating the army of the “old Scythian” - Suvorov, as Lecourbe jokingly called him.
General Scherer in Italy also expected a series of defeats. It seemed that Barras, knowing about the inability of Scherer as a commander, agreed to his appointment to please Bonaparte, however, just in case, he assigned Moreau to him as inspector general of the infantry. This allowed Barras, if necessary, to be able to quickly transfer command into the hands of Moro, and thereby minimize the negative consequences associated with a possible defeat of Scherer. This moment was not long in coming. As soon as the retreat began, Scherer, shaking with fear of responsibility for imminent defeat, asked Moreau to take command of the corps, which consisted of two divisions (which could only be done with the tacit consent of all directors). Nevertheless, Scherer continued to be commander-in-chief and, despite the opinion of Moreau, decided to accept the battle on the Adige River against the troops of the Territory. This experienced Austrian general struck at Magnano, near Verona, on April 6, 1799. The right wing of Scherer's army was defeated, but the left, led by Moreau, continued to hold out. Here is how Moro himself recalled this: “I was on the march with a detachment that I was assigned to command. Suddenly I heard a cannonade. I was able to continue moving in accordance with the order of the commander, with whom I lost contact due to this sudden attack by the enemy. However, experience told me that the army was in danger.” Then Moreau decided to turn his corps 90 degrees and go to the “thunder of guns”. “I fought with success until the evening. I took several thousand prisoners and many guns. By nightfall, the enemy was defeated and retreated in complete disorder. As always, following his innate modesty, characteristic of many Aquarians, Moreau says nothing about the fact that he saved Scherer's army from complete defeat and allowed him to retreat in order to the fortress of Mantova and regroup. Only eight days later, the Austrians were again able to reach the line of the Mincio River. However, this line, as well as the front along the Ollo River, the French were no longer able to hold due to the approach of the Russians led by Suvorov, which doubled the strength of the Austrians.
 |
 François Bouchot Jean Victor Moreau (1763-1813) |
But Moreau did not hesitate. In the battle of Cassano (April 28, 1799), in which even he could not resist the 70,000 Austro-Russian troops under the command of Suvorov, Moreau, first of all, began by regrouping individual parts of the army, which consisted of four disparate detachments, which the Directory through Scherer “gave” him at the last moment before the battle, thereby rendering Moro a disservice. The general sent an urgent order to MacDonald in the Neapolitan army, setting him the task of coming to him in Tortona, and he, with the forces and means at hand, moved towards the enemy. With this battle-tested army, he made his way through the Apennines with incredible effort, gathering a corps of 18,000 people along the way, and brought him safe and sound to Genoa. So, one army was saved, but Moreau had to save another.
From Genoa, the general moved to Tortona, where there was no Neapolitan army. She was only 80 km from the city when the same “old Scythian” Suvorov cut her way. In a bloody battle on the Trebia River, which lasted three days, the Russian Generalissimo defeated MacDonald's army head on. This happened on June 17 - 19, 1799.
Macdonald began moving to connect with Moreau on May 8, 1799. The whole journey from Naples to Tortona took 40 days, which averaged 15 km per day, and he was ordered to move in a forced march! However, MacDonald's path ran through an area covered by a popular uprising against the French conquerors. This guerrilla war was a prototype of the popular war in Spain in 1808.
Champione, a general of crystal honesty, rarely seen among the generals of that time, and who conquered this part of Italy in January 1799, was suddenly recalled by the Directory for betraying its civilian commissars, among whom was the notorious Faipul, who was engaged in looting, as they would now say, in especially large sizes. Champione was replaced by MacDonald, a more reserved man in such matters, whose helpfulness towards the civil commissioners was well known in Rome. However, no forced march happened, since along with MacDonald's army there was a convoy loaded with gold, "expropriated" from the local population and which was accompanied by Faipul. At the same time as art objects valued at 800,000 francs, Mr. Faipoul had his own wagon loaded with wrought-iron chests containing 75,000 louis d'or (at least, according to Thiebaud, at that time a colonel in the army of Naples). This booty, which followed under the protection of the army, made it vulnerable to attack by angry gangs of peasants and artisans, fanatically disposed by local priests. Individual soldiers, as soon as they moved a little away from the main column, immediately became victims of guerrillas. At best, their throats were cut alive. There were cases when the army entered the village, where the air was filled with the smell of a real crematorium: it was partisans who burned soldiers from the French avant-garde. With an army of warriors, not loot escorts, MacDonald could have been in Thorton by the end of May 1799. This would enable Moro to immediately launch a counteroffensive. However, MacDonald arrived only towards the end of June, when Moreau defeated the Austrians in the Genoese Riviera, who tried to block his way to connect with MacDonald. The meeting of the two armies, each defeated separately, did not arouse much enthusiasm in Moreau, for the whole burden of responsibility for being late lay with the two marauders - Faipul and MacDonald. However, this double defeat only increased Moro's fame. In the eyes of military experts, the retreat that Moreau carried out instead of Scherer was more spectacular than the similar one - in 1796 in Bavaria. Then Moreau stood at the head of an invincible army - the best army of the republic, numbering 70,000 people. Here he got a broken army from an incapable commander. But this small army, weakened by defeat and numerically inferior to the enemy, surpassed him in dedication, fortitude and patriotism, examples of which are few in the ten-year history of the wars of the Great French Revolution. Moreau did everything that his genius, talent, experience and love for ordinary soldiers were capable of in order to save the French army from inevitable defeat and flight; and get her out of harm's way.
Later, fools and envious people will call Moreau "the retreating general." These will be Madame Junot, whose husband is the Duke d'Abrantes, the hero of the defeats at Vimeiro and Sintra, and Bonaparte, in his statements on Fr. Saint Helena, who himself often deserted from his own army, both in Egypt and in Russia, and, in the words of A. Sorel, "leaving her death on the conscience of others."
But for Moreau it was important that he saved the lives of 18,000 young people for France, the sons of the republic, which, alas, was unworthily represented at that time by Barras, who despised her, and who deprived Moreau of the post of commander-in-chief after the events of fructidor. Our hero's destiny was to serve the ideal republic and the soldiers who died for it, not its leaders who lived in it!
“The government sent me to replace General Joubert,” Moreau recalled, “and I had to go to the Danube. However, the events connected with the Battle of Novi forced me to stay in Italy until Vendemière. In fact, Moreau had to once again save the Army of Italy, which Barras considered it good to take away from him, although it continued to exist only thanks to Moreau. Later, at the Cadoudal trial, Moreau's lawyer, Maitre Bonnet, will emphasize this act of republican self-sacrifice, which will underestimate the general's natural modesty: “Now this man is accused of ambition (Bonnet will write these lines in 1804 during the Moreau trial - A.Z.), and then, in Thermidor of the 7th year, he resignedly transferred the command of the army he had saved to General Joubert, who was moved to tears not only by the ideal order and discipline imposed in it, but also by the noble simplicity with which this modest general handed over his post of commander-in-chief, for that Joubert publicly showed sincere tokens of respect and gratitude. General Moreau accepted the offer of his successor to participate in the upcoming battle, without having any appointment or position, but simply as an observer ... Fighting in the famous and unfortunate battle of Novi, when the brave Joubert fell at the first attack, Moreau fought like a real warrior ; three horses were killed under him, but he worked miracles to delay the defeat that he foresaw, and assumed, at the general request of all officers and soldiers, the dangerous honor of leading a defeated army, bristling it with bayonets, returning to it the respect of enemies, and so that they dared not pursue her any more; return it to the protection of the fortifications of Genoa and continue to hold the key points of Italy, as well as prepare a successful ground for the general who will replace him. Finally, hand over the army by order of the Directory to General Campione, leave it, return again, hand over the command with the obedience of a child to the whim of those who were his judges when he was at the head of a devoted army and, despite all this, be able to resist a twice superior enemy, thanks to his talents and the filial love of the soldiers who respect him as their savior and father.”
Better not to say.
Shortly before the events described, Joubert married the stepdaughter of Semonville - the same one who, in the words of Talleyrand, was a cunning "old cat" who voted after the first abdication of Napoleon against the proposal of Alexander I for the rehabilitation of General Moreau and prudently sent one of his sons-in-law, General de Montolon (according to Ben Vader - the poisoner of Napoleon on St. Helena), into exile behind Bonaparte, and the other - into exile behind King Louis XVIII in Ghent.
But Joubert's honeymoon was short. Ten days after the wedding, he goes to the theater of operations in order to take command of the Italian army. Almost all historians, and we will soon see this, agree that Joubert was nominated by Sieyes for the post of commander-in-chief. In fact, this statement is debatable. Hyde de Neuville writes in his memoirs that the man was the Marquis Charles-Louis Huguet de Semonville, not Sieyès. Joubert hesitated for a long time whether he should take command in order to confront the formidable Suvorov. The French general was to take over the army from Moreau, which was in the process of being reorganized after the defeats and was still numerically smaller than Suvorov's army. In the end, Joubert agreed, but asked Moreau to postpone his departure to the Army of the Rhine (the order for the appointment of Moreau was signed by the Directory on 17 Messidor VII, i.e. July 5, 1799). Joubert needed Moreau's advice, he knew the character, honesty and directness of this republican general to the marrow, he also knew that Moreau had performed well in the last campaign in Italy and, as Pierre Lafrey wrote, “the retreat of the army was carried out incomparably using all available resources, their combination, right dispositions, right decisions, with composure and stamina worthy of a true genius.
Joubert was aware of the urgent need to have the genius Moreau with him, at least during the first military operations that would allow him to begin to reconquer Italy, relying on Alexandria. However, as Moreau will tell Bonaparte during their first meeting in November 1799, Joubert spent a month preparing, thus giving the Austrians and Russians the opportunity to significantly increase their contingents. Thus, in his report of the Directory, published in Monitor No. 7, 1799, Moreau writes: , - by three-quarters of the cavalry.
 |
Sieyès followed anxiously the first steps of General Joubert across the Alps. “He did not take his eyes off this blade sparkling on the horizon, from which salvation could come,” wrote Albert Vandal.
As we have already mentioned, appointed in July 1799 as commander of the newly formed Army of the Rhine, Moreau was replaced by Joubert in Italy, but the latter, desiring to have such an experienced adviser with him, asked Moreau to linger. Driven by patriotic feelings, Moreau agreed. This patriotism, as we shall see below, will do him a disservice.
Joubert arrived in the Army of Italy on the 17th Thermidor (August 4, 1799). He immediately moved her forward, both by virtue of his innate determination and in accordance with the established plan. In addition, the French soldiers, starving in the harsh Apennine gorges, hoped to find abundance again in everything on the plains of Lombardy. Joubert knew that Suvorov was close, but he hoped that the siege of Mantua would keep part of the Austrian troops operating in conjunction with the Russians away from him. But Mantua, as it turned out, had already surrendered five days ago, and the Austrians hurried to the aid of Suvorov in a forced march.
The first encounter took place on 26 Thermidor (August 13); and at dawn on 28 Thermidor i.e. On August 15, the birthday of Napoleon, the entire Russian army, deployed in front of Novi, opened up to the French. Joubert immediately rushed to attack the line of outposts. A skirmish has already begun on both sides. From the vineyards and from the outskirts, with which the country was cut up, gunfire was heard, still weak and rare, Joubert rushed forward, dragging the weakening column with him; suddenly he fell from his horse, bleeding, wounded through the chest by a bullet. He was carried to the rear on a stretcher covered with canvas, so that the sight of the dying leader would not demoralize the soldiers, and before noon he died. There was nothing to do and Moreau had to take command of a poorly prepared and poorly organized battle against the formidable and invincible Suvorov. The gunfire flared up; the battle was fierce and fierce. For 12 hours, the republican troops steadfastly held out under artillery and rifle fire, defending their positions, repulsing the constantly repeated attacks of the Russians; Near Moro, two horses were killed (according to other estimates, three). But, in the end, when the Austrians arrived in time at noon bypassed the French from the left flank, their ranks were upset, and the army retreated, although in order, but having lost its artillery, several generals and many prisoners. Moro again took her beyond the Apennines and could only cover Genoa, leaving the entire peninsula in the power of the enemy, except for the narrow edge of the Ligurian coast.
The first news of this catastrophe was received on the 9th fructidor. Paris was informed that a bloody battle had taken place in Italy, that the losses of the enemy were enormous, much more than those of the French, but that Joubert had died. “No matter how indifferent the majority of the French became to the glory of their homeland,” wrote Albert Vandal, “the premonition of misfortune and the death of Joubert plunged society into despondency.”
The impression of a catastrophe was further strengthened by the fact that the information received was cloaked in some kind of mystery; the so-called "informed" people answered the questions with restraint, with omissions, others did not seem to dare to say everything they knew. “A rumor circulated deafly,” continues Vandal, “that Joubert, who was struck down at the very beginning of the battle, was not wounded by an enemy bullet at all, but by one of the Jacobin traitors who had sneaked into the ranks of the army or into the convoy; that this vile faction, which sought in every national disaster the satisfaction of its bestial appetites and revenge for its insults, recently only tried to kill two members of the Directory among the Field of Mars, vilely pursued the young general on the heels with the aim of killing in his face the hope of all honest people in France ” . Could it be believed? Many thought it was murder. Before leaving for the army, Joubert received a rather illiterate letter in which his countryman urged him to meet. Joubert apparently did not agree. Perhaps they wanted to warn him of the danger and advise him to be on his guard. Be that as it may, the government, having declared mourning in the country, rendered extraordinary honors to the memory of Joubert.
Under Novi Moro again had to sacrifice his reputation. “Our misfortunes have appointed me commander-in-chief again,” he said of himself, and so his soldiers spoke of him. He held back Suvorov as much as he could. Having put out of action 8,000 soldiers of the "old Scythian", Moreau led the army in perfect order to the safe line of Genoa. In the report of the Directory, published in Monitor No. 6 of 6 Vendémière VIII (September 28, 1799), Moreau writes: The moment I learned about the death of the fearless General Joubert, and although I had no position in this army, everyone began to turn to me for orders. I believed that the fate of the army demanded that I take command.” The losses of the Austrians killed, wounded, captured were significant and amounted to 205 officers and 5,845 soldiers. “The losses of the Russians have not yet been published in Vienna,” Chateauneuf wrote, “but bearing in mind that they attacked the center of the French battle line three times and were repulsed three times, it would not be an exaggeration to say that their losses were twice those of the Austrians. After this campaign, all of France and, what is especially glorious, foreign nations began to call Moreau the French Fabius.
It was the autumn of 1799. Suvorov's Swiss campaign was nearing its logical conclusion. But, as is often the case in war, fortune turned away from the “old Scythian” at the last moment; the initiative passed to the troops of General Massena (the future Napoleonic marshal) and the troops of Rimsky-Korsakov, having lost the support of the Austrians, were defeated at the second battle of Zurich. It should be noted that the French people desired peace, not war. The list of excellent and talented administrators appointed by the Government of the First Consul was in itself proof that the internal affairs of France would be properly managed. The qualitative reorganization of the army, in turn, made it possible to predict that the upcoming war would end with an honorable peace for France. However, it was necessary to take a step that would instill in the French the conviction that their first consul was animated by the most peaceful aspirations. Upon Bonaparte's return from Egypt, circumstances were such that it was not difficult for him to find a solution to this problem.
By this time, Paul I had already been in power for 2.5 years and less and less looked into Gatchina, dear to his heart. He had already abandoned plans for the construction of Ingerburg (having only managed to complete the dacha of E.I. Nelidova) and began to think about his new residence in the capital. He did not like the Winter Palace, where everything looked like an alcove of his mother's favorites. In his imagination, the Mikhailovsky Castle was already drawing, surrounded by deep ditches and secret underground passages connecting the Eastern and Western guardhouses with the main castle. It was here, on the site of the summer palace of Elizabeth, where he was born, that grandiose construction was going on day and night. Then Pavel Petrovich did not yet know that the beautiful creation of the architect Brenn would serve him as a house for only 40 days.
Pavel worked hard. He got up at 4 in the morning, attended reviews, watch parades, gave audiences, dealt with issues of domestic and foreign policy. Napoleon himself could envy his efficiency, and the accuracy with which Paul's orders were carried out aroused admiration and sincere amazement of foreign envoys at court, including French ones.
Pavel Petrovich was outraged by the policy of the English King George III for the fact that the Russian troops included in the Alkmaar capitulation were given a very cold reception in England and that they were actually kept almost as under house arrest in the British Isles of Guernsey and Jersey. The Russian sovereign hoped to become the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, and when, after that, the British laid siege to Malta, he was ready to accuse Great Britain of treason. Even stronger was Paul's irritation with Austria. Part of the Russian troops, as we have already mentioned, under the command of Rimsky-Korsakov, was defeated by the fault of the Austrians near Zurich on September 25, 1799. Suvorov, with the other wing of the army, was then complete master of Piedmont and, in accordance with the instructions of his monarch, invited King Charles Emmanuel IV to return from Sardinia to the Turin Palace. The Austrian Archduke Karl, having won in June 1799 a victory over Massena in the first battle near Zurich, left Switzerland with his troops for central Germany and left the Russians to fend for themselves. Emperor Franz, in turn, sought to take over all of Northern Italy, and therefore, not wanting the return of the House of Savoy there, ordered Suvorov to immediately relocate to Switzerland and join the Russian troops there.
The Russian commander discovered that the Austrians had made no preparations for his army to cross the St. Gotthard Pass. The absence of mules for transporting artillery and baggage seriously impeded his movement and caused the failure of the Swiss campaign to the same extent as the energetic actions of the French. Suvorov himself attributed this failure to the indifference, or rather ill will, of the Austrians. The Suvorov troops, who had to cross the peaks of the Alps, covered with snow and wild gorges from one valley to another, suffered the most severe need, due to the unsatisfactory organization of the wagon trains, and suffered heavy losses. Their situation seemed completely hopeless when it turned out that Rimsky-Korsakov, to whom they were going to join, was defeated and forced to leave Switzerland. Suvorov, without artillery, ammunition and food, surrounded on all sides by the victorious troops of Massena, with difficulty made his way to the east. The remnants of the Russian detachment gathered in the city of Kure, from where they proceeded to the Bavarian borders. And, nevertheless, Massena later said with envy that "I would give everything for one Swiss campaign of Suvorov."
Emperor Paul was furious at the results of the campaign. Suvorov was ordered to return to St. Petersburg. The king demanded that all Italian monarchs be returned to their thrones and that, as proof of the sincerity of the Austrian policy, Tugut was dismissed. Meanwhile, it dawned on Paul that after the capture of Ancona by the combined Austrian, Russian and Turkish forces, his own standard, raised above the fortress, was removed and only one Austrian banner was left above its walls. An enthusiastic enthusiast, eager to earn the glory of a royal generous knight, recognized such an act of the Austrians as a blood offense for himself and decided in December 1799 to withdraw from the coalition. Bonaparte immediately took advantage of this favorable circumstance and did him honor by releasing 6,000 Russian prisoners with banners and fully armed to their homeland. This noble act of Bonaparte influenced the mood of Pavel Petrovich, who was imbued with enthusiastic sympathy for the first consul and his projects, including the development of a plan for a joint Franco-Russian expedition to India. With the withdrawal of Russia from the coalition, England and Austria remained the only formidable opponents of France.
He understands me, a gray-haired old man, somewhat; but I have it more. I'm proud to have dealt with a wonderful man!
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov about General Jean Victor Marie Moreau
On August 27, during the battle of Dresden, the French General Moreau was mortally wounded, who was predicted to be the commander-in-chief of all allied armies instead of Field Marshal Schwarzenberg.
General Jean Victor Moreau, engraving by an unknown author
He died a few days later, on September 2, 1813, 200 years ago.
It seemed that the very fate of the young man was destined to become a successful lawyer or government official, to follow in the footsteps of his father Gabriel Louis Moreau, as did his younger brother Joseph Marie Francois. As usual, his father sent Jean Victor to study at law school in Rennes, but he was captivated by a military career and he simply fled to military service. But the father insisted on continuing his studies and bought his son out of the army. I had to gnaw at the granite of science. Here is how Moro himself recalled: At the beginning of the Revolution, which was to begin the freedom of the French people, I was doomed to study the laws. The revolution changed the direction of my life: I devoted it to military affairs. I joined the ranks of the soldiers of freedom not out of ambition, but out of respect for the rights of the people, I became a soldier because I was a citizen.
Jean Victor Moreau
Jacques Francois Joseph SCHWEBACH-DEFONTAIN
Jean Victor Marie Moreau lieutenant-colonel of the battalion of volunteers of the department of Ile-et-Villain, 1792
François BOUCHAUD
In 1789, Jean Victor changed from a boring career as a lawyer to a professional military life, joining the ranks of the newly created National Guard as an artillery captain. Soon he was elected lieutenant colonel of the First Battalion of Volunteers of the Department of Ile-et-Villain. Moreau participated in the war against Austria and Prussia, proved to be a knowledgeable and fearless officer, distinguished himself in many operations, which did not fail to affect his advancement, in four years he went all the way to the divisional general, becoming the commander of the division of the Northern Army under the command of General Jean Charles Pichegru , and then the commander of the army. Despite the fact that Father Moreau laid his head on the guillotine during the Jacobin terror in 1794, Jacques Victor remained a republican. And in 1796 he was already appointed commander of the Rhine-Moselle army, becoming one of the best commanders of the French Republic. Together with his associates, Generals Desaix and Saint-Cyr, he won victories in southern Germany, occupying Regensburg and Munich. However, the campaign ended with a 40-day retreat, which Moreau conducted brilliantly, receiving the nickname French Fabius from his compatriots.
Jean Victor Marie Moreau
from an engraving by PARMENTIER for the History of the French Revolution by Louis Jean Joseph Blanc
However, in 1797 he was removed from command due to the fact that his commander and comrade General Pichegru, being chairman of the Council of Five Hundred, declared war on the Directory, was accused of treason and expelled from France. But soon the republic again felt the need for the services and talent of General Moreau, he was drafted into the Italian army, which he soon headed. So at the end of the 18th century, fate brought Moreau with the Russian commander A.V. Suvorov.
Portrait of General Moreau
Engraving by E. MONSA after a drawing by A. RUSSO
I must say that both commanders treated each other with respect, Jean Victor spoke of the Russian general like this: Suvorov is one of the greatest generals: no one knew how to inspire troops better than him, no one combined in himself the qualities of a military leader to the highest degree, that his main exploits in Italy: the battles at Novi and at Trebia, especially the march to Trebia, which is perfection in military art. He knew what he was talking about. He failed to defeat the great Russian commander, but Moreau himself was a capable student. And Alexander Vasilyevich saw in Moreau a worthy opponent: And here I see the finger of Providence. Little glory would be to smash a charlatan. The laurels that we steal from Moreau will bloom and green better...
Jean Victor Moreau. Chief General of the Republican Army
Jacques-Luc Barbier-Valbonne after an original by François GERARD, 1816
In Paris, meanwhile, dissatisfaction with the Directory grew more and more. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes was preparing a coup d'etat, for the success of which he needed good general sword. Moreau came to the attention of the abbot, but he was absolutely indifferent to politics, and when Napoleon Bonaparte, who had fled from Egypt, appeared on the horizon, Jean Victor said with relief to Sieyes: Here is the one you need; he will arrange a revolution for you much better than me(A. Vandal). Moreau supported Napoleon on the day of the coup, with a detachment of 300 soldiers, blocking two members of the government in the Luxembourg Palace - Louis Goyer and Jean-Francois Moulin, who were not involved in the conspiracy.
Jean Victor Moreau. Chief General of the French Army of the Rhine
Battle of Stockach May 3, 1800
Felix FILIPPOTO
In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte, in order to keep Moreau out of sight, appointed the general as commander of the new Army of the Rhine and French troops in Switzerland. In the spring he crossed the Rhine and won victories over the Austrians at Stockach, at Hochstein and Neraheim. Napoleon sent Moreau a dispatch dated May 16, 1800: I would gladly exchange the purple robes of the First Consul for the epaulettes of the brigade commander under your command. In September, he arrived in Paris, where he was favorably received by Bonaparte, who honored the general with two pistols adorned with precious stones. In November, Jean Victor married the lovely young Creole Alexandrine Gullot, but after 10 days he again left for the army.
Battle of Hohenlinden. General Moreau
Henri Frederic Chopin
It was this time that became the peak of the career of this one of the most talented generals of the French army. On December 3, 1800, the French army under his command won a brilliant victory over the Austrians at Hohenlinden, luring there, as if into a trap, the troops of the Austrian Archduke Karl Ludwig Johann Hohenzollern. This further strengthened the position of France. The result was the conclusion of the Peace of Luneville on February 9, 1801 between France and Austria, which secured the territorial annexations stipulated by the Treaty of Campo Formia in Italy, Belgium and on the Rhine. Of all its Italian possessions, Austria retained only Venice. She recognized the formation of the Batavian, Helvetic and Cisalpine republics. The treaty meant the end of the ten-year war in Europe, which had become disgusting to the French. It was the finest hour of General Moreau, he became extremely popular in his homeland, his compatriots put his victory at Hohenlinden higher, attributed only to Napoleon personally, the victory at Marengo. Naturally, this triumph irritated Napoleon.
The victory at Hohenlinden was the last Republican victory. Never again has France seen such modesty in its commanders, such cordial deference to them from the soldiers, such touching manifestations of patriotism as the embrace of two comrades-in-arms, Ney and Rishpans, on the battlefield after they connected, breaking through the Austrian army from two sides. . It never occurred to Moreau to inflate his victory with boastful reports: he reported it in an amazingly modest letter, containing only a few lines. Bonaparte reported it to the Legislative Corps as one of the greatest victories ever won, and wrote to Moreau that he had outdone himself. But he later took back his praise. He argued that this victory was the result of pure chance and that Archduke John's operations were far superior to those of his opponent.(Ernest Lavisse, Alfred Rambaud History of the 19th century)
Moreau, remaining a republican, and being an opponent of the one-man dictatorship of Bonaparte, retired from service, stepped aside, trying to stay away from politics: We're not good for conspiracies, settling in the castle of Grobois in the suburbs of Paris. Upon learning that Bonaparte was going to become emperor, Jean Victor refused the Order of the Legion of Honor sent to him. But it should be noted that his wife and mother-in-law gathered at home those who were dissatisfied with the rule of Napoleon, intrigued against him, expressed their dissatisfaction, which, of course, immediately became known to the police ...
Georges Cadoudal
Paul Amable Coutane
This state of affairs did not suit very many French people, and above all the royalists. Spread conspiracies and assassination attempts on the First Consul. One of these irreconcilables was the fanatical leader of the Chouans and the Breton rebels, Georges Cadoudal. After Moreau refused to cooperate with him, Cadoudal and his comrades decided to simply steal Napoleon during a walk, and then kill him.
General Charles Pechegru Alexandre-Francois CAMINAD
The person who could replace the First Consul, according to the conspirators, should have been General Moreau, as a person whose authority in the army was akin to Napoleon's. As an intermediary between them and Moreau, they appointed the former General Pichegru, who hated Napoleon, who was sent to Guiana, but fled from there, and illegally living in Paris. It would be strange if the ardent Republican General Moreau agreed to this adventure. Not even wanting to meet Cadoudal, he told Pichegru that he would agree to act against Bonaparte, but did not want to serve the Bourbons. He later wrote to Napoleon about the conspiracy: I don’t even understand how a handful of people can hope to change the government and restore a family to the throne, which the efforts of all Europe and many years of civil war could not return. I assure you, General, that all the proposals that were made to me, I rejected as completely insane.
Arrest of General Pechegru
French school painter
19th century French school engraving
Meanwhile, the Napoleonic police tracked down the conspirators. First, General Jean Victor Moreau was arrested (for what he knew, but did not inform), then General Charles Pechegru, who was extradited to the police by a friend, the owner of a safe house. Pichegru, despite being tortured, remained silent, and 40 days after his arrest, he was found in his cell, strangled with his own tie. No one believed in the suicide of the general. Later, everyone was arrested by Kadudal. At the trial, he confessed to the conspiracy, taking all the blame on himself, refused to file a request for pardon and was executed in the summer of 1804.
Portrait of General Jean Victor Moreau
Unknown artist
General Moreau was also tried. He brilliantly defended himself at the trial, the ladies present in the hall threw flowers at his feet, exclaiming every now and then: Moreau is innocent! Freedom for General Moreau! All this is colorfully described in the memoirs of Madame de Stael. He was sentenced to 2 years, to which Napoleon complained: They decided to punish him as if he were stealing handkerchiefs! And replaced the prison sentence with deportation to the United States. In a letter to his wife, Jean Victor wrote that the sentence was the height of his horror and dishonor. In addition to moral, the general suffered material losses, the court withheld from him more than a million francs, Bonaparte gave his Paris apartment to General Bernadotte, and the estate in Grobois to Alexandre Berthier.
At the end of 1804, Moreau arrived in the United States, he was excellently received by President Jefferson, who invited him to head the military schools that were opening in America. But the general chose to settle in Philadelphia, where he lived as a private person, hunting and fishing. He rejected all offers of visiting political emigrants and agents of powers hostile to Napoleon for cooperation. With the beginning of the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813, Emperor Alexander I, on the advice of the former French Marshal Bernadotte, invited Moreau to take part in a joint struggle with Napoleon. Coincidentally, the general’s wife fell ill and left for Europe for treatment, his adjutant Zh. B. Rapatel entered the Russian service, and a fire broke out on the estate that destroyed Moreau’s house, library and manuscripts. When Jean Victor Moreau found out that there were many captured French soldiers left in Russia, he wrote that I am ready to go to France with French troops, but I will not hide my disgust to enter my fatherland with a foreign army ... And ... If a significant number of these unfortunates agree under my leadership to go to the shores of France, I guarantee that I will overthrow Napoleon.
self-portrait
Pavel SVINYIN
The Russian diplomats Andrey Yakovlevich Dashkov and Pavel Petrovich Tugoi-Svinyin did not doze off either. Pavel Petrovich, a man from a tribe of adventurers and adventurers, a gifted writer and artist, a distant relative of M. Yu. high-speed brig Hannibal, accompanied him on the way. Svinin was with the general during the battle in Dresden, having witnessed his injury, he was with him until his death on September 2.
General Jean Victor Moreau
Pavel SVINYIN
In mid-August, Jean Victor arrived at the headquarters of Emperor Alexander I, was kindly received by him, a dinner was given in honor of the general, and he himself was introduced to King Frederick William III of Prussia and Emperor Franz I of Austria. As already mentioned, Alexander Pavlovich intended to make Moreau commander-in-chief of all coalition forces, as he considered only him a worthy opponent of Napoleon. The general himself preferred to remain chief of staff under the Russian emperor. The first covenant he gave to the allies was this: Do not attack those parts of the army where Napoleon himself is, attack only the marshals. The next day, Alexander I and General Moreau went to the theater of operations, and for the rest of the time, Jean Victor remained inseparably with the Russian emperor.
Death of General Moreau, par Paul Lehugeur
Death of General Moreau
Thomas Sutherland
Jean-Victor Moreau dies from wounds received at the Battle of Dresden
Engraving by Thomas Sutherland after an aquint by William Heath
On August 27, 1813, in the battle for Dresden, the commander of the allied forces, General Moreau, was mortally wounded by a nuclear rupture.
In the death of a traitor, the French see divine Providence.
Carl Antoine Charles Horace VERENEY
Illustration for the History of the Emperor Napoleon, Laurent de l'Ardèche
Well, then Dresden happened, the second day of the battle, a shootout of enemy batteries. Moreau invited the emperor to move away from the dangerous place, and as soon as they moved, Jean Victor was in front, Alexander was half a hull behind, a stray ball hit Moreau. It tore off his right leg and, breaking through the horse, crushed the left ... He was evacuated from the battlefield on a stretcher, built from Cossack pikes covered with overcoats, to Netnitz, where the life physician Willie amputated Moro both limbs above the knees.
Death of General Moreau
Louis-Charles-Auguste COUDER
Death of General Moreau (detail)
The general was then transferred to Laun, where he died on 2 September. In his suicide note to his wife, he wrote: This rogue Bonaparte was lucky again. He was happier here too. His faithful adjutant Colonel Rapatel, Alexander I's adjutant wing Colonel Orlov, Pavel Svinin were constantly at his bedside. The latter painted a portrait of Moreau from life these days: He is represented as lying on his deathbed, but not in the least changed in resemblance. The portrait of General Moreau was drawn by me in Prague from life, and upon my departure for England, Colonel Rapatel presented it to the emperor, who ordered it to be placed in the Hermitage. This portrait has not been found. Moreau dictated the last message for the Russian emperor: Sovereign! I'm going to the grave with the same feelings of respect, surprise and devotion that I felt for Your Majesty in the first minute of our meeting ...
Upon learning of Moreau's death, Alexander I sent a letter to his widow: When the terrible misfortune that befell General Moreau near me robbed me of the experience and knowledge of this great man, I still nurtured hope by trying to save him for his family and my friendship. Providence determined otherwise. He died as he lived, by the strength of a firm and unshakable soul. Everywhere in Russia you will find sympathy for yourself, and if you want to settle down with us, I will use all means to embellish your life, making it my sacred duty to be your comforter and support. My friendship for your husband extends beyond the coffin, and I have no other way, although in part, to express it, as by doing something for the well-being of his family. The emperor appointed the widow a one-time allowance of half a million rubles and appointed a lifetime pension of 30 thousand rubles annually. In addition, later King Louis XVIII, at the request of the Russian emperor, granted Alexandrina Moreau a pension of 12 thousand francs and the title of marshal's wife (la Marechale Moreau), as well as compensation of about half a million francs for lost property.
Dresden. Monument to General Moreau
Engraver William MILLER
View of Dresden and monument to General Moreau, 1815.
F. TEUBERT
Monument to General Moreau in Dresden
And at the site of the death of General Moreau near Dresden, Alexander I ordered to erect a monument in the form of a granite obelisk with an antique helmet and a laurel wreath and a sword at the top.
We managed to find crumbs about the general's children. His only son, three-year-old Eugene, remained in France with his grandmother and died soon after. I don’t know how many daughters there were, but the names (Amalia, Isabelle) are different, although apparently we are talking about the same lady. OUR EVERYTHING wrote about her in his diary dated December 5, 1834: Yermolova and Courval (daughter of General Moreau) dress the worst of all. And Dolly Ficquelmont added: The family of the French Viscount Courval appeared here; his wife is Moreau's daughter. As such, she received the cipher of the maid of honor of the Russian Court with a large pension. Not at all beautiful and not even elegant, but it seems to me a creature with a good cheerful character. Her husband is a handsome man, terribly talkative and phrasing when inspired to do so. They have beautiful and smart children.
A rogue Bonaparte in exile on the island of Saint Helena said to the Count of Las Kazu: I am saddened by the glory of Moreau, who found death in the ranks of the enemy. If he died for his homeland, I would envy such a fate. I was blamed for his exile; one way or another - after all, there were two of us, while only one was needed ... And he turned out to be right: the posthumous glory of Napoleon completely overshadowed the glory of Jean Victor Marie Moreau...
Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria
Ironically, two opponents - Suvorov and Moreau are buried in one country, one city, on one avenue - Nevsky. At the behest of Alexander I, the body of Jean Victor Moreau was embalmed in Prague and taken to St. Petersburg. He was buried in the crypt of the Catholic Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria with the honors of a Russian field marshal. All concerns about the burial were taken over by the Russian military department. Posthumously, King Louis XVIII promoted Moreau to the marshals of France (as did Georges Cadoudal).
During the years of Soviet power, a warehouse was placed in the church.
And recently, a memorial plaque was installed in the room
On the brick wall of the crypt, only a portrait of an outstanding general hangs. I read that on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death of the commander, they plan to create a memorial on the grave and open it for free visiting ...
pro100-mica.livejournal.com
Emperor Alexander I was a rather mediocre commander and a very brave man. Fortunately, he managed to realize his first quality in time and appointed people to command posts who were more capable of this occupation than himself. But no one could stop him from showing courage. This was the first Russian sovereign after Peter the Great, PERSONALLY present on the battlefield. Perhaps he wanted fame, but it is even more likely that he, sending people to their deaths, simply could not stand aside.
One of the indirect evidence of Alexander's courage is the death of General Moreau. According to Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, this event happened as follows: “Meanwhile, they sent me two more times with different orders. I could hardly walk at a pace, my horse was bogged down in rich black soil, dissolved by pouring rain, and the whirlwind did not allow distinguishing objects even at very close range. Returning at three o'clock to the sovereign, I found everyone in the greatest confusion, for a few minutes before that, the ball had torn off both legs from General Moreau, who was standing near the sovereign. It was the last smile of fortune on Napoleon! Fortunately, the sky saved the emperor. Noticing that his horse kicked on a stone lying on the ground, he turned it a little to the side, and Moreau had just stood at the place where the sovereign had been for quite a long time, as the fatal core struck him.
Death of General Moreau at Dresden in August 1813. 1815. Engraving by Sutherland after Heath's original.
I.R. Dreiling in German is brief, but its version does not contradict the one given above: “The battle under the walls of Dresden lasts for two days. We are on the extreme right under the command of Wittgenstein, not far from the Great Garden. The famous French general Moreau, a former republican who had come from America to take part in this battle, falls near the emperor and dies.
"During these memorable events, Emperor Alexander showed not only a conciliatory spirit and firmness, but also great courage. Everyone knows that during a reconnaissance near Dresden, the very cannonball that crushed both legs of the famous General Moreau flew near the Russian emperor and covered him with dust." (S. Choiseul-Gouffier. Historical memoirs)
You can find more evidence, but their meaning will be reduced to the same: the general was mortally wounded a stone's throw from the emperor. Alexander stood under the cannonballs and only a happy accident (a nervous horse) led to the fact that it was not he who lay with his legs torn off, and it was not his blood that soaked the ground near Dresden.
Jean Victor Moreau. General-in-Chief of the Army of the Rhine. Gerard. Versailles.
Jean Victor Moreau was born in 1763 in the family of a lawyer. In 1791 he joined the National Guard and fought in many battles in the following years. However, he was never a convinced republican, and his father's death on the scaffold certainly could not have contributed to his love for the Republic. After the coup of 18 Brumaire, Moreau was given command of the Army of the Rhine. But the popularity of the general and his relations with emigrants worried Bonaparte, so Moreau was arrested, accused of conspiracy, and sentenced to 2 years in prison, which was replaced by exile. In 1804 he left for the USA, in 1813 he returned to France to fight against Napoleon. He was mortally wounded in the battle of Dresden and died 5 days later.
Jean Victor Moreau. Chief General of the Republican Army. 1816. Jacques Luc Barbier-Valbonne after Gerard's original. Army Museum, Paris.
Moro was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Catholic Church of St. Catherine. He rests there until now.
"The court and the city were present at this extraordinary funeral in a Catholic church, mourned and given the last refuge to the exile. The diplomatic corps, consisting of old enemies of the revolution, participated in the celebration, and, to top off the extraordinary, the grave sermon was delivered by a Jesuit, and Russian soldiers demolished the coffin in the church cellar where Moreau is interred near the last Polish king, another example of the volatility of fortunes.In the midst of the indifferent crowd that had gathered for this strange funeral, two figures suddenly appeared, hurriedly made their way to the coffin and rushed to it with weeping.They were the adjutant of the deceased and His little Negro. At the same time, my heart was touched by the sight, and it was gratifying to see that at least some tears spilled on the unfortunate Moro, which continued to endure exile and by his death. The little Negro was extremely miserable. The adjutant Rapator experienced his general for a short time. " (R.S. Edling Notes)
Church of St. Catherine.
A. Kuznetsov: Jean Victor Moreau is one of the most brilliant generals of the era of revolutionary wars. At that time, he put on a military uniform rather late, having absolutely no military training before that, except that he was very fond of military history and military literature, and even read some textbooks on artillery. But it was all just a hobby.
In general, Moreau is from a classical bourgeois family, many generations of which served in various positions. His father was a fairly successful provincial lawyer, a man, apparently, quite firm. He said very harshly: "You will be a lawyer." However, Jean Victor had several brothers who were also sent to study law. True, unlike him, the older brother, they all somehow calmly accepted the will of their father. And our hero tried to rebel, to give up all these activities. As a student, he led a very wild life, was the leader of the student gang ...
Moro put on his military uniform quite late
Then Moreau tried to escape to the army. The father came specially, almost under the threat of criminal prosecution for disobedience to the will of the parent, forced him to return. As a result, Jean Victor nevertheless became a bachelor of law, and even in 1790, during the outbreak of the revolution, he received a lawyer's license. However, in the legal specialty, he worked only once - at his own trial.
As soon as Moro had the opportunity - the National Guard began to organize - he immediately joined it. He was elected an officer. But when he found out that there was not enough artillery in the guard, he went to the ordinary artillerymen. There he again made his way to captain. Well, and then - an enchanting career ...
Moreau met the revolution at that time as an adult - at the age of 26. Of course, for a marshal (unless you take the oldest generation) it is quite late. But on the other hand, our hero almost instantly flew up to brigadier generals. And here is the first mystical coincidence: in the same order, on the same day, both Moreau and Bonaparte received the same number of brigadier general. Prior to this, they did not know each other. It happened later...
Yes, Moro became a divisional general several years earlier than Napoleon. He ended up in the so-called Northern Army, from which, in general, nothing special was expected. The main task was assigned to the Army of the Rhine. And then luck suddenly came: Belgium was practically conquered, an invasion of Holland was carried out ... So, under the auspices of one of the heroes of these years, General Pichegru, Moreau became known throughout France.
Portrait of General Jean Victor Moreau by François Gérard, circa 1797. Source: en. wikipedia.org
Well, and then, superbly described in the literature, completely strange, mixed atmosphere of 1794-1795 - the first Directory. On the one hand, this is the time when the terror ended. On the other hand, from all sides, like mushrooms after rain, conspiracies began to multiply ... And in this situation, both the army and society as a whole began to look around in search of the so-called sword: the idea that the Directory regime should be replaced by some strong military hand.
S. Buntman: intelligible.
A. Kuznetsov: And here, of course, the eyes turned to General Bonaparte after his enchanting First Italian campaign.
It is worth noting that before that, candidate No. 1 was another person - Louis-Lazare Gauche. In 1797 he died suddenly. And then it turned out that Bonaparte and Moreau turned out to be figures of about the same, as they say, weight.
Many people are well aware of the story of 1799, when Sieyès began to look for a sword to overthrow the Directory. Initially, he did not count on the candidacy of Bonaparte, since he was hopelessly stuck in Africa, in Egypt. But Moreau, under a plausible pretext, summoned to Paris ... And here is another mystical coincidence: at the same hour, General Moreau, who had finally reached Paris, and a representative of Bonaparte, who had already reached France, entered Sieyes. And Moreau then said: “Here is the one you need. He will arrange a revolution for you much better than me.”
True, it must be said that Moreau was also an active participant. It was then, in the autumn of 1799, that they finally met. And Napoleon began to seduce Moreau. He knew how to do it. He invited our hero home, presented him with a luxurious, jeweled dagger, subtly flattered him, painting his victories (the very ones that later on the island of St. Helena would consider more a matter of chance than military talent). And as a result, Moreau became one of his closest assistants ...
S. Buntman: Can you find any point?
A. Kuznetsov: Napoleon himself often recalled his wife and mother-in-law Moreau with an evil word. And this despite the fact that this marriage - Moreau married in 1800 a recognized beauty, a young aristocrat, one of Josephine's friends, Eugenie Ulo - was arranged by his wife. Looking ahead, it is worth saying that this union was very happy. The couple lived, as they say, soul to soul for many years. And Napoleon for some reason considered Eugenie and her mother to be intriguers, gossips, although there were many of them around him. But for some reason he couldn't stand these.
S. Buntman: Maybe they hit?
A. Kuznetsov: May be. Or maybe Bonaparte needed to somehow explain the more and more obvious dislike for Moreau, which was caused by other things.
Moro became a divisional general before Napoleon
But one way or another, by this time, Jean Victor Moreau is already the hero of another great military period. The fact is that the French general several times turned out to be a direct partner at the chessboard of Suvorov himself. And every time he was forced to retreat. For this, Alexander Vasilievich sarcastically and respectfully called him “the general of brilliant retreats” ...
And here is the beginning of the XIX century. The third, as we now know, the last Vendée is crushed, covered in blood, but the latent seething still continues. Some Shuan leaders hide in forests, caves, abroad, but expect to return. Including the famous Georges Cadoudal, a man who once in his youth, like many others, was infected with revolutionary sentiments, but rather quickly (largely due to the tough anti-church policy of the revolution) became a staunch royalist and enemy of the existing regime.
Apparently, Cadoudal was somehow involved in the famous assassination attempt on the first consul in 1800, after which Bonaparte ordered Fouche to deal with the conspirators properly.
Portrait of Georges Cadoudal by Amible-Paul Coutana, 1827. Source: en. wikipedia.org
In 1802, for some of his pranks, the all-powerful Fouche ceased to be Minister of Police and spent two years in forced idle time. In the meantime, General Pichegru, who at one time was found guilty of betraying the revolution, was sentenced to hard labor (in fact, to a slow death in Cayenne, but he managed to escape on the way), in exile, in London, he became very close to Kadudal. Moreau, who received a very decent capital, was in Paris, engaged in fronding. All over Paris, his little words spread, which would later be blamed on him quite officially. And the agents of the royalists began to look for an approach to the general. How much they found it is not clear, although a lot has been written about this ...
Yes, first Cadoudal, then Pichegru secretly moved into French territory. According to one version, the French police missed them, according to another version - no. It was part of Fouche's plan, who dreamed of returning. His agents tracked these people, but for the time being they did not touch them, because Fouche needed to be shown: “Sir, you are in danger. Look, I'm retired, and you're in danger."
One way or another, but Pichegru and Moreau met. Moreau later claimed that he did not agree to this meeting, that Pichegru secretly came to his house at night, he could not kick him out, but did everything to make this visit as short as possible. Witnesses testified that Moreau and Pichegru met in the carriage, that in fact they had several meetings and several conversations. There is documentary evidence - Moreau's answer to one of Pichegru's emissaries: “I will not stand at the head of any party whose goal is to restore the Bourbons. They have so discredited themselves in the eyes of the people that any attempt to restore their rule is doomed to failure. If Pichegru agrees to act in a different direction, something that I told him, then this will require the removal of the consuls and the governor of Paris.
Suvorov called Moreau "the general of brilliant retreats"
Well, then the mousetrap slammed shut. Moro was arrested. Pichegru was arrested. With a fight, in the literal sense of the word, they took Kadudal, who, during the arrest, managed to kill one policeman and wound several. And when he was reproached during the investigation: “You killed a policeman, and he has several children,” Kadudal, without raising an eyebrow, replied: “But it was necessary to send bachelors for detention.”
As a result, a huge conspiracy case unfolded. And when the trial began at the end of May 1804, 47 people were brought to it ...
Moreau was forced to defend himself. Defended to such an extent that, stepping over his pride, he wrote a letter to Napoleon. Here is a short excerpt: “General, I am being held here for about a month now as an accomplice of Cadoudal and Pichegru, and I am probably destined to appear before the tribunal for attempting to attack the foundations of the state. Having gone through the crucible of the revolution and subsequent wars, it is difficult to accuse me of ambition or lack of citizenship. Since the enemies have alienated us from each other, that is why I am forced here with regret to speak about myself and what I have done. But now, when I am accused of being an accomplice of those who are considered mercenaries of England and acting on her orders, then in this case I will probably have to defend myself against the snares that she sets for me. If you honor this letter with your attention, General, then I will no longer doubt your justice, and I will only have to wait for the decision of my fate with a clear conscience of an innocent person.
Napoleon imposed a resolution: "Attach to the case." The process, very conscientious, lasted about two weeks. More than 150 witnesses were questioned. Lawyers fully performed their professional duties.
August Couder. Death of General Moreau.
His father Gabriel Louis Moreau (1730-1794), a desperate royalist, married Catherine Chaperon (1730-1775), who came from a family of a famous corsair.
The exact date when Jean Victor Moreau was born is unknown. All that remains is a certificate of his baptism, which indicates the date - February 14, 1763. From this we can conclude that the child, who was given the name Jean-Victor-Marie, was born either on the same day or a couple of days before this date. The Catholic rites of that time implied the Sacrament of Baptism on the same day on which the child was born. Sometimes the period was extended to a week, but, given the serious religiosity of the Moro family, biographers tend to believe that Moro's mother and father did not delay the baptism.
The Moro family was very large. During her short life, Catherine gave birth to many children, some of whom died in infancy. Jean Victor Marie was the eldest son of Gabriel and Catherine Moreau.
Legal Studies
According to contemporaries, and even biographers, in such a family in which Jean Victor grew up, he had no choice but to become a lawyer or civil servant. His father, who was a hereditary civil servant and judge in Morlaix, reasoned the same way and sent his son to law school in 1773, when Jean was 10 years old.
In 1775, Catherine Moreau died, and Gabrielle began to spend a large amount of money to help the poor. Jean remains at the college and in 1780 he graduated from it, having received the necessary education. There is an opinion that, without having finished his college education, Jean Victor fled to the army, but his father bought him out of there and, by a strong-willed decision, put him back to learn legal sciences.
After college, despite the resistance of his son, Gabriel Louis sends him to the University of Rennes.
But even at the Law University, the future General Jean Victor Moreau (date of birth not specified in the sources) managed to read works on tactics and strategy. Of course, such a “double life” could not but affect his success in mastering the legal sciences, so Moreau stayed at the university, graduating only in 1790. Despite dubious successes in the sciences, Jean had no equal in discipline, so he was appointed disciplinary elder.
General of Parliament. The first recognition of military talent
When, in 1788, the Parliament of Rennes refused to register royal decrees repealing concessions for Brittany, and it was surrounded by the military, Jean Moreau, as headman, gathered the students and drove the troops away from the Parliament building.
On January 27, 1789, Moreau again gathers and equips about 400 students to repulse the bourgeois, who again besieged the parliament building. It was these events that became the beginning of the French Revolution, and Moreau began to be called the "general of the Parliament."
After graduating from the university in 1790, Jean Victor received the title of Bachelor of Laws. But he does not work a day in his specialty, immediately getting into the National Guard as the commander of the 2nd battalion. Then he is transferred to the gunners, where after some time he becomes a captain. And on September 11, 1791, Jean Moreau became already a lieutenant colonel, commander of the 1st battalion of the National Guard D "Isle-et-Villena.
The beginning of a career in the Northern Army
As evidenced by the biography, Jean Victor Moreau begins his military activities in the Northern Army under the banner of Commander Jean Charles Pichegru. He shows himself to be a very gifted officer, and in 1793 he is produced at the age of 30, on the same order as the twenty-four-year-old Napoleon.
In 1794, Jean Victor becomes commander in chief of the Army of the North, just after France conquers Holland. The news of the execution of his father almost leads Moreau to thoughts of desertion, but the commander leaves them.
Already appointed commander of the Rhine-Moselle army, Moreau, along with Desaix and Saint-Cyr, win a number of high-profile victories in Germany. Despite this, the campaign was ended with the withdrawal of the French troops, the famous forty-day retreat through the marshes to the Rhine, which was able to save many lives of French soldiers.
Despite all his many successes in command in 1797, Jean Moreau is removed from the army and retired. The reason was the accusation of General Pichegru of treason against the Directory. A friend and commander was sent into exile outside of France.
Italian army and battles against Suvorov
As evidenced by the biography, General Jean Victor Moreau returned to military service in 1798, having been drafted into the Italian army, becoming the first assistant to the commander-in-chief of the army, General Scherer.
Upon learning that A. V. Suvorov himself would be his opponent, Barthelemy Louis Joseph Scherer departs from the army, leaving the entire campaign on the shoulders of General Moreau. But he, too, could not resist the genius of Suvorov, who was crushing the French armies at Novi and on the Adda River. Suvorov spoke very approvingly of his opponent, saying that he "understands him quite well." At the same time, Jean Moreau paid tribute to the military genius of the Russian field marshal.
Moreau retreats to the Riviera, where General Joubert replaces him. But when Joubert dies, he again becomes the head of the Italian army and takes it to Genoa. There he transfers command to Jean Etienne Vachier and leaves for Paris, where he is to take command of the Army of the Rhine, but it has already been given to General Claude-Jacques Lecourbe.
Relations between Moreau and Napoleon
At this time, a revolutionary change in the power of the Directory to the power of the Consulate was being prepared in Paris. The only thing missing was someone who could become the Consul of France. This role was offered to Jean Moreau. But the illustrious general was very far from politics and, in response, proposed the candidacy of Bonaparte, who had just fled from Egypt, whom he actively supported.
General Jean Victor Moreau (photo in the article) actively participated in the change of power on November 9, 1799: by arresting the most active members of the Directory and cordoning off the Luxembourg Palace, he ensures the success of the coup.
For his actions and help, Moreau receives as a "reward" the appointment of commander-in-chief of the Army of the Rhine and was immediately sent away from Paris to Germany. There the general wins a brilliant victory at Hohenlinden. This adds to his popularity in Paris, but relations with the First Consul become even more tense. What contributes to the failure of Bonaparte at Marengo, which only thanks to the timely actions of Desaix did not turn into a defeat. Since General Desaix died in this battle, Napoleon appropriates his merits, but the army, and with it the whole public, knows perfectly well the real state of affairs. Against the background of this case, Moro's victory looks even more convincing and striking.
In addition, having married Eugenie Hulot d "Auseri in 1800, Moreau even more revolted Napoleon against himself, refusing him twice when he wooed other girls for the general, including his stepdaughter Hortense de Boarnay. Bonaparte really did not like Eugenie, nor her mother, Jeanne Hulot.They were the kind of woman the First Consul would not tolerate.
But on the part of Jean Victor Moreau, it really was a marriage of love, and not of convenience, since the d'Oseri family had no weight in Parisian politics. Shortly after the marriage, General Moreau again departed for the theater of operations.
Conspiracy against Napoleon
According to the information contained in historical sources, Jean Victor Moreau did not hide his relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte. He did not hesitate in expressions, speaking out about his attitude towards the self-appointed emperor, and did not even accept the Order of the Legion of Honor granted to him. Everything that was said by Jean Victor, of course, was immediately heard by the emperor, who adores spies. The emperor did not like all this, which the general, of course, guessed, but was sure that his popularity among the troops would not allow the Corsican to do anything with him.
Moreau retired from service and, settling on his estate Grobois, also retired from politics. However, the reign of Napoleon did not suit many French people. Georges Cardual, who predicted Moreau the place of the First Consul, even organized an assassination attempt on Bonaparte. And Pichegru, once exiled from France, but secretly returned to Paris, volunteered to be an intermediary between the head of the rebels Cardual and Moreau. But Jean Victor did not participate in this ridiculous plot, which did not prevent his arrest at all when the plot was discovered.
French General Jean Victor Moreau was among the first to be arrested, accused of being aware of the conspiracy, but not telling where he should be. Pichegru was arrested second, who, despite torture, did not confess to anything, and a little more than a month later was found strangled with his own tie in his own cell. True, they did not believe that this was done by Pichegru himself. Among the latter, Cardual was arrested, who confessed to everything in court and took all the blame. He was executed in the summer of 1804.
According to the biography, Jean Victor Moreau was sentenced to two years in prison, but Bonaparte did not like the sentence. The emperor counted on the death penalty, but the specially assembled judges did not find what the famous commander could be executed for, and the imprisonment was replaced by exile.
Life in the United States
The former general was expelled from France the very next day after the verdict was announced. When he crossed the border into Spain, his wife and children voluntarily joined him. Jean Victor Moreau spent some time trying to somehow resolve the issue with the property. On July 5, 1805, the Moreau family arrives in the United States.
In the States, they purchase an apartment on Warren Street in New York, which is used for living in the winter. For the rest of the year, the Moros live in Philadelphia on the small estate of Morrisville.
President Jefferson very cordially receives the disgraced commander and even invites him to head the schools where future military men are trained. But Jean Moreau refuses and retires to his estate to hunt, fish and engage in other joys of exile life.
But the life of the former French general in exile was not easy and cloudless. In 1807 he received the news that his sister Marguerite had died, and in 1808 Madame Hulot, his mother-in-law, died. In the same year, the only son Eugene, who remained in France, dies.
In 1812, with the permission of the emperor, Victor Moreau, who was seriously ill, returned to France with her daughter Isabelle. In the same year, the Morrisville estate burns down, due to the fault of an unknown man on a horse, as described by the locals.
Return to Europe
In addition to Moreau, there were a large number of Frenchmen in the United States who were sent into exile. With many of them, the disgraced general maintained relations. In 1811, his adjutant and friend, Colonel Dominique Rapatel, on the advice of Jean Victor, arranged to serve in the Russian troops.
In 1813, at the request of Alexander I, Rapatel initiates a correspondence with Jean Victor, in which he invites the former French general to fight against the usurper Bonaparte at the head of an army of French prisoners.
In addition to the proposal of the Russian monarch, Moreau wanted to see in Europe General Bernadotte, a former comrade in the republican opposition, and now Karl Johan, the Swedish crown prince. Hatred of Bonaparte and a frankly dull existence in solitude pushes the general to the fact that he decides to return to Europe, and together with Pavel Svinin (better known as the military attache Paul de Chevennin) left the USA on the high-speed ship Hannibal on June 25, 1813 of the year.
Already on July 27, a ship with General Moreau on board moored in Gothenburg. Upon arrival, Jean Victor learns that it was not possible to form an army of French prisoners. Most refused to fight against their homeland, despite the very controversial figure of Napoleon at the head.
Death of General Moreau
Moreau is already about to return to America, since he did not intend to go at the head of an army consisting of non-French people. He already hated to fight against his country. But Alexander I offers him the position of adviser to the three kings.
Jean Moreau agrees to this proposal, but does not accept any ranks, although Alexander Pavlovich wanted to immediately give him the rank of Field Marshal in the Allied army. Upon Moreau's arrival at the location of the Russian emperor, a festive dinner was organized in honor of his arrival, where Alexander I introduces the former general and opponent of Bonaparte's power to the allied Prussian and Austrian monarchs.
General Moreau accompanied Alexander I already on August 27 in the battle of Dresden, where he, having advised the Russian emperor to fall behind a little, was mortally wounded.
Moro was quickly taken out of the theater of operations and the life doctor did everything possible by amputating both of his legs, which were partially torn off by the ill-fated core. Jean Victor Marie Moreau died on 2 September in Launa. With him, Pavel Svinin was inseparable. He also painted the dying portrait of the general.
Posthumous honors
After Alexander I is informed of the death of General Moreau, he writes a letter to his widow with regrets and condolences, to which a lump sum payment of a million rubles is attached. Subsequently, the Russian emperor makes a request to Louis XVIII, who in 1814 assigns Moreau the posthumous title of marshal, and his wife, as the widowed wife of a marshal, a pension of 12 thousand francs.
In the place where General Moreau died, Alexander I ordered to erect an obelisk in memory of the famous commander. Jean Moreau was buried in the current St. Petersburg in the church named after St. Catherine, owned by Catholics. On the day of the funeral, the fallen general was given field marshal honors. From the opposite end of the famous Nevsky Prospekt, on which the church stands, is the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where A. V. Suvorov is buried.
