Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult

Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1769 – November 26, 1851), generalissimo of France, was born at Saint-Arnans-la-Bastide (now in department of the Tarn), and was the son of a country notary at that place.

Political career

Such was the military career of Marshal Soult. His political career was by no means so creditable, and it has been said of him that he had character only in front of the enemy. After the first abdication of Napoleon (1814) he declared himself a Royalist, received the order of St Louis, and acted as minister for war from December 3 1814 to March 11 1815. When Napoleon returned from Elba, Soult at once declared himself a Bonapartist, was made a peer of France and acted as major-general (chief of staff) to the emperor in the campaign of Waterloo, in which role he distinguished himself far less than he had done as commander of an over-matched army.

Related Topics:
Royalist - December 3 - 1814 - March 11 - Elba - Peer of France - Campaign of Waterloo

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At the Second Restoration (1815) he was exiled, but not for long, for in 1819 he was recalled and in 1820 again made a marshal of France. He once more tried to show himself a fervent Royalist and was made a peer in 1827. After the revolution of 1830 he made out that he was a partisan of Louis Philippe, who welcomed his support and revived for him the title of marshal-general (therefore only held by Turenne, Villars and Maurice de Saxe). He served as minister for war from 1830 to 1834, as Prime Minister from 1832 to 1834, as ambassador extraordinary to London for the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838, again as Prime Minister from 1839 to 1840 and 1840 to 1847, and again as minister for war from 1840 to 1844. In 1848, when Louis Philippe was overthrown, Soult again declared himself a republican. He died at his castle of Soultberg, near his birthplace.

Related Topics:
Revolution of 1830 - Louis Philippe - London - Victoria

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Soult himself wrote but little. He published a memoir justifying his adhesion to Napoleon during the Hundred Days, and his notes and journals were arranged by his son Napoleon Hector (1801 - 1857), who published the first part (Mémoires du maréchal-général Soult) in 1854. Le Noble's Mémoires sur les operations des Français en Galicie are supposed to have been written from Soult papers.

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