Who was Jean Victor Marie Moreau and why is he historically significant?
Jean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general born on the 14th of February 1763 in Morlaix, Brittany, who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and is counted among the foremost French generals of the era. He led the French Revolutionary Army to major victories, including the Battle of Hohenlinden on the 3rd of December 1800, but later became Napoleon Bonaparte's chief military and political rival and was banished to the United States.
What was the Battle of Hohenlinden and what role did Moreau play in it?
The Battle of Hohenlinden, fought on the 3rd of December 1800, was one of the celebrated French victories of the Revolutionary period. Moreau commanded the Army of the Rhine and won the engagement against the Austrians. It was the military high point of his career before his relationship with Napoleon deteriorated.
Why was Jean Victor Marie Moreau banished from France?
Moreau was banished in 1804 after Napoleon's government procured his condemnation through heavy pressure on the judges, following his association with a circle of political dissidents known as "Club Moreau" that gathered around his ambitious wife. Napoleon commuted a prison sentence to banishment; Moreau left through Spain and sailed to America.
Where did Moreau live during his exile in the United States?
Moreau arrived in New York City in August 1805 and settled in 1806 in Pennsylvania, where he bought a villa near the Delaware River in Morrisville, across the river from Trenton. The villa had formerly belonged to Robert Morris. He lived there until 1813.
How did Jean Victor Marie Moreau die?
Moreau was mortally wounded on the 27th of August 1813 at the Battle of Dresden while talking with Tsar Alexander I of Russia. He died from his wounds on the 2nd of September 1813 in Louny and was buried in the Catholic Church of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg.
What were Jean Victor Marie Moreau's last words?
Moreau's reported last words were "Soyez tranquilles, messieurs; c'est mon sort," meaning "Be calm, gentlemen; this is my fate." Those who knew him interpreted the remark as suggesting he did not regret being removed from his contradictory position as a general fighting against his own country.