Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher
Encyclopedia
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher, born 29 June 1761 and died 13 March 1808, joined the army of the First French Republic and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars
. During the Napoleonic Wars
he rose in rank to command a division. He was accidentally killed in 1808 while on campaign in Spain. His surname is one of the Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
.
, Malher enlisted in the French army. During the War of the First Coalition, he became a colonel
in 1794. He received promotion to general of brigade in 1799 and to general of division in August 1803. At the latter date, he commanded the 2nd subdivision of the 13th Military Division, headquartered in Rennes
.
's Grande Armée moved against Habsburg Austria during the War of the Third Coalition, Malher commanded the 3rd Division in Marshal
Michel Ney
's VI Corps. His 8,000-man division included six battalions of the 27th, 50th, and 59th Line Infantry Regiments and three battalions of the 27th Light Infantry Regiment, plus six cannons. His subordinates were Generals of Brigade Mathieu Delabassé and Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet
.
On 8 October, the VI Corps marched to Giengen
, northwest of Ulm
. The following day, Ney ordered Malher to move south and seize the bridges over the Danube
near Günzburg
. To accomplish this task, Malher formed three columns. The western column under Etienne Nicolas Lefol aimed for the bridge at Leipheim
. This force gave up after following a road that ended in a marsh. The 59th Regiment formed the eastern column, which was directed toward a bridge on the east side of Günzburg. The central column, which contained most of three regiments, marched straight at Günzburg. These troops collided with a force of Tyrolean jagers under Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré
to start the Battle of Günzburg
.
Alarmed by the French, the defenders of Günzburg destroyed all the bridges. Cut off, d'Aspré surrendered with 200 jagers and two cannons. Malher tried to rebuild the two bridges at Günzburg but was forced to give up under the intense fire of 20 cannons and the Archduke Charles Infantry Regiment # 3. Later that day, the Austrian commander Karl Mack von Lieberich ordered the bridge on the eastern outskirts of the town to be reconstructed by Ignaz Gyulai
. As soon as Gyulai's men rebuilt the span, the 59th belatedly appeared and rushed the bridge. Though outnumbered three-to-one, the attack led by Delabassé crashed through Gyulai's defenses and captured the span. The 59th deployed in square formation to repel the Austrian cavalry charges that followed. Malher moved the rest of his division to support the success and the French troops held the bridge against Austrian counterattacks. Mack retreated to Ulm on 10 October, conceding victory to the French.
On 13 October, Malher clashed with an Austrian force led by Johann Laudon at the Elchingen
bridge. The next day, he led his troops at the Battle of Elchingen
, but his division was only lightly engaged. After the successful conclusion of the Ulm Campaign
, Napoleon sent the divisions of Malher and Louis Henri Loison
of Ney's corps to the County of Tyrol
. On 4 November, the Austrians defeated Ney's attacks at Scharnitz
with heavy losses. However, on the same day the French wiped out a second Austrian force at Leutasch
. Ney went on to capture Innsbruck
the following day.
in the Kingdom of Portugal
. It had been allowed to cross the Kingdom of Spain by agreement and Spanish forces occupied parts of Portugal. But Napoleon also plotted to add Spain to his empire by replacing the unpopular regime of King Charles IV of Spain
. On the pretext of supporting the occupation force in Portugal, 75,000 French troops crossed into Spain in early 1808 and took over key strategic locations. On 13 March, Malher was accidentally killed during a military exercise in Valladolid
.
The name MALHER is engraved on Column 7 of the Arc de Triomphe
. An urn with Malher's heart resides in the Panthéon in Paris
.
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
he rose in rank to command a division. He was accidentally killed in 1808 while on campaign in Spain. His surname is one of the Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
The following is the list of the names of the 660 persons inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris. Most of them are generals who served during the First French Empire with additional figures from the French Revolution ....
.
Early career
Born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Malher enlisted in the French army. During the War of the First Coalition, he became a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1794. He received promotion to general of brigade in 1799 and to general of division in August 1803. At the latter date, he commanded the 2nd subdivision of the 13th Military Division, headquartered in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
.
1805
When Emperor Napoleon I of FranceNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's Grande Armée moved against Habsburg Austria during the War of the Third Coalition, Malher commanded the 3rd Division in Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
's VI Corps. His 8,000-man division included six battalions of the 27th, 50th, and 59th Line Infantry Regiments and three battalions of the 27th Light Infantry Regiment, plus six cannons. His subordinates were Generals of Brigade Mathieu Delabassé and Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet
Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet
Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet joined the French army in 1781 as an officer cadet and fought in the American Revolutionary War. During the French Revolutionary Wars he fought in the Army of the Rhine and was wounded at First and Second Wissembourg...
.
On 8 October, the VI Corps marched to Giengen
Giengen
Giengen is a historic city in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated in the district of Heidenheim, north-east of Ulm, at the southern foot of the Swabian Alb....
, northwest of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
. The following day, Ney ordered Malher to move south and seize the bridges over the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
near Günzburg
Günzburg
Günzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. This district was constituted in 1972 by combining the city of Günzburg—which had not previously been assigned to a Kreis —with the district of Günzburg and the district of Krumbach.Günzburg lies...
. To accomplish this task, Malher formed three columns. The western column under Etienne Nicolas Lefol aimed for the bridge at Leipheim
Leipheim
Leipheim is a town in the district of Günzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the Danube, 5 km west of Günzburg, and 17 km northeast of Ulm. The village Riedheim and the hamlet Weissingen are districts of Leipheim...
. This force gave up after following a road that ended in a marsh. The 59th Regiment formed the eastern column, which was directed toward a bridge on the east side of Günzburg. The central column, which contained most of three regiments, marched straight at Günzburg. These troops collided with a force of Tyrolean jagers under Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré
Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré
Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré von Hoobreuk, born 27 December 1754 – died 8 July 1809, served in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, he made a mark in two major campaigns. In 1809, he was briefy Proprietor of an infantry regiment and...
to start the Battle of Günzburg
Battle of Günzburg
The Battle of Günzburg on 9 October 1805 saw General of Division Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher's French division attempt to seize a crossing over the Danube River at Günzburg in the face of a Habsburg Austrian army led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Mack von Lieberich. Malher's division managed to...
.
Alarmed by the French, the defenders of Günzburg destroyed all the bridges. Cut off, d'Aspré surrendered with 200 jagers and two cannons. Malher tried to rebuild the two bridges at Günzburg but was forced to give up under the intense fire of 20 cannons and the Archduke Charles Infantry Regiment # 3. Later that day, the Austrian commander Karl Mack von Lieberich ordered the bridge on the eastern outskirts of the town to be reconstructed by Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai von Máros-Nemeth und Nádaska, Ignácz Gyulay, Ignác Gyulay, or Ignjat Đulaj born 11 September 1763 – died 11 November 1831, joined the army of Habsburg Austria, fought against Ottoman Turkey, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. From 1806 he held the...
. As soon as Gyulai's men rebuilt the span, the 59th belatedly appeared and rushed the bridge. Though outnumbered three-to-one, the attack led by Delabassé crashed through Gyulai's defenses and captured the span. The 59th deployed in square formation to repel the Austrian cavalry charges that followed. Malher moved the rest of his division to support the success and the French troops held the bridge against Austrian counterattacks. Mack retreated to Ulm on 10 October, conceding victory to the French.
On 13 October, Malher clashed with an Austrian force led by Johann Laudon at the Elchingen
Elchingen
Elchingen is a municipality about 7 km east of Ulm–Neu-Ulm in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria, GermanyMunicipality parts:* Thalfingen: 4 211 residents, 8.83 km²* Oberelchingen: 3 024 residents, 7.31 km²...
bridge. The next day, he led his troops at the Battle of Elchingen
Battle of Elchingen
The Battle of Elchingen, fought on October 14, 1805, saw French forces under Michel Ney rout an Austrian corps led by Johann Sigismund Riesch. This defeat led to a large part of the Austrian army being invested in the fortress of Ulm by the army of Emperor Napoleon I of France while other...
, but his division was only lightly engaged. After the successful conclusion of the Ulm Campaign
Ulm Campaign
The Ulm Campaign consisted of a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles to outflank and capture an Austrian army in 1805 during the War of the Third Coalition. It took place in the vicinity of and inside the Swabian city of Ulm...
, Napoleon sent the divisions of Malher and Louis Henri Loison
Louis Henri Loison
Louis Henri Loison briefly joined the French Army in 1787 and after the French Revolution became a junior officer. Blessed with military talent and courage, he rapidly rose to general officer rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. He also got into difficulties because of his fondness for...
of Ney's corps to the County of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. On 4 November, the Austrians defeated Ney's attacks at Scharnitz
Scharnitz
Scharnitz is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 16,40 km north of Innsbruck as well as 9 km above Seefeld in Tirol at the border to Germany. It has one of the biggest area size and possesses 12 parts. The village was founded in the early middle age and was once an...
with heavy losses. However, on the same day the French wiped out a second Austrian force at Leutasch
Leutasch
Leutasch is a municipality in the northern part of the district Innsbruck-Land and is located approximately 30 km northwest of Innsbruck. The beautiful valley lies within a 16 km long high-lying valley and possesses 2073 inhabitants and 26 hamlets....
. Ney went on to capture Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
the following day.
1808
On 30 November 1807, a French army occupied LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
. It had been allowed to cross the Kingdom of Spain by agreement and Spanish forces occupied parts of Portugal. But Napoleon also plotted to add Spain to his empire by replacing the unpopular regime of King Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
. On the pretext of supporting the occupation force in Portugal, 75,000 French troops crossed into Spain in early 1808 and took over key strategic locations. On 13 March, Malher was accidentally killed during a military exercise in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
.
The name MALHER is engraved on Column 7 of the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
. An urn with Malher's heart resides in the Panthéon in Paris
Panthéon, Paris
The Panthéon is a building in the Latin Quarter in Paris. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens...
.