Jean Gabriel Maurice Rocques
Encyclopedia
Jean Gabriel Maurice Rocques, comte de Montgaillard (November 16, 1761—February 8, 1841) was a French
political agent of the Revolution
and First Empire
era.
, near Villefranche-de-Lauragais
(Haute-Garonne
), to a family of the minor noblesse
, he was educated at the military school of Sorze, where he attracted the notice of King Louis XVI
's younger brother, the Comte de Provence
.
After serving for some years in the French Caribbean
, Maurice de Rocques returned to France and settled in Paris
as a secret diplomatic agent
in 1789, and, although he was an émigré
to Great Britain
after the 10th of August 1792 attack on the Tuileries
, he returned six weeks later to Paris, where his safety during the Reign of Terror
was most probably purchased by services to the French Republic.
princes when he met Emperor
Francis II
at Ypres
(in the Austrian Netherlands
) in 1794 and met with William Pitt the Younger
in London
, where he published his État de la France au mois de mai 1794, predicting the fall of Maximilien Robespierre
and the start of the Thermidorian Reaction
.
Rocques was also employed by Louis XVIII to secure Habsburg
aid in the release of Louis XVI
's only surviving child, Madame Royale (Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte), from the Temple Prison
in Paris; Rocques also drafted the proposition made by the prince to General Charles Pichegru
in exchange for his betrayal of the Republic.
in the hope of opening direct relations with Napoleon Bonaparte
. On his return to the princes at Blankenburg am Harz
, he was regarded with suspicion, and he departed for Paris to await events. He is thought to have indicated to the French Directory
the possession by the Comte d'Antraigues
, an agent of Louis XVIII
, of documents compromising Pichegru. In April 1798 he surrendered to Claude Roberjot, at the time envoy of the Directory to the government of Hamburg
(nominally, to the Hanseatic League
), other papers relating to the matter.
He followed Roberjot to the Batavian Republic
, and there wrote a memorandum to prove that the only hope for France lay in the immediate return of Bonaparte from the Egyptian campaign
, followed by assumption of the supreme power. This note reached Bonaparte in Alexandria
, after passing through of Berlin
and Constantinople
.
After the 18 Brumaire coup
, when he returned to Paris in the hope of recognition by Napoleon, Rocques was imprisoned, and on his release he was kept under police supervision. Napoleon, who appreciated his real insight into Europe
an politics and his extraordinary knowledge of European courts, attached him to the Empire's secret cabinet in spite of his past intrigues.
, reduced later to 6,000, for reports on political questions for Napoleon's use, and for pamphlet
s written to help the imperial policy. He tried to dissuade Napoleon from his Habsburg matrimony plans with Marie Louise
and the invasion of Russia, and warned against expansion of the Empire beyond the Rhine, the Alps
and the Pyrenees
.
The Bourbon Restoration
made no change in his position: he was maintained as confidential adviser on foreign and home politics, and gave apt advice to the new government. His career ended after the July Revolution
, and he died in obscurity at Chaillot
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
political agent of the Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and First Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
era.
Early life
Born at Montgaillard-LauragaisMontgaillard-Lauragais
Montgaillard-Lauragais is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department of southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, near Villefranche-de-Lauragais
Villefranche-de-Lauragais
Villefranche-de-Lauragais is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
(Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
), to a family of the minor noblesse
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
, he was educated at the military school of Sorze, where he attracted the notice of King Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
's younger brother, the Comte de Provence
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
.
After serving for some years in the French Caribbean
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
, Maurice de Rocques returned to France and settled in Paris
Paris
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...
as a secret diplomatic agent
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
in 1789, and, although he was an émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
to Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
after the 10th of August 1792 attack on the Tuileries
10th of August (French Revolution)
On 10 August 1792, during the French Revolution, revolutionary Fédéré militias — with the backing of a new municipal government of Paris that came to be known as the "insurrectionary" Paris Commune and ultimately supported by the National Guard — besieged the Tuileries palace. King Louis XVI and...
, he returned six weeks later to Paris, where his safety during the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
was most probably purchased by services to the French Republic.
With the comte de Provence
He was again serving the BourbonHouse of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
princes when he met Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Francis II
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
at Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
(in the Austrian Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
) in 1794 and met with William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he published his État de la France au mois de mai 1794, predicting the fall of Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
and the start of the Thermidorian Reaction
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt in the French Revolution against the excesses of the Reign of Terror. It was triggered by a vote of the Committee of Public Safety to execute Maximilien Robespierre, Antoine Louis Léon de Saint-Just de Richebourg and several other leading members of the Terror...
.
Rocques was also employed by Louis XVIII to secure Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
aid in the release of Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
's only surviving child, Madame Royale (Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte), from the Temple Prison
Temple (Paris)
The Temple was a medieval fortress in Paris, located in what is now the IIIe arrondissement. It was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century, as their European headquarters. In the 13th century it replaced earlier works of the Vieille Temple in Le Marais...
in Paris; Rocques also drafted the proposition made by the prince to General Charles Pichegru
Charles Pichegru
Jean-Charles Pichegru was a French general and political figure of the French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars.-Early life and career:...
in exchange for his betrayal of the Republic.
Support for Bonaparte
In June 1796, Rocques made a journey to the Italian PeninsulaItalian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
in the hope of opening direct relations with Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon 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...
. On his return to the princes at Blankenburg am Harz
Blankenburg am Harz
Blankenburg is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains, southwest of Halberstadt....
, he was regarded with suspicion, and he departed for Paris to await events. He is thought to have indicated to the French Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
the possession by the Comte d'Antraigues
Louis-Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues
Emmanuel Henri Louis Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues was a French pamphleteer, diplomat, spy and political adventurer during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars....
, an agent of Louis XVIII
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
, of documents compromising Pichegru. In April 1798 he surrendered to Claude Roberjot, at the time envoy of the Directory to the government of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
(nominally, to the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
), other papers relating to the matter.
He followed Roberjot to the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
, and there wrote a memorandum to prove that the only hope for France lay in the immediate return of Bonaparte from the Egyptian campaign
French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1798
1798 was a relatively quiet period in the French Revolutionary Wars. The major continental powers in the First coalition had made peace with France, leaving France dominant in Europe with only a slow naval war with Great Britain to worry about...
, followed by assumption of the supreme power. This note reached Bonaparte in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, after passing through of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
After the 18 Brumaire coup
18 Brumaire
The coup of 18 Brumaire was the coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate...
, when he returned to Paris in the hope of recognition by Napoleon, Rocques was imprisoned, and on his release he was kept under police supervision. Napoleon, who appreciated his real insight into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an politics and his extraordinary knowledge of European courts, attached him to the Empire's secret cabinet in spite of his past intrigues.
Later diplomatic activities
He received a salary of 14,000 francsFrench franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
, reduced later to 6,000, for reports on political questions for Napoleon's use, and for pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s written to help the imperial policy. He tried to dissuade Napoleon from his Habsburg matrimony plans with Marie Louise
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
and the invasion of Russia, and warned against expansion of the Empire beyond the Rhine, the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
.
The Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
made no change in his position: he was maintained as confidential adviser on foreign and home politics, and gave apt advice to the new government. His career ended after the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
, and he died in obscurity at Chaillot
Trocadéro
The Trocadéro, , site of the Palais de Chaillot, , is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The hill of the Trocadéro is the hill of Chaillot, a former village.- Origin of the name :...
.