Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart
Encyclopedia
Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart (Paris
, 14 September 1788 - Jumilhac-le-Grand
, 1858) was a French general of the House of Rochechouart
fighting in the Royalist
, Imperial Russian and Bourbon
armies of the Napoleonic Wars
.
, Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart was born in Paris on 14 September 1788, only a few months before the outbreak of the French Revolution
. A younger brother and thus likely destined for a career in the church, he had to flee Paris in 1794 (aged 6) due to his mother's activities in attempting to arrange for the escape of queen Marie-Antoinette. Pursued by gendarmes come to arrest her, she, Louis-Victor-Léon and his brother Louis managed to escape, though his 10-year-old sister Cornélie was not so lucky - chased by the authorities, and on her own, she died of exhaustion after 3 days wandering Paris. Forced to leave France, the countess of Rochechouart left her two young sons in a house in Caen
owned by a couple who exploited the situation. Housed in terrible conditions and deprived of food, the two brothers became the couple's servants. After a year they were found by a relative and freed from service. They reached
Fribourg
in Switzerland in 1796, where they hoped their still-exiled mother would join them but she was prevented from doing so. Thus the two brothers were generously housed by a citizen of that town until revolutionary French troops entered it in 1798 and forced them to flee once more. They finally caught up with their mother in Antwerp, before moving on with her to Rotterdam
, London
and Hamburg
. Her implication in plots to restore the monarchy lost her her fortune, brought her many political problems and leave several refuge countries. Without a sou, she and her two children finally took refuge in Germany, where they were forced to make and sell bags to survive. He later wrote of this period "This kind of life gave me good sad reflections. Misery is a terrible thing. Nobody can get a full idea of it who has not suffered it himself. This evil can happen to anyone, imprison anyone." Aged 11, Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart thus decided to embark for Hamburg
to join the émigré regiment commanded by his uncle the duke of Mortemart and intended for Portugal. After many adventures, leading him through the Netherlands, England and Spain, he finally arrived in Lisbon in 1800.
. After 15 days in close contact near Abrantès
, the Portuguese army (with the regiment attached) on one side and the Franco-Spanish army on the other both retired without a single shot being fired. Peace was signed in Madrid
under the aegis of Lucien Bonaparte
. Having entered the regiment as an ensign
, the comte de Rochechouart was a sous-lieutenant by the time the regiment was dissolved in 1802. Aged 14, he returned to Paris, where for 2 years he spent his fortune on the pleasures in the capitral. In 1804 he tried to get to Russia, where he had traced his mother and brother. With no money, he travelled in fantastical fashion, financing his trip in part by wins at the Milan
casino. He was miraculously reunited with a relation in Vienna
, who helped him get to Poland
, where he found his mother in 1805. From there they traveled to the Crimea
, where the countess of Rochechouart and her son were living. The reunions were short-lived, however - she died a few weeks later. Louis-Victor-Léon was thus taken in by his uncle the duke of Richelieu, governor of Odessa
, over time becoming his adoptive son.
. From 1805 to 1812, he participated in the conquest of Bessarabia
and Circassia
, fought in Caucasia
and Chechnya
. When France invaded Russia
in 1812, Rochechouart was mobilised in general Tormassov's army. He participated in the capture of Minsk
, then at , where he witnessed the tragic crossing of the river by the French army. He summed up the Russian campaign thus:
Made colonel then major-general, he fought in the subsequent German campaign at the battles of Lützen
, , and . In September that year he was sent on a mission to convince Napoleon's old general king Charles XIV John of Sweden
to side with the Allies. At the start of 1814 he crossed the Rhine with the Russian army, setting foot in France for the first time in 10 years. He came into contact with the future Louis XVIII and Charles X
and participated in the creation of a royalist party. His brother Louis, with whom he had shared many hardships, was killed at and so he became head of the House of Rochechouart
. Louis-Victor-Léon fought in the Six Days Campaign
and the battles of , and Paris
. Made commander of Paris
, he captured the Hotel de Ville on 31 March. Face with rumours of a counter-attack by Napoleon, he organised the city's defences and then restored order in Paris, facing down the troubles provoked by the occupying troops by deploying mixed bodies of men consisting of both Russian and National Guard
troops. On Louis XVIII's arrival on 20 April Rochechouart took leave of the Russian army to offer Louis his services.
during the Hundred Days
and on their return on the Second Restoration
he rose to chef d'État-major
to the minister of war, to duc de Feltre
, then maréchal de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, and then to the duc de Feltre when Rochechouart's adoptive father the duke of Richelieu was made prime minister
. On 16 October 1815 Rochechouart was made military governor of Paris
, occupying the post until 1821.
He was notable for his involvement in two major events of the Restoration. First, in November 1815, he took support to general Daumesnil, besieged at Fort de Vincennes
by occupying Prussian troops. Impressed on their meeting by his courage and determination, Rochechouart intervened at the ministry in Daumesnil's favour. As commander of Paris, Rochechouart was entrusted with a much more dolorous task, that is, organising the execution of marshal Ney
, a decision of which he disapproved, writing later
He put a piémontais
officer at the head of the execution squad, to avoid giving this duty to a French soldier. General Rochechouart also accompanied Ney's final hours and wrote a moving account of them in his memoirs, concluding "Here is a great lesson in learning well how to die".
In 1821, he was nominated Lord of the Royal bedchamber and commandeur of the Légion d'honneur
, and married Elisabeth Ouvrard, daughter of the banker and businessman Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard
, with an immense fortune. The lavish ceremony occurred on 13 December 1821 occurred in the presence of the prime minister the duke of Richelieu, Louis XVIII, and the future Charles X
and Louis-Philippe I. He was put out of his job only a few days later. They had four children:
In 1826 Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart bought the château de Jumilhac
and Château de Rochechouart
. In 1830, he participated in the Algerian expedition. In 1855, Napoleon III of France
made general Rochechouart mayor of Jumilhac, and he died 3 years later.
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...
, 14 September 1788 - Jumilhac-le-Grand
Jumilhac-le-Grand
Jumilhac-le-Grand is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.The village lies on the road followed by Richard the Lionheart and on one of the many branches of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route....
, 1858) was a French general of the House of Rochechouart
House of Rochechouart
The House of Limoges-Rochechouart is the most ancient noble family in France after the royal family. This powerful dynasty of the Carolingian era dates back to Foucher, supporter of Charles the Bald, who became viscount of Limoges in 876...
fighting in the Royalist
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....
, Imperial Russian and Bourbon
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...
armies of 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...
.
A peripatetic childhood
The son of Jules de Rochechouart and Elisabeth-Armide Durey de MorsanÉlisabeth Françoise Armide de Rochechouart
Élisabeth François Armide Durey de Morsan, countess of Rochechouart , daughter of a notable writer, was a French noblewoman involved in continued underground counter-revolutionary resistance to the French Revolution...
, Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart was born in Paris on 14 September 1788, only a few months before the outbreak of the French 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...
. A younger brother and thus likely destined for a career in the church, he had to flee Paris in 1794 (aged 6) due to his mother's activities in attempting to arrange for the escape of queen Marie-Antoinette. Pursued by gendarmes come to arrest her, she, Louis-Victor-Léon and his brother Louis managed to escape, though his 10-year-old sister Cornélie was not so lucky - chased by the authorities, and on her own, she died of exhaustion after 3 days wandering Paris. Forced to leave France, the countess of Rochechouart left her two young sons in a house in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
owned by a couple who exploited the situation. Housed in terrible conditions and deprived of food, the two brothers became the couple's servants. After a year they were found by a relative and freed from service. They reached
Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
in Switzerland in 1796, where they hoped their still-exiled mother would join them but she was prevented from doing so. Thus the two brothers were generously housed by a citizen of that town until revolutionary French troops entered it in 1798 and forced them to flee once more. They finally caught up with their mother in Antwerp, before moving on with her to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, 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...
and 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...
. Her implication in plots to restore the monarchy lost her her fortune, brought her many political problems and leave several refuge countries. Without a sou, she and her two children finally took refuge in Germany, where they were forced to make and sell bags to survive. He later wrote of this period "This kind of life gave me good sad reflections. Misery is a terrible thing. Nobody can get a full idea of it who has not suffered it himself. This evil can happen to anyone, imprison anyone." Aged 11, Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart thus decided to embark for 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...
to join the émigré regiment commanded by his uncle the duke of Mortemart and intended for Portugal. After many adventures, leading him through the Netherlands, England and Spain, he finally arrived in Lisbon in 1800.
In the émigré army
Aged 12, Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart joined the régiment de Mortemart, one of the émigré regiments raised after the rout of Condé's army in 1799. Little by little these regiments' original aim of freeing France from the Revolution became subordinated to overall British strategy. The régiment de Mortemart was sent to Portugal to support an operation by the Portuguese army on its frontiers, faced with a French advance. In 1801 Louis-Victor-Léon fought in the Alemtejo campaign during the War of the OrangesWar of the Oranges
The War of the Oranges was a brief conflict in 1801 in which Spanish forces, instigated by the government of France, and ultimately supported by the French military, invaded Portugal...
. After 15 days in close contact near Abrantès
Abrantes
Abrantes is a municipality in Portugal, with a population of 41,560 inhabitants, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River.-History:...
, the Portuguese army (with the regiment attached) on one side and the Franco-Spanish army on the other both retired without a single shot being fired. Peace was signed in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
under the aegis of Lucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Français, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano , born Luciano Buonaparte, was the third surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and his wife Letizia Ramolino....
. Having entered the regiment as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, the comte de Rochechouart was a sous-lieutenant by the time the regiment was dissolved in 1802. Aged 14, he returned to Paris, where for 2 years he spent his fortune on the pleasures in the capitral. In 1804 he tried to get to Russia, where he had traced his mother and brother. With no money, he travelled in fantastical fashion, financing his trip in part by wins at the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
casino. He was miraculously reunited with a relation in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, who helped him get to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where he found his mother in 1805. From there they traveled to the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, where the countess of Rochechouart and her son were living. The reunions were short-lived, however - she died a few weeks later. Louis-Victor-Léon was thus taken in by his uncle the duke of Richelieu, governor of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, over time becoming his adoptive son.
In the Tsar's service
Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart entered the Russian army at the rank of sous-lieutenant and became aide de camp to the duke of Richelieu. He rose through the ranks, serving as a lieutenant in the imperial guard, then aide de camp de l'empereur Alexander I of RussiaAlexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. From 1805 to 1812, he participated in the conquest of Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
and Circassia
Circassia
Circassia was an independent mountainous country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia and was the largest and most important country in the Caucasus. Circassia was located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea...
, fought in Caucasia
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
. When France invaded Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
in 1812, Rochechouart was mobilised in general Tormassov's army. He participated in the capture of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, then at , where he witnessed the tragic crossing of the river by the French army. He summed up the Russian campaign thus:
Battle of Lützen (1813)
In the Battle of Lützen , Napoleon I of France lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap, halting the advances of the Sixth Coalition after his devastating losses in Russia. The Russian commander, Prince Peter Wittgenstein, attempting to undo Napoleon's capture of Leipzig, attacked...
, , and . In September that year he was sent on a mission to convince Napoleon's old general king Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...
to side with the Allies. At the start of 1814 he crossed the Rhine with the Russian army, setting foot in France for the first time in 10 years. He came into contact with the future Louis XVIII and Charles X
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
and participated in the creation of a royalist party. His brother Louis, with whom he had shared many hardships, was killed at and so he became head of the House of Rochechouart
House of Rochechouart
The House of Limoges-Rochechouart is the most ancient noble family in France after the royal family. This powerful dynasty of the Carolingian era dates back to Foucher, supporter of Charles the Bald, who became viscount of Limoges in 876...
. Louis-Victor-Léon fought in the Six Days Campaign
Six Days Campaign
The Six Days Campaign was a final series of victories by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte as the Sixth Coalition closed in on Paris....
and the battles of , and Paris
Battle of Paris (1814)
The Battle of Paris was fought during the Napoleonic Wars in 1814. The French defeat led directly to the abdication of Napoleon I.-Background:...
. Made commander of Paris
Military governor of Paris
The post of military governor of Paris is a very old and prestigious post in the French Army. He commands the garrison of Paris and represents all the military based in Paris at high state occasions...
, he captured the Hotel de Ville on 31 March. Face with rumours of a counter-attack by Napoleon, he organised the city's defences and then restored order in Paris, facing down the troubles provoked by the occupying troops by deploying mixed bodies of men consisting of both Russian and National Guard
National Guard (France)
The National Guard was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the militias formed in each city, in imitation of the National Guard created in Paris. It was a military force separate from the regular army...
troops. On Louis XVIII's arrival on 20 April Rochechouart took leave of the Russian army to offer Louis his services.
Military governor of Paris
Louis-Victor-Léon de Rochechouart was made maréchal de camp by Louis XVIII, incorporated into the company of black musketeers and on 29 August made a knight of the Ordre de Saint-Louis. He accompanied the king to GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
and on their return on the Second 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...
he rose to chef d'État-major
Chief of the Defence Staff (France)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the chief of staff of the Military of France. The position is currently held by Admiral Édouard Guillaud.- Functions :The Chief of the Defence Staff has two roles:...
to the minister of war, to duc de Feltre
Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke
Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st Count of Hunebourg, 1st Duke of Feltre , born in Landrecies, was a Marshal of France and French politician of Irish descent.Clarke entered the French army in 1782...
, then maréchal de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, and then to the duc de Feltre when Rochechouart's adoptive father the duke of Richelieu was made prime minister
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
. On 16 October 1815 Rochechouart was made military governor of Paris
Military governor of Paris
The post of military governor of Paris is a very old and prestigious post in the French Army. He commands the garrison of Paris and represents all the military based in Paris at high state occasions...
, occupying the post until 1821.
He was notable for his involvement in two major events of the Restoration. First, in November 1815, he took support to general Daumesnil, besieged at Fort de Vincennes
Château de Vincennes
The Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
by occupying Prussian troops. Impressed on their meeting by his courage and determination, Rochechouart intervened at the ministry in Daumesnil's favour. As commander of Paris, Rochechouart was entrusted with a much more dolorous task, that is, organising the execution of marshal 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...
, a decision of which he disapproved, writing later
Not only was I forced to assist in his death, my duties obliged me to execute the decree of the Court of Peers as regarded this unjust victim of our reactionary policies.
He put a piémontais
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
officer at the head of the execution squad, to avoid giving this duty to a French soldier. General Rochechouart also accompanied Ney's final hours and wrote a moving account of them in his memoirs, concluding "Here is a great lesson in learning well how to die".
In 1821, he was nominated Lord of the Royal bedchamber and commandeur of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, and married Elisabeth Ouvrard, daughter of the banker and businessman Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard
Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard
Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard was a French financier who was born in Moulins d'Antières at Cugand on October 11, 1770 and who died in London in October 1846.- Revolution :...
, with an immense fortune. The lavish ceremony occurred on 13 December 1821 occurred in the presence of the prime minister the duke of Richelieu, Louis XVIII, and the future Charles X
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
and Louis-Philippe I. He was put out of his job only a few days later. They had four children:
- Madeleine-Elisabeth-Gabrielle, marquise de la Garde (1822–1889)
- Valentine, comtesse de Montalembert (1825–1907)
- Aimery (1828–1897)
- Louis-Jules (1830–1915)
Jumilhac-le-Grand
Jumilhac-le-Grand is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.The village lies on the road followed by Richard the Lionheart and on one of the many branches of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route....
and Château de Rochechouart
Château de Rochechouart
Château de Rochechouart is a thirteenth century French castle, located at the top of the confluence of the Grêne and Vayres rivers in the commune of Rochechouart within the département of Haute-Vienne.- Background :...
. In 1830, he participated in the Algerian expedition. In 1855, Napoleon III of France
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
made general Rochechouart mayor of Jumilhac, and he died 3 years later.
Works
- Souvenirs sur la Révolution et l'Empire (Plon, 1898 & 1933) - a highly interesting work on its era, attempting to be objective and unpartisan and rich in anecdotes on the French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe 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...
, the émigré regiments, early 19th century Russia and especially the Napoleonic Wars, the Hundred DaysHundred DaysThe Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
and the Bourbon RestorationBourbon RestorationThe 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... - Histoire de la Maison de Rochechouart (872 pages, Paris, 1859) - a very rich and complete work on his family history.
Sources
- Georges Martin, Histoire et généalogie de la Maison de Rochechouart (1990)
- Pierre Ortega, Louis-Victor-Léon, Comte de Rochechouart (2002)
- Jacques Wolf, Le financier Ouvrard (Taillandier, 1992)