Pierre Benoît Soult
Encyclopedia
Pierre Benoît Soult joined the French royal army before the French Revolution
. He fought in the French Revolutionary Wars
, emerging from the conflict as colonel of a cavalry regiment. A good deal of his early career was spent as aide-de-camp
to his more talented brother Nicolas Soult who became Marshal
in 1804. Transferred to Spain during the Napoleonic Wars
, he first led a corps cavalry brigade, then after 1813 he commanded a cavalry division. He led a cavalry division during the Hundred Days
. After 1830, he was brought out of retirement when his brother became part of the government. His surname and first initial represent one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
.
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...
. He fought in the French Revolutionary Wars
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...
, emerging from the conflict as colonel of a cavalry regiment. A good deal of his early career was spent as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to his more talented brother Nicolas Soult who became 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...
in 1804. Transferred to Spain 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 first led a corps cavalry brigade, then after 1813 he commanded a cavalry division. He led a cavalry division 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...
. After 1830, he was brought out of retirement when his brother became part of the government. His surname and first initial represent 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 ....
.