Pierre Quantin
Encyclopedia
Pierre Quantin was a French general. Quantin attained the rank of general de brigade in July 1796 and was promoted to general de division the next month. He retired in 1811 after service in the French Revolutionary Wars
and Napoleonic Wars
.
he served in the naval artillery, abandoning it for the army artillery. In 1792 he was made captain of the canonniers of the 3rd bataillon du Calvados and rapidly rose through the ranks. In 1795 he had already become a général de division and served under general Gabriel Marie Joseph d'Hédouville, chef d’état-major général of the armée des côtes de Brest
, then under general Lazare Hoche
in the War in the Vendée. His principles were shared with those two generals - to shed as little French blood as much as possible, to employ persuasion to reconcile hostile figures and to intimidate by examples of severity.
General Quantin left the Véndée in 1797 to take up command of the 9th division at Nîmes
. A year later he passed to the 8th division and moved to Aix, the main town in the area. Most citizens abstained from attending the primaries and for some there was a disgust for assisting in these assemblies, which were always live discussions that degenerated into acts of violence, whereas others were indifferent or convinced these elections were useless as the executive could override them at will. General Quantin addressed the subject, in the name of the French Directory
, in a proclamation instructing the province's inhabitants to come to all these assemblies and to contribute their votes. Even so, what was done at these meetings continued to seem pointless to the Directory and it annulled electoral operations that same year, despite the most scrupulous observation of its regulatory decisions.
In year 10 (1801–02) he was called to join the Saint-Domingue expedition
, commanded by general Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc, but returned to France in year 11 (1802–03) after Leclerc's death. He was given the cross of the Légion d'honneur
in year 12 (1804) and was made a commander of the order on 14 June 1804. He then held the command of Belle-Île-en-Mer
for many years, heading several public works which made that port almost impregnable, but was removed from it in disgrace (though the causes of that disgrace remain unclear). He thus successfully requested to retire in 1811.
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...
and 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...
.
Life
Before the French RevolutionFrench 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 served in the naval artillery, abandoning it for the army artillery. In 1792 he was made captain of the canonniers of the 3rd bataillon du Calvados and rapidly rose through the ranks. In 1795 he had already become a général de division and served under general Gabriel Marie Joseph d'Hédouville, chef d’état-major général of the armée des côtes de Brest
Armée des côtes de Brest
The Army of the Coasts of Brest was a French Revolutionary Army formed on 1 April 1793 by splitting the Army of the Coasts into this army and the Army of the Coasts of Cherbourg. It was put under the command of Jean Baptiste Camille de Canclaux and charged with combatting the Chouans and...
, then under general Lazare Hoche
Lazare Hoche
Louis Lazare Hoche was a French soldier who rose to be general of the Revolutionary army.Born of poor parents near Versailles, he enlisted at sixteen as a private soldier in the Gardes Françaises...
in the War in the Vendée. His principles were shared with those two generals - to shed as little French blood as much as possible, to employ persuasion to reconcile hostile figures and to intimidate by examples of severity.
General Quantin left the Véndée in 1797 to take up command of the 9th division at Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
. A year later he passed to the 8th division and moved to Aix, the main town in the area. Most citizens abstained from attending the primaries and for some there was a disgust for assisting in these assemblies, which were always live discussions that degenerated into acts of violence, whereas others were indifferent or convinced these elections were useless as the executive could override them at will. General Quantin addressed the subject, in the name of 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...
, in a proclamation instructing the province's inhabitants to come to all these assemblies and to contribute their votes. Even so, what was done at these meetings continued to seem pointless to the Directory and it annulled electoral operations that same year, despite the most scrupulous observation of its regulatory decisions.
In year 10 (1801–02) he was called to join the Saint-Domingue expedition
Saint-Domingue expedition
The Saint-Domingue expedition was a French military expedition sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, under his brother-in-law Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc in an attempt to regain French control of the island of Saint-Domingue and curtail the measures of independence taken by the former...
, commanded by general Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc, but returned to France in year 11 (1802–03) after Leclerc's death. He was given the cross 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...
in year 12 (1804) and was made a commander of the order on 14 June 1804. He then held the command of Belle-Île-en-Mer
Belle Île
Belle-Île or Belle-Île-en-Mer is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14 km from the Quiberon peninsula.Administratively, the island forms a canton: the canton of Belle-Île...
for many years, heading several public works which made that port almost impregnable, but was removed from it in disgrace (though the causes of that disgrace remain unclear). He thus successfully requested to retire in 1811.