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proprietary colonelcies of nobles who were too young to command; and he instituted an Order of Merit. These reforms of the officer corps were similar to the structure of the
Prussian army in that they attempted to place merit and honour above the blind appointments of nobility. The success of his reforms is debated, because by this time the
507:. The truth of this story is open to question, for no one knew better than Belle-Isle the limitations imposed upon commanders by the military and political circumstances of the times. He was, according to one scholar, "the most important single influence on French policy in the crucial year of 1741."
554:
by
Austrian and Italian forces and pushed the fighting back into the plain of Lombardy. At the peace, having thus retrieved his military reputation from the disasters of 1742–43, Belle-Isle was made a Peer of France in 1748. King Louis XV would make him Secretary of State for War in 1758, a position
482:
Belle-Isle's military and political reputation was now at its height, and he was one of the government's principal advisers on military and diplomatic affairs. In 1741 he was sent on diplomatic mission to
Frankfurt, Germany, as French Plenipotentiary to carry out, in the interests of France, a grand
499:
and his conquest of
Silesia. France's initial victories—including the election of Charles Albert to Holy Roman Emperor—were short lived, and by 1743 the war was proving to be very disappointing for France, as Belle-Isle's military command in Germany was full of setbacks and losses. His aggressive
558:
During his three years as
Secretary of War, Belle-Isle undertook many reforms. Most important was the development of a French military school for officers, seeing as the officer corps had been shown to be inadequate during the wars of the past few decades. These included the suppression of the
510:
However, the circumstances in which he found himself severely limited his efforts both as a general and as a statesman. Following his initial victories, Belle-Isle suffered regression and defeat. This was at least partly because
Frederick the Great, having already accomplished his aims, pulled
527:, after losing 1500 men. His subordinate, François de Chevert, and his 5000 men, defended Prague so well that the Austrians allowed them to leave the city through an honourable capitulation. The means by which this was obtained supposedly included Chevert threatening to burn down the city.
424:. His family was in disgrace because of Fouquet's brash ambition in the eyes of Louis XIV. Determined to blot out his family's prior disgrace, he entered the army at an early age and was made proprietary colonel of a dragoon regiment in 1708. He rose during the
530:
The campaign, however, had discredited Belle-Isle; he was ridiculed in Paris and Fleury is said to have turned against him, and to complete his misfortunes, he was taken prisoner by the
English in going from Cassel to Berlin through Hanover.
491:. In the eventful year of 1741, he was at the masthead of French interventionist policy in Germany—characterised by scholar Richard Lodge as a "scheme for the humiliation of the House of Austria"—and of the beginnings of the
586:
and in 1760 allowed him to travel to The Hague in order to secure a peace treaty, obtain funding for France, and set up a whole separate company to manage France's treasury. The French
Foreign Minister,
487:, Elector of Bavaria as emperor. The long tradition of Franco-Austrian rivalry had crystallised around Belle-Isle, who had emerged as the leader of the bellicose bloc of French policy makers towards the
661:
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1209:
626:, describing it as "one of the most beautiful of France's opera-theatres" at his time. Just before his death, he stated: "The city of Metz is my mistress." However, his dukedom over
563:
was in progress. According to one scholar, Walter L. Dorn, Belle-Isle's efforts came "too late to make a difference" in the war and the continuing decline of French military power.
511:
Prussia out of the war prematurely, leaving Belle-Isle at the mercy of a much larger
Austrian army. Despite the desperate circumstances, however, the daring French retreat from
503:
Belle-Isle was named Maréchal de France in 1741 and received control of a large army, with which it is said that he promised to make peace in three months under the walls of
479:, offices that he would hold until his death. This was in recognition of both his military services and of his taking part in the negotiations for the cession of Lorraine.
523:
whilst being harassed by the enemy's light cavalry and suffering great hardships. But by never allowing himself to be cut off, he was able to reach the relative safety of
17:
428:
to the rank of brigadier, and in March 1718 to that of Maréchal de Camp. He was present at the capture of
FuenterrabĂa in 1718 and of San Sebastián in 1719 during the
991:
944:
100:
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strategy towards Austria was predicated on the swift defeat of an impotent and disorganised Austria, along with the lynchpin that was Franco-Prussian alliance.
550:. Following the defeat, French forces were weakened and demoralised. However, the elder Belle-Isle still managed to repel a follow-up invasion of the
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would distinguish Belle-Isle's military brilliance and bravery. In ten days he led 14,000 men—5000 men stayed in the city under the command of
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538:. During the French campaigns of 1746–47, Belle-Isle was in command at the Alpine frontier. There his younger brother, the
448:
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in 1740; so he founded the National Academy of Metz in 1760. Also, Belle-Isle is regarded today as a builder-ruler. As
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would end with his death because his only son, the Comte de Gisors, had been killed on 23 June 1758 in the
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for the embellishment of the town square and the construction of the city hall, the parliament, and the
611:
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Belle-Isle held an interest in literature throughout his life, and was elected a member of the French
436:
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scheme of political reorganisation in the moribund empire, and especially to obtain the election of
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8:
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408:(22 September 1684 – 26 January 1761) was a French general and statesman.
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175:
886:
634:. A commemorative plate honours him today on the forecourt of the opera house of Metz.
547:
534:
He was forced to remain a year in England, in spite of the demands of Louis XV and the
464:
88:
1023:
542:, served under his command. The younger Belle-Isle led the French army sent to invade
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of the city, he initiated during his dukedom the modernisation of the centre of
495:. French aggression was in large part made possible by the precedent set by the
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285:
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907:
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591:, was strongly against this and tried to have Count Saint-Germain arrested.
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670:. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 697.
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lodging. He also decided the edification of the royal Governor and
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651:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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Born in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Belle-Isle was the grandson of
312:
1215:
French military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
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504:
476:
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gave Belle-Isle the governments of three important fortresses,
316:
1205:
French military personnel of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
1200:
French military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession
1210:
French military personnel of the War of the Polish Succession
452:
443:, and grew in influence over French military policy. In the
627:
603:
575:
524:
472:
468:
578:, built during the dukedom of Belle-Isle over the city
912:Studies in Eighteenth-Century Diplomacy 1740–1748
420:, who served as Superintendent of Finances under
1166:
1048:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle
406:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle
878:The Comte De Saint Germain, the Secret of Kings
697:
695:
693:
691:
555:Belle-Isle would hold until his death in 1761.
999:
956:3 March 1758 – 27 January 1761
985:
872:
838:
771:
769:
856:The War of the Austrian Succession 1740–1748
688:
340:Henriette Françoise de Durfort (May 20 1721)
921:The Birth of a Great Power System 1740–1815
290:The Duke of Belle-Isle by an unknown artist
18:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet de Belle-Isle
992:
978:
880:(2nd ed.). London: Whitefriars Press.
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820:
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662:Belle-Isle, Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet
447:he commanded a corps under the orders of
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27:French general and statesman (1684–1761)
895:
817:
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799:
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80:3 March 1758 – 26 January 1761
14:
1167:
463:in 1734. When peace was made in 1736,
140:Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Belle-Isle,
1225:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain
1220:Secretaries of State for War (France)
973:
945:Marc-René de Voyer, marquis de Paulmy
918:
906:
748:
736:
682:
610:. Belle-Isle awarded royal architect
101:Marc-René de Voyer, marquis de Paulmy
1185:People from Villefranche-de-Rouergue
1072:Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano
884:
826:
360:Louis Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Isle
24:
411:
393:
385:
25:
1246:
1195:Members of the Académie Française
962:Étienne François, duc de Choiseul
582:Belle-Isle was a close friend of
113:Étienne François, duc de Choiseul
914:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
891:. London: Harper & Brothers.
888:Competition for Empire 1740–1763
644:
376:
342:Marie Casimire de BĂ©thune (1729)
204:
183:
174:
1040:Jean-Jacques Amelot de Chaillou
832:
805:
793:
1064:Jean François de Saint-Lambert
1056:Nicolas-Charles-Joseph Trublet
899:The Balance of Power 1715–1789
781:
754:
742:
730:
718:
706:
676:
493:War of the Austrian Succession
279:The Marshal-Duke of Belle-Isle
254:War of the Austrian Succession
13:
1:
923:. New York: Pearson/Longman.
854:Anderson, M. S. (1995).
846:
430:War of the Quadruple Alliance
426:War of the Spanish Succession
300:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet
273:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet
246:War of the Quadruple Alliance
242:War of the Spanish Succession
34:Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet
445:War of the Polish Succession
351:Louis Marie, comte de Gisors
250:War of the Polish Succession
164:Louis Charles Armand Fouquet
7:
546:where he was killed at the
10:
1251:
952:Secretary of State for War
189:Order of the Golden Fleece
68:Secretary of State for War
48:Maurice Quentin de La Tour
1230:Peers created by Louis XV
1010:
958:
949:
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919:Scott, Hamish M. (2006).
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327:22 January 1761 (aged 76)
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896:Hassall, Arthur (1896).
885:Dorn, Walter L. (1940).
637:
612:Jacques-François Blondel
368:Catherine Agnès de Lévis
313:Villefranche-de-Rouergue
180:Order of the Holy Spirit
874:Cooper-Oakley, Isabella
667:Encyclopædia Britannica
540:Chevalier de Belle-Isle
497:Frederick II of Prussia
459:and taking part in the
579:
439:, Belle-Isle was made
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390:
858:. New York: Longman.
569:
521:Upper Palatine Forest
519:—into and across the
461:Siege of Philippsburg
435:Aided by the rise of
397:
389:
902:. London: Macmillan.
839:Cooper-Oakley (1912)
624:opera house of Metz
584:Count Saint-Germain
536:Emperor Charles VII
517:François de Chevert
1190:Marshals of France
1001:Académie française
580:
548:Battle of Assietta
441:lieutenant-général
399:
391:
1162:
1161:
1104:Victor de Laprade
968:
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959:Succeeded by
632:Battle of Krefeld
403:
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309:22 September 1684
267:
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232:Marshal of France
222:French Royal Army
212:Kingdom of France
138:22 September 1684
50:exhibited at the
16:(Redirected from
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660:, ed. (1911). "
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589:Duc de Choiseul
457:Traben-Trarbach
449:Marshal Berwick
437:Cardinal Fleury
418:Nicolas Fouquet
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412:Life and career
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432:(1718–1720).
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737:Lodge (1970)
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683:Scott (2006)
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238:Battles/wars
153:(1761-01-26)
108:Succeeded by
75:
51:
46:Portrait by
1180:1761 deaths
1175:1684 births
1136:LĂ©on BĂ©rard
1120:Jean Aicard
827:Dorn (1940)
572:opera house
96:Preceded by
1169:Categories
847:References
616:guardhouse
600:benefactor
330:Versailles
200:Allegiance
134:1684-09-22
620:Intendant
422:Louis XIV
373:Signature
337:Spouse(s)
296:Full name
166:(brother)
160:Relations
76:In office
910:(1970).
876:(1912).
552:Provence
544:Piedmont
465:Louis XV
332:, France
89:Louis XV
1004:seat 10
655::
85:Monarch
56:of 1748
1154:(2000)
1146:(1961)
1138:(1934)
1130:(1924)
1122:(1909)
1114:(1884)
1106:(1858)
1098:(1852)
1090:(1836)
1082:(1816)
1074:(1803)
1066:(1770)
1058:(1761)
1050:(1749)
1042:(1727)
1034:(1710)
1026:(1672)
1018:(1634)
927:
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513:Prague
505:Vienna
477:Verdun
365:Mother
357:Father
317:France
209:
171:Awards
142:France
638:Notes
453:Trier
347:Issue
66:29th
53:Salon
925:ISBN
860:ISBN
628:Metz
604:Metz
576:Metz
570:The
525:Eger
475:and
473:Toul
469:Metz
455:and
324:Died
306:Born
228:Rank
148:Died
128:Born
664:".
574:of
1171::
819:^
768:^
690:^
471:,
315:,
993:e
986:t
979:v
933:.
868:.
136:)
132:(
20:)
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