Auguste de Marmont
A Napoleonic marshal whose name became a French synonym for betrayal after he surrendered Paris to enemy forces in 1814.
1774–1852 (age 78)·French Marshal·Birthday: July 20
Biography
Auguste de Marmont's life traced the arc of the Napoleonic era, from loyal disciple to a man whose legacy was permanently stained. Born into minor nobility, he befriended a young Napoleon Bonaparte during the siege of Toulon and became one of his earliest and most gifted artillery commanders. His skill earned him a marshal's baton at just 34. Yet his career was marked by a prickly ambition and rivalry with other marshals. Command in Spain ended in a crushing defeat at Salamanca, which broke his arm and his reputation as an invincible commander. His defining moment came in 1814, when, tasked with defending Paris against the Allied armies, he negotiated a surrender that effectively forced Napoleon's abdication. For this, Napoleon himself uttered the damning words, 'Marmont has delivered me up.' The term 'raguser'—from his title, Duke of Ragusa—entered the French language as a verb meaning to betray. He spent his later years in exile, writing detailed but self-justifying memoirs, forever the marshal who chose pragmatism over loyalty.
#1 When Auguste Was Born
The biggest hits of 1774
Auguste's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1774Born
1779Started school
1787Became a teenager
1790Could drive
1792Could vote
1795Turned 21
1804Turned 30
1814Turned 40
1824Turned 50
1834Turned 60
1844Turned 70
1852Died at 78
Key Achievements
- Was appointed a Marshal of the Empire by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1809.
- Commanded the French army in northern Spain during the Peninsular War following Marshal Masséna.
- His surrender of Paris to the Sixth Coalition in 1814 was a direct catalyst for Napoleon's first abdication.
- Authored extensive memoirs detailing the Napoleonic wars from his perspective.
Did You Know?
The French verb 'raguser', derived from his title Duke of Ragusa, means to betray or desert.
He was one of only two marshals (along with Jourdan) to be created a Marshal under Napoleon without having previously held a senior command in the French Revolutionary Wars.
He lost the use of his left arm at the Battle of Salamanca.
His surrender of Paris is dramatized in Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'.
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