Augustin Daniel Belliard
A steadfast cavalry commander whose loyalty to Napoleon saw him ride from the sands of Egypt to the mud of Waterloo and into a diplomatic afterlife.
1769–1832 (age 63)·French general·Birthday: March 23
Biography
Augustin Daniel Belliard's life was a chronicle of revolutionary and imperial fervor. Enlisting in the National Guard at the dawn of the French Revolution, he quickly demonstrated a cool head and a talent for command. His rise was cemented under Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he followed to Egypt as a young general. There, and later across the battlefields of Europe, Belliard became known as a reliable and energetic leader of cavalry, a man who could be trusted with critical reconnaissance and decisive charges. He served as chief of staff to Marshal Murat during the famed campaigns of 1805-1807 and was entrusted with governing Madrid during the turbulent Peninsular War. His fidelity survived the Emperor's first fall, leading him to rally to Napoleon during the Hundred Days and command a cavalry corps at the fateful Battle of Waterloo. The Bourbon restoration sidelined him, but his experience was later tapped for a diplomatic role as French ambassador to Belgium, where he served until his death in Brussels.
#1 When Augustin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1769
Augustin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1769Born
1774Started school
1782Became a teenager
1785Could drive
1787Could vote
1790Turned 21
1799Turned 30
1809Turned 40
1819Turned 50
1829Turned 60
1832Died at 63
Key Achievements
- Served as Chief of Staff to Marshal Joachim Murat during the War of the Third Coalition, including the battles of Austerlitz and Jena.
- Governed Madrid as its military commander during the French occupation in 1808.
- Commanded the III Cavalry Corps of the Army of the North at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
- Served as the French ambassador to Belgium from 1830 until his death in 1832.
Did You Know?
He was one of the first French generals to enter Cairo alongside Napoleon in 1798.
His name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris (on the West pillar, column 13).
After Waterloo, he was briefly imprisoned by the returning Bourbon monarchy.
He died in Brussels and is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
“A soldier's duty is to obey, and to make his obedience useful.”
