Marshal of the Empire who served three times as President of the Council under the July Monarchy
Born at Saint-Amans-la-Bastide in southern France in 1769, the son of a notary, he enlisted in the royal army in 1785, and rose to division general by 1799. In 1804 he was among the first eighteen Marshals of the Empire; he led the decisive attack at Austerlitz and was created Duke of Dalmatia in 1808. From 1808 he commanded in the Peninsular War until Wellington drove him out of Spain. Minister of War under the first Restoration, he was Napoleon's chief of staff at Waterloo, then lived in exile in Germany until 1819. Made Minister of War after the July Revolution, he created the Foreign Legion and in 1831 crushed the revolt of the Lyon silk workers. He was three times President of the Council between 1832 and 1847, received the title of Marshal General of France in 1847 and died in his birthplace in 1851.
Also known as: Duke of Dalmatia · Marshal Soult
Activities and affiliations
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1794–1799
French First Republic state institutionsDivision general
Military command -
1804–1815
Consulate and First Empire state institutionsMarshal of the EmpireMain
Military command -
1814–1815
French monarchy state institutionsMinister of War
Military command -
1830–1834
France state institutionsMinister of War
Military command -
1832–1847
France state institutionsPresident of the Council of MinistersHeads of state and government of France
Government and administration
Career Timeline
- 1785Enlisted in the royal army
- 1794Brigade general after Fleurus
- 1799Division general
- 1804.05Marshal of the Empire
- 1805.12.02Led the decisive attack at Austerlitz
- 1808–1813Command in the Peninsular War
- 1814.11.26–1815.03.11Minister of War
- 1815Napoleon's chief of staff in the Waterloo campaign
- 1816–1819Exile in Germany
- 1830.11.17–1834.07.18Minister of War; created the Foreign Legion
- 1832.10.11–1834.07.18President of the Council of Ministers (1st)
- 1839.05.12–1840.03.01President of the Council of Ministers (2nd)
- 1840.10.29–1847.09.18President of the Council of Ministers (3rd)
- 1847Marshal General of France