Artillery general who was foreign minister in the d'Hautpoul cabinet and gave his name to the La Hitte rifled gun
Born at Bessières in the Haute-Garonne in 1789, he entered the École Polytechnique in 1807. As an artillery officer he fought in Spain from 1810 to 1814, took part in the Spanish campaign of 1823 and the Morea expedition of 1828, and commanded the artillery in the capture of Algiers in 1830. Forced into retirement by the Provisional Government in 1848, he at once rallied to Louis Napoleon. With no parliamentary career at all, he became foreign minister in the d'Hautpoul cabinet on 17 November 1849 and entered the Legislative Assembly for the Nord in 1850. He resigned in January 1851 rather than share responsibility for the dismissal of Changarnier. He backed the coup, was made a senator in 1852, and introduced the La Hitte system of rifled muzzle-loading guns in 1858.
Also known as: Jean Ernest du Cos de La Hitte · General La Hitte
Activities and affiliations
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1810–1814
Consulate and First Empire state institutions
Military command -
1815–1830
French monarchy state institutions
Military command -
1838–1858
Military command
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1849–1851
France state institutionsMinister of Foreign AffairsMain
Diplomacy and international organization -
1850–1870
Legislature and state representation
Career Timeline
- 1810–1814Artillery officer in Spain
- 1828Commander of artillery in the Morea expedition
- 1830Commanded the artillery in the capture of Algiers
- 1849–1851Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1850–1851Deputy for the Nord
- 1852–1870Senator
- 1858Introduced the La Hitte rifled gun system