Alexis Joseph Delzons
Encyclopedia
Alexis Joseph Delzons was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars
. He was killed in the battle of Maloyaroslavets
.
in 1775, Delzons enlisted in a battalion of volunteers from the département of the Cantal
as a lieutenant of grenadiers. He served in the campaigns of 1792 and 1793 in the Army of the eastern Pyrenees during which he distinguished himself at Jonquière, where he was wounded, and on the siege of Rosas.
Transferred to the Army of Italy, Delzons distinguished himself at Montenotte
, Dego
and Lodi
. Captured near Mantua
he was exchanged eight days later. After having distinguished himself in the battle of Rivoli
, Delzons was promoted to chef de battalion on the field of battle.
Taking part in Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, at the age of 23 Delzons was promoted to the command of a demi-brigade
.
, Delzons commanded a division in the corps of Eugène de Beauharnais
. Having distinguished himself at Ostrovno and Borodino
. After Napoleon left Moscow
, Delzons commanded the lead units going to the village of Maloyaroslavets
. Having repaired the bridges over the Luzha River
, Delzons attacked the heights on whch the village rested. After being driven out of the village by a Russian counterattck, Delzons at the head of the 84th regiment attempted to retake the village but fell, having been twice hit in the head by Russian bullets.
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He was killed in the battle of Maloyaroslavets
Battle of Maloyaroslavets
The Battle of Maloyaroslavets took place on 24 October 1812, between the Russians, under Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, and part of the corps of Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon's stepson, under General Alexis Joseph Delzons which numbered about 20,000 strong.-Prelude:On 19 October, Napoleon...
.
French Revolutionary Wars
Born in AurillacAurillac
Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan....
in 1775, Delzons enlisted in a battalion of volunteers from the département of the Cantal
Cantal
Cantal is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous....
as a lieutenant of grenadiers. He served in the campaigns of 1792 and 1793 in the Army of the eastern Pyrenees during which he distinguished himself at Jonquière, where he was wounded, and on the siege of Rosas.
Transferred to the Army of Italy, Delzons distinguished himself at Montenotte
Battle of Montenotte
The Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, between the French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian corps under Count Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. The battle was fought near the village of Cairo Montenotte, in northwestern Italy, and...
, Dego
Second Battle of Dego
The Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and 15 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French forces and Austro-Sardinian forces...
and Lodi
Battle of Lodi
The Battle of Lodi was fought on May 10, 1796 between French forces under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian rear guard led by Karl Philipp Sebottendorf at Lodi, Lombardy...
. Captured near Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
he was exchanged eight days later. After having distinguished himself in the battle of Rivoli
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua...
, Delzons was promoted to chef de battalion on the field of battle.
Taking part in Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, at the age of 23 Delzons was promoted to the command of a demi-brigade
Demi-brigade
Not to be confused with 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign LegionThe Demi-brigade was a military formation first used by the French Army during the French Revolutionary Wars. The Demi-brigade amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single unit...
.
Napoleonic Wars
Promoted to general de brigade upon his return to France, Delzons took part in the campaigns of 1805 and 1806. Serving under Marmont, Delzons took part in the campaign of 1809. On February 15, 1811 Delzons was promoted to general de division. During Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of RussiaFrench invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, Delzons commanded a division in the corps of Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Joséphine Tascher de la...
. Having distinguished himself at Ostrovno and Borodino
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino , fought on September 7, 1812, was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia and all Napoleonic Wars, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties...
. After Napoleon left Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Delzons commanded the lead units going to the village of Maloyaroslavets
Maloyaroslavets
Maloyaroslavets is a town in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Luzha River , southwest of Moscow and northeast of Kaluga. Population: 21,200 ....
. Having repaired the bridges over the Luzha River
Luzha River
Luzha River is a river in Kaluga Oblast in Russia, which originates in Moscow Oblast. It is a right tributary of the Protva River . The length of the river is . The area of its drainage basin is . The Luzha freezes up in November and breaks up in April...
, Delzons attacked the heights on whch the village rested. After being driven out of the village by a Russian counterattck, Delzons at the head of the 84th regiment attempted to retake the village but fell, having been twice hit in the head by Russian bullets.