Anne-Pierre, marquis de Montesquiou-Fézensac
Encyclopedia
Anne-Pierre, marquis de Montesquiou-Fézensac (October 17, 1739 – December 30, 1798) was a French general
and writer
.
He was born in Paris
, of an ancient family of Armagnac
. He was brought up with the children of the king of France, and showed some taste for letters. He entered the army in 1754, was successively colonel of the Grenadiers and the Royal-Vaissaux regiment, and in 1780 was made maréchal-de-camp. Some pieces of verse and several comedies gained him admission to the Académie Française
in 1784. He was elected deputy to the Estates-General of 1789
by the nobles of Paris, and, animated by Liberal ideas, he soon joined the Third Estate, and seconded Necker
's financial schemes.
He served on the committee charged with the issue of assignat
s, and was named president of the Constituent Assembly
on March 14, 1791. In May 1791 he was promoted lieutenant-general, served under Lafayette
, and in February 1792 was given the command of the Army of the South. In September of the same year he completed the conquest of Savoy
, but in November 1792 he was accused of royalist leanings, and had to take refuge in Switzerland
. In 1795 his name was erased from the list of emigré
s and he returned to Paris, where he died on December 30, 1798.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
He was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, of an ancient family of Armagnac
Armagnac (region)
The hilly countship of Armagnac , in the foothills of the Pyrenées between the Adour and Garonne rivers, is a historic countship of the Duchy of Gascony, established in 601 in Aquitaine...
. He was brought up with the children of the king of France, and showed some taste for letters. He entered the army in 1754, was successively colonel of the Grenadiers and the Royal-Vaissaux regiment, and in 1780 was made maréchal-de-camp. Some pieces of verse and several comedies gained him admission to the Académie Française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
in 1784. He was elected deputy to the Estates-General of 1789
Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common people...
by the nobles of Paris, and, animated by Liberal ideas, he soon joined the Third Estate, and seconded Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
's financial schemes.
He served on the committee charged with the issue of assignat
Assignat
Assignat was the type of a monetary instrument used during the time of the French Revolution, and the French Revolutionary Wars.- France :...
s, and was named president of the Constituent Assembly
National Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly.-Background:...
on March 14, 1791. In May 1791 he was promoted lieutenant-general, served under Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
, and in February 1792 was given the command of the Army of the South. In September of the same year he completed the conquest of Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, but in November 1792 he was accused of royalist leanings, and had to take refuge in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1795 his name was erased from the list of emigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
s and he returned to Paris, where he died on December 30, 1798.