), was a French admiral

Admiral

Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

, whose naval service extended from the First Empire

First French Empire

The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...

 through the early days of the Second Empire

Second French Empire

The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...

.

By the age of 16, Baudin had already lost an arm, in an 1808 fight against the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

. In 1812, as Lieutenant and Commander of the brig Rénard before Genoa, he received the order to convey 14 munitions-laden cargo vessels to Toulon. Pursued by English cruisers, he was able to take his squadron safely to St. Tropez. Here he was promoted to Captain. After the battle of Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...

, he was one of those prepared to lead his defeated Emperor Napoleon I

Napoleon I of France

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

 through the midst of the English cruisers; Napoleon, however, could not make up his mind on this.

After the Restoration, Baudin was forced into retirement, and in 1816 joined the merchant marine. Under the July Monarchy

July Monarchy

The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...

, however, he returned to military service. In 1838, he became a Rear Admiral and became Commander-in-Chief of the squadron sent to Mexico during the so-called "Pastry War

Pastry War

The Pastry War was an invasion of Mexico by French forces in 1838.-Background:The war arose from the widespread civil disorder that plagued the early years of the Mexican republic. In 1828, President Manuel Gómez Pedraza ejected Lorenzo de Zavala from the office of governor of the state of México...

." In this conflict he opened fire on November 27, 1838, against the fort of Vera Cruz, San Juan de Ulúa. The fort gave itself up a day later.

In January 1839, Baudin was named a Vice Admiral and in the following year he was entrusted with a military and diplomatic mission to Buenos Aires. He also received command over the fleet in South American waters. In 1841, he took over the Ministry of Marine, but quickly resigned and became maritime prefect in Toulon.

In 1848, after the February Revolution, he became commander-in-chief of France’s Mediterranean Fleet. In this position, he took part in the Battle of Lazzaroni and of troops against Naples, and then moved toward Sicily, where he was defeated by the forces of Carlo Filangieri

Carlo Filangieri

Carlo Filangieri , prince of Satriano, was a Neapolitan soldier and statesman. He was the son of Gaetano Filangieri, a celebrated philosopher and jurist.-Biography:...

.

In 1849, Baudin returned with his family to Ischia

Ischia

Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...

, where he died on June 7, 1854. Not long beforehand, he had been named a full Admiral.