Ferdinand de Marsin
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand, comte de Marsin (or Marchin) (February 10, 1656 – September 9, 1706) was a French general and diplomat, who was Marshal of France
.
as the son of John Gaspar Ferdinand de Marchin, Comte de Granville
and Marie de Balzac d'Entragues.
Marsin served in Flanders
, and was wounded at the Battle of Fleurus (1690)
. He took part in the Battle of Neerwinden and the siege of Charleroi
.
In 1701–1702 he was French ambassador in Spain
.
In the War of the Spanish Succession
, he was present at the Battle of Luzzara
.
He became marshal in 1703, after the battle of Speyerbach
.
In 1704 he was defeated at the Battle of Blenheim
, together with Tallard
, and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Turin. Imprisoned in the same city, he died a few days later.
He was a good officer, but a mediocre general.
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
.
Biography
He was born in LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
as the son of John Gaspar Ferdinand de Marchin, Comte de Granville
John Gaspar Ferdinand de Marchin, Comte de Granville
John Gaspar Ferdinand de Marchin, or Marsin, Comte de Granville was a Walloon military commander from the Spanish Netherlands.-Life:...
and Marie de Balzac d'Entragues.
Marsin served in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, and was wounded at the Battle of Fleurus (1690)
Battle of Fleurus (1690)
The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. In a bold envelopment the Duc de Luxembourg, commanding Louis XIV’s army of some 35,000 men, soundly defeated Prince Waldeck’s Allied force of approximately 38,000 men comprising mainly Dutch, German, and...
. He took part in the Battle of Neerwinden and the siege of Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
.
In 1701–1702 he was French ambassador in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
In the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, he was present at the Battle of Luzzara
Battle of Luzzara
The Battle of Luzzara was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession, which was fought on 15 August 1702 near Luzzara, Italy.-Prelude:In the summer of 1702, after taking Guastalla, the French under Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme turned north, with the intention to besiege Borgoforte...
.
He became marshal in 1703, after the battle of Speyerbach
Battle of Speyerbach
The Battle of Speyerbach took place on 15 November 1703 in the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army besieging Landau surprised and defeated a German relief army near Speyer.- Prelude :...
.
In 1704 he was defeated at the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
, together with Tallard
Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard
Camille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard was a French noble, diplomat and military commander, who became Marshal of France.-Military career:...
, and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Turin. Imprisoned in the same city, he died a few days later.
He was a good officer, but a mediocre general.