Life Amédée Despans-Cubières

1 life

1.1 youth
1.2 first empire
1.3 bourbon restoration
1.4 july monarchy
1.5 teste-cubières scandal

life
youth

he illegitimate son of marquis louis pierre de cubières (page louis xv , squire louis xvi then, in 1815, of louis xviii) madame guesnon de bonneuil (née michelle sentuary). child played role of love @ festival given @ hermitage @ versailles father , mother in honour of marie-antoinette. aged 6, amédée despans-cubières briefly imprisoned family in prison des récollets of versailles after day of 10 august 1792, before made 1 of enfants de la liberté raised state @ former abbey of saint-martin, before being welcomed jordan family. in 1803, @ request of mother madame de bonneuil, adopted father , took name.

first empire

placed in prytanée @ saint-cyr, entered army private in 1st cuirassier regiment in 1803 , entering military school @ fontainebleau on 23 october 1804, leaving sous-lieutenant in 15th regiment of line. served in regiment in austerlitz, prussian , polish campaigns, being mentioned in despatches @ austerlitz , wounded @ jena (1806). promoted lieutenant on 30 november 1806 received cross of légion d honneur @ eylau (1807).

aide-de-camp general morand (from 12 january 1808), followed him in austrian campaign of 1809, french invasion of russia in 1812 , 1813 german campaign. fought distinction @ eckmühl , rose captain @ essling (7 june 1809). assisted @ battle of wagram (6 july 1809) , had 3 horses shot under him @ battle of borodino. napoleon of france made him officer of légion d’honneur in reward conduct in 1813 campaign, in had become chef de bataillon (promoted 3 october 1813). on 19 november 1813, made colonel of 18th light infantry regiment. in 1813 married novelist aglaé buffaut, daughter of own half-sister marie-michelle guesnon de bonneuil, @ first vicomtesse du bouzet de marin madame philippe buffaut.

on napoleon s return elba in 1815, colonel de cubières made colonel à la suite 1st light infantry regiment, of titular colonel beurnonville. according jolyet, napoleon reviewed regiment on day after arrival in paris on 21 march , asked commander. cubières replied sir, colonel de beurnonville ; ill. napoleon replied beurnonville not sick - you, colonel cubières, shall nevertheless take command of 1st light infantry . cubières wished decline, napoleon did not give him time so. although devoted napoleon, cubières demanded soldiers come out against acte additionnel aux constitutions de l’empire, mark need liberal , reforming government. 1st light infantry regiment vote against it. in 1815, despans-cubières fought regiment @ waterloo , wounded @ quatre-bras , @ mont-saint-jean.

bourbon restoration

according jolyet, cubières valiant soldier , best man-of-war have known. [he brought] remarkable beauty, brilliant spirit, [and] generous , independent love . 1 of army s staff writing reports army dismissals after hundred days stated had agreeable physique, [was] instructive, excellent colonel, [who] served zeal , loyalty, excellent conduct , decided kept on in bourbon army. despite praise lost commission after hundred days, father s influence @ court allowed him obtain general receipt of meuse département , cross of order of saint louis (1820). returned army spanish expedition of 1823, , put @ head of 27th regiment of line infantry. went on morea expedition regiment , received brevet of maréchal de camp (27 february 1829).

july monarchy

promoted commander of légion d’honneur (21 march 1831), made commander-in-chief of french troops landed @ ancona in papal states (9 february 1832) occupy town in reprisal austrian intervention @ bologna. returning france in 1837 rank of lieutenant-general, next became minister war in 1839 transitional government (31 march-13 may 1839) in adolphe thiers s second cabinet (1 march-29 october 1840). attached name paris s fortifications, decision write history of france s regiments since francis , organisation of chasseurs of vincennes. made peer of france on 7 november 1839, took part in discussions of chambre des pairs on taxes , roads before being raised grand officer of légion d’honneur on 27 april 1840.

the teste-cubières scandal

after leaving army, general despans-cubières compromised in teste-cubières affair, 1 of worst scandals of july monarchy. despans-cubières had bought 159000 shares (7% of capital) in business which, under concession de gouhenans , had won authorisation exploit coal deposits in gouhenans , surrounding area. in searching coal seams, business had discovered seam of rock salt , demanded given concession mine this, refused. despite this, business started extracting , selling salt. 1 of associates, parmentier, imprisoned , fined 500 francs , salt mine closed on 5 february 1835.

on 24 april 1841, business again demanded salt concession. general despans-cubières proposed buy authorisation demanded minister public works, jean-baptiste teste, , in 1842 letter associates indicated there no hesitation on means should create supporter within council [of ministers]. have means of arriving @ supporter, , provide means of interesting him [...] not forget government in hands of greedy , corrupt men. teste accepted bribe of 94,000 francs company. in meantime, 1844 novel count of monte cristo published - according librairie générale française (1995), character of fernand mondego inspired general despans-cubières.

the affair came light in may 1847 during trial of associates of mining company before seine civil tribunal. company director, parmentier, submitted in defence several pieces of correspondence general despans-cubières evoking bribery. affair received massive publicity , scandal echoed throughout government. king decided move case tried before chambre des pairs. on 8 july 1847, teste, despans-cubières, parmentier , pellapra (former receiver-general had served intermediary) brought before high court on corruption charges , on 17 july general despans-cubières condemned civic degradation , fine of 10,000 francs. so, on 17 august 1852 won decree of rehabilitation @ court of appeal @ rouen. allowed retire général de division on 1 january 1853, died few months later.