Étienne Maurice Gérard, 1st Comte Gérard (French pronunciation:[etjɛnmɔʁisʒeʁaʁ]; 4 April 1773 – 17 April 1852) was a distinguished French general and statesman. He served under a succession of French governments including the ancien regime monarchy, the Revolutionary governments, the Restorations, the July Monarchy, the First and Second Republics, and the First Empire (and arguably the Second),[1] becoming prime minister briefly in 1834.
As the Grande Armée marched to war in 1805, Gérard served as first aide-de-camp to Bernadotte and greatly distinguished himself at the battle of Austerlitz where he was wounded by grapeshot to the thigh. During the war against Prussia in 1806, he fought at Schleiz, Halle, Lübeck and was made Brigadier General in November 1806. Gérard was given command of a brigade in VII Corps which was engaged at Mohrungen and Eylau in early 1807. A month after Eylau, he was transferred to command of 2nd brigade in I Corps which took part in the campaign that June and saw action at Guttstadt-Deppen. When the War of the Fifth Coalition broke out, Gérard was given command of the Saxon cavalry and was so praised for his conduct in the battle of Wagram that he was created a baron of the First French Empire.[1]
In the campaign of 1813, in command of a division, he took part in the battle of Lützen and at the battle of Bautzen where he was placed in front of the Spree, so as to link up with corps of the extreme right. After ferocious combat, this corps was forced to retreat. Macdonald, judging that this development compromised his vanguard commanded by Gérard, sent him the order to retreat "on the contrary" replied Gérard to the bearer of the order, "instead of withdrawing, we must advance and I will answer for the success of the day". He then gave orders to attack and the positions were retaken. Gérard continued to serve with Macdonald during his independent operations, at Goldberg he repeated what he had done at Bautzen, ignoring orders to retreat and launching an assault that put the enemy to rout. He then fought at the battle of Leipzig (in which he commanded the XI Corps) where he was gravely wounded. After the battle of Bautzen, he was created by Napoleon a count of the Empire.
In the Six Days' Campaign of 1814, and especially at La Rothière, Mormant and the battle of Montereau, in which he took over command of 2nd corps from Marshal Victor, he won still greater distinction.[1]
During the Hundred Days, Napoleon made Gérard a Peer of France and placed him in command of the IV Corps of the Army of the North. In this capacity Gérard took a brilliant part in the battle of Ligny, and on the morning of 18 June he was foremost in advising Marshal Grouchy to march to the sound of the guns to aid the emperor at Waterloo. Having failed in this he took part in the battle of Wavre.[1]
Gérard retired to Brussels after the fall of Napoleon, and did not return to France until 1817. He sat as a member of the Restoration's Chamber of Deputies in 1822–1824, and was re-elected in 1827.[1]
Gérard took part in the July Revolution of 1830, after which he was appointed minister of war and named a Marshal of France. On account of his health he resigned the office of War Minister in the following October.[1]
Belgian campaign and later distinctions
However, in 1831 he took the command of the Northern Army, and was successful in forcing the army of the Netherlands to withdraw from Belgium (see Belgian Revolution). In 1832 he commanded the besieging army in the famous siege of the citadel of Antwerp.[1]
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