Antoine Virgile Schneider

Antoine Virgile Schneider (22 March 1779 in Sarreguemines (Moselle) – 11 July 1847 in Paris) was a soldier and politician. He was Minister of War under the July Monarchy in the second government of Jean de Dieu Soult of 12 May 1839 on 1 March 1840.

Antoine Virgile Schneider was born on 22 March 1779 at Sarreguemines, the son of a doctor. He was the cousin of Adolphe Schneider and Eugène Schneider, who developed the iron works at Le Creusot. Virgil Schneider graduated from the Polytechnic in the year VII (1799).

He was appointed supernumerary in engineering. He was Lieutenant during the Polish campaign, Captain during the Spanish Civil War (1808), he took part in the sieges of Saragossa (1808–1809) and Figueres (1811). He was created a Knight of the Empire on 23 February 1811, he became aide to General Clarke. After a mission to the Ionian islands, he was besieged in Danzig in 1813 with Jean Rapp. He was appointed Colonel in 1815. Prisoner of War, he returned to France in 1814 and was, during the Hundred Days, Chief of Staff of Rapp, who commanded the 5th Corps, assigned to cover the Rhine.

Brought into inactivity by the Second Restoration, he was recalled to service in 1819 and took part in the campaign in Spain and particularly the siege of Pamplona in 1823 as colonel of the 20th Light. Promoted to Maréchal de camp on 22 May 1825, he directed the operations of the Morea expedition, in 1828. Commander of the occupying troops in place of Marshall Nicolas Joseph Maison, he received at the time of his recall, a sword of honor by the Greek government.

Promoted to Lieutenant-General on 12 August 1831 and appointed Chief of Staff at the Department of War on 20 November 1832, he was elected on 21 June 1834 the 6th member panel of the Moselle (Sarreguemines), and re-elected on 4 November 1837 and 2 March 1839. He served in the majority but voted against the law of disjunction and was part of the coalition against the Louis Mathieu Molé Ministry. He voted for funding the Duke of Nemours, the census.

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