Armand de Kersaint
| Armand-Guy-Simon de Coetnempren | |
|---|---|
.JPG)
Comte de Koetnempren
|
|
| Born |
29 July 1742 Paris, France |
| Died | 4 December 1793 (aged 51) |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France
|
| Service/branch |
 French Navy
|
| Years of service | 1755-1791 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Battles/wars |
American Revolution French Revolutionary Wars |
| Other work |
Legislative Assembly National Assembly |
Armand-Guy-Simon de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, in short Armand de Kersaint (29 July 1742 – 4 December 1793), was a French sailor and politician. A Girondin, Kersaint held important naval posts during the early stages of the French Revolution. His brother, Guy-Pierre (1747–1822), also served in the navy and took part in the American War of Independence.
Born in Paris, Kersaint came from a noble family; his father, Guy François de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, was a distinguished naval officer. Armand de Kersaint entered the French Navy in 1755, and in 1757, while serving on his father's ship, was promoted to the rank of ensign for his bravery in action. In July 1778, as captain of the 32-gun Iphigénie, he captured the 20-gun British post-ship HMS Lively. In 1782 Kersaint led an expedition to capture the British-held Dutch colonies of Demerara and Essequibo. At that time the officers of the French navy were divided into two parties —the reds or nobles, and the blues or roturiers.
At the outbreak of the Revolution, Kersaint, despite of his origin, took the side of the blues. He adopted the new ideas, and in a pamphlet entitled Le Bon Sens (a title inspired by Thomas Paine's Common Sense) attacked traditional privileges; he also submitted to the National Constituent Assembly a scheme for the reorganization of the navy, but it was not accepted.
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