General Soult
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Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult Duke and Peer, GOLH, KOHS, COSL |
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Jean-de-Dieu Soult (c. 1840)
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| 10th Prime Minister of France | |
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In office 29 October 1840 – 18 September 1847 |
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| Monarch | Louis Philippe I |
| Preceded by | Adolphe Thiers |
| Succeeded by | François Guizot |
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In office 12 May 1839 – 1 March 1840 |
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| Monarch | Louis Philippe I |
| Preceded by | Mathieu Molé |
| Succeeded by | Adolphe Thiers |
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In office 11 October 1832 – 18 July 1834 |
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| Monarch | Louis Philippe I |
| Preceded by | Casimir Perier |
| Succeeded by | Étienne Maurice Gérard |
| Minister of War | |
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In office 17 November 1830 – 18 July 1834 |
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| Prime Minister |
Jacques Laffitte Casimir Perier |
| Preceded by | Étienne Maurice Gérard |
| Succeeded by | Étienne Maurice Gérard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
29 March 1769 Saint-Amans-la-Bastide, France |
| Died | 26 November 1851 (aged 82) Saint-Amans-la-Bastide, Tarn, France |
| Political party | Resistance Party (1830–1848) |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanne-Louise-Elisabeth Berg (m. 1796; d. 1851) |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Military officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France First French Republic First French Empire
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| Service/branch | Land Army |
| Years of service | 1785–1815 |
| Rank | |
| Unit |
Infantry Royal Regiment Army of Sambre-et-Meuse Army of Helvetia 110th Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
Napoleonic Wars: |
Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult,1st Duke of Dalmatia (French: [ʒɑ̃dədjø sult]; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851), was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in French history to receive the distinction of Marshal General of France. The Duke also served three times as President of the Council of Ministers, or Prime Minister of France.
Soult's intrigues while occupying Portugal earned him the nickname, "King Nicolas", and while he was Napoleon's military governor of Andalusia, Soult looted 1.5 million francs worth of art. One historian called him "a plunderer in the world class."
Soult was born at Saint-Amans-la-Bastide (now called Saint-Amans-Soult, near Castres, in the Tarn departement) and named after John of God. He was the son of a country notary named Jean Soult (1726–1779) by his marriage to Brigitte de Grenier. His paternal grandparents were Jean Soult (1698–1772) and Jeanne de Calvet, while his maternal grandparents were Pierre François de Grenier de Lapierre and Marie de Robert. His younger brother Pierre also became a French general.
Well-educated, Soult originally intended to become a lawyer, but his father's death when he was still a boy made it necessary for him to seek employment, and in 1785 he enlisted as a private in the French infantry.
Soult's superior education ensured his promotion to the rank of sergeant after six years' service, and in July 1791 he became instructor to the first battalion of volunteers of the Bas-Rhin. He was serving in this battalion in 1792. By 1794, he was adjutant-general (with the rank of chef de brigade). After the Battle of Fleurus of 1794, in which he distinguished himself for coolness, he was promoted to brigadier general by the representatives on mission.
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