Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
| Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur de Rochambeau | |
|---|---|
Rochambeau wearing the sash of the Order of Saint Louis
|
|
| Born |
1 July 1725 Vendôme, Orléanais, France |
| Died | 30 May 1807 (aged 81) Thoré, Loir-et-Cher, France |
| Buried at | Thore Cemetery, Thore-la-Rochette |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France Kingdom of the French
|
| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1742–1792 |
| Rank | Marshal of France |
| Battles/wars |
War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars |
| Awards |
 Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint LouisSociety of the Cincinnati |
Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃɑ̃bo]; 1 July 1725 – 10 May 1807) was a French nobleman and general who played a major role in helping the Thirteen Colonies win independence during the American Revolution. During this time, he served as commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force that embarked from France in order to help the American Continental Army fight against British forces.
Rochambeau was born in Vendôme, in the province of Orléanais (now in the département of Loir-et-Cher). He was schooled at the Jesuit college in Blois. However, after the death of his elder brother, he entered a cavalry regiment, and served in Bohemia, Bavaria, and on the Rhine, during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1747 he had attained the rank of colonel.
He took part in the siege of Maastricht in 1748 and became governor of Vendôme in 1749. After distinguishing himself in the Battle of Minorca (1756) on the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, he was promoted to Brigadier General of infantry. In 1758, he fought in Germany, notably in the battles of Krefeld and Clostercamp, receiving several wounds during the latter.
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