Jean de Dieu Soult

Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult Duke and Peer, GOLH, KOHS, COSL
Jean-de-Dieu Soult by Unknown (ca. 1840)
10th Prime Minister of France
In office 29 October 1840 – 18 September 1847
Monarch	Louis Philippe I
Preceded by	Adolphe Thiers
Succeeded by	François Guizot
In office 12 May 1839 – 1 March 1840
Monarch	Louis Philippe I
Preceded by	Mathieu Molé
Succeeded by	Adolphe Thiers
In office 11 October 1832 – 18 July 1834
Monarch	Louis Philippe I
Preceded by	Casimir Perier
Succeeded by	Étienne Maurice Gérard
Minister of War
In office 17 November 1830 – 18 July 1834
Prime Minister	Jacques Laffitte Casimir Perier
Preceded by	Étienne Maurice Gérard
Succeeded by	Étienne Maurice Gérard
Personal details
Born	(1769-03-29)March 29, 1769 Saint-Amans-la-Bastide, France
Died	November 26, 1851(1851-11-26) (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	Napoléon-Hector Josephine-Louise-Hortense
Profession	Military officer
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of France  First French Republic  First French Empire
Service/branch	Land Army
Years of service	1785–1815
Rank	Marshal of the Empire Marshal General Divisional general Brigadier general Captain Lieutenant
Unit	Infantry Royal Regiment Army of Sambre-et-Meuse Army of Helvetia 110th Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars: Second Battle of Zurich Battle of Austerlitz Battle of Eylau Battle of Heilsberg Battle of Bautzen Battle of Toulouse

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.