{{other uses, Colonel general A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era and the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...

. The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals of France, and they were divided by their branch of service. By the end of the Ancien Régime, the Colonels General were: *Colonel General of the Infantry *Colonel General of the

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

*Colonel General of the

Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...

s *Colonel General of the

Hussard A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely a ...

s *Colonel General of the

Cent-Suisses Swiss Guards (french: Gardes Suisses; german: Schweizergarde; it, Guardie Svizzere'')'' are Swiss soldiers who have served as guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. The earliest Swiss guard unit to be established on a p ...

and Grisons *Colonel General of the Gardes Françaises Judging the position of Colonel General of the Infantry to be too powerful, Louis XIV suppressed the position in 1661 and only appointed Colonels General of honorific branches like the Colonel General of the Dragoons (created in 1668), the Colonel General of the Cent-Suisses and Grisons, who oversaw the Swiss regiments of the Maison du Roi, and the Colonel of the Gardes Françaises. The position was reinstated under Louis XV. Most of these offices were eliminated at the time of the French Revolution, during which there was a Colonel General of the National Guard, but they were reinstated by

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. Under the

, certain titles were accorded to members of the royal family. After 1830, the position was eliminated.

Colonels General of the Ancien Régime

Infantry

* 1546 : Jean de Taix * ???? : Charles de Cossé-Brissac * 1547 :

Gaspard de Coligny Gaspard de Coligny may refer to: *Gaspard I de Coligny Gaspard I de Coligny, Count of Coligny, seigneur de Châtillon (1465/1470–1522), known as the Marshal of Châtillon, was a French soldier. He was born in Châtillon-Coligny, the second son ...

, Admiral of France * 1555 : François de Coligny, seigneur d'Andelot * 1558 : Blaise de Montluc, Marshal of France * 1560 : Charles de La Rochefoucauld, seigneur de Randan * 1562 : Sébastien de Luxembourg, duc de Penthièvre * ???? : Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac * 1569–1581 :

Philippe Strozzi Filippo di Piero Strozzi (French: ''Philippe Strozzi''; 1541 – 27 July 1582) was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Florentine family of the Strozzi. He fought mainly for France. Biography He was born in Florence to Piero Strozzi and Lau ...

, seigneur d'Épernay and de Bressuire * 1581–1642 : Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette, duc d'Épernon * 1642–1661 : Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette d'Épernon * 1721–1730 : Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans * 1780–1790 : Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé

Cavalry

* 1548–1549 : Charles de Cossé, Count of Brissac * 1549 : Claude de Lorraine, duc d'Aumale * 1558 : Jacques, Duke of Nemours * 1569–1571 : François de Lorraine, duc de Guise * 1571–1572 :

Charles de Montmorency-Damville Charles de Montmorency, Duke of Damville (1537-1612) was a French nobleman, Baron, later Duke of Damville, Admiral of France. He was the third son of Anne de Montmorency, Duke of Montmorency and Marshal of France, and Madeleine, the daughter of Re ...

, Admiral of France * 1572–1574 : Guillaume de Montmorency, seigneur de Thuré * 1574–1585 : Jacques, Duke of Nemours * 1585–1586 : Charles, Duke of Aumale * 1586–1588 : Jean-François, maréchal de La Guiche * 1588–1589 : Charles de Valois, comte d'Auvergne * 1589–1595 : duc des Ursins * 1595–1604 : Charles de Valois, comte d'Auvergne * 1604–1616 : Jacques, Duke of Nemours * 1616–1618 : Charles de Valois, duc d'Angoulême * 1618–1618 : François de Valois, comte d'Alès * 1618–1626 : Henri, Duke of Rohan * 1626–1643 : Louis de Valois, comte d'Alès * 1643–1653 : Louis Emmanuel de Valois, duc d'Angoulême * 1653–1657 : Louis de Lorraine, duc de Joyeuse * 1657–1675 : Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne-Bouillon, vicomte de Turenne * 1675–1705 : Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne * 1705–1740 : Henri Louis de La Tour d'Auvergne * 1740–1759 :

Godefroy Charles Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne (Godefroy Charles Henri; 26 January 1728, Paris – 3 December 1792) was a member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, the Sovereign Dukes of Bouillon. He was subsequently the penultimate Duke of Bouillon succeed ...

* 1759–1790 : marquis de Béthune

Dragoons

* 1668–1672 : Antonin Nompar de Caumont, duc de Lauzun * 1672–1678 : Nicolas d'Argouges, marquis de Rannes * 1678–1692 : Louis François de Boufflers, Marshal of France * 1692–1703 : René de Froulay, comte de Tessé, Marshal of France, général des Galères * 1703–1704 : Antoine V de Gramont, Marshal of France, colonel général des Gardes Françaises * 1704–1734 : François de Franquetot de Coigny, Marshal of France * 1734–1748 : Jean Antoine François de Franquetot, duc de Coigny, killed in a duel * 1748–1754 : François de Franquetot de Coigny, Marshal of France * 1754–1771 : Marie Charles Louis d'Albert, duc de Chevreuse and de Luynes * 1771–1783 :

François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny, 2ieme duc de Coigny (28 March 1737 – 19 May 1821) was a Marshal of France. Early life He was the son of Jean, Marquis de Coigny (1702–1748) and the grandson of François de Franquetot, 1er duc de Coign ...

* 1783–1790 : Louis Joseph Charles Amable d'Albert, duc de Chevreuse and de Luynes

Hussards

Louis Philippe d'Orléans Reynolds Chantilly

* 1778–1790 :

Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Louis Philippe Joseph; 13 April 17476 November 1793), was a major French noble who supported the French Revolution. Louis Philippe II was born at the Château de Saint-Cloud to Louis Philippe I, Duke of Char ...

Cent-Suisses et Grisons

* 1568–1596 :

, Admiral of France * 1596–1605 :

Nicolas de Harlay, seigneur de Sancy Nicolas de Harlay, seigneur de Sancy (1546–1629) was a French soldier, diplomat, and gem collector. Life Although de Harlay belonged to the Protestant branch of the family of Harlay, he adopted the Catholic religion in 1572 during the massa ...

* 1605–1614 : Henri, duc de Rohan * 1614–1632 : François de Bassompierre, Marshal of France * 1632–1642 : César, marquis de Coislin * 1642–1643 : marquis de La Châtre * 1643–1647 : François de Bassompierre, Marshal of France * 1647–1657 : Charles de Schomberg, Marshal of France * 1657–1674 : Eugene Maurice, Count of Soissons * 1674–1710 : Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine * 1710–1755 : Louis Auguste, Prince of Dombes * 1755–1762 : Louis Charles, Count of Eu * 1762–1771 :

Étienne François de Choiseul Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Scientists and inventors ...

-Stainville, duc de Choiseul * 1771–1790 : Charles Philippe, Count of Artois, brother of Louis XVI

Gardes-Françaises

* 1661–1671 : Antoine, duc de Gramont * 1672–1692 :

François d'Aubusson de La Feuillade François d'Aubusson de La Feuillade, known as 6th duc de Roannais (1631–1691) was a French military officer and noble who served in the wars of Louis XIV and became a Marshal of France. He was also responsible for initiating the design and co ...

* 1692–1704 : Louis François, duc de Boufflers * 1704–1717 : Antoine de Gramont, duc de Guiche * 1717–1741 : Louis Antoine Armand, duc de Gramont * 1741–1745 : Louis, duc de Gramont * 1745–1788 : Louis Antoine de Gontaut, duc de Biron

Colonels General of the Revolution

* National Guard:

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemasonry, freemason and military officer who fought in the Ameri ...

Colonels General of the Napoleonic era

* Carabiniers à Cheval: Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland and Constable of the Empire * Chasseurs à cheval:

Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont (20 July 1774 – 22 March 1852) was a French general and nobleman who rose to the rank of Marshal of the Empire and was awarded the title (french: duc de Raguse). In the Peninsular War Marmont succeede ...

, then Emmanuel, comte de Grouchy * Chasseurs à Pied of the Imperial Guard: Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie * Cuirassiers: Laurent, comte Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, then Augustin, comte Belliard *

s: Louis, comte Baraguey d'Hilliers, then Étienne-Marie-Antoine Champion, Comte de Nansouty (1813-1814) * Imperial Guard: Edouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, then Louis Gabriel Suchet * Grenadiers à pied of the Imperial Guard: Louis Nicolas Davout *

Jean Andoche Junot Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantes (24 September 1771 – 29 July 1813) was a French military officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Biography Early life Junot was born in Bussy-le-Grand, Côte-d'Or, son ...

* Suisses: Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Vice-Constable of the Empire, then Jean Lannes, duc de Montebello

Colonels General of the Restoration

* Royal Carabiniers: Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, eldest son of Charles X * Chevau-légers-lanciers: Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, younger son of Charles X * Cuirassiers: Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême * Garde Nationale: Charles Philippe, Count of Artois, brother of Louis XVIII * Suisses:

Henri Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry (given name), Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List_of_rulers_named_Henry#France, List of rulers named Henry ...

, grandson of Charles X

References

:''This article is based in part on the article Colonel général from the French Wikipedia, retrieved on September 8, 2006.''

External links

Great Officers of the Crown
Court titles Court titles in the Ancien Régime Military history of the Ancien Régime Military ranks of France