Étienne Macdonald


Étienne Macdonald

duc de Tarente
Portrait by Antoine-Jean Gros
Birth nameÉtienne Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre Macdonald
Born(1765-11-17)17 November 1765
Sedan, France
Died25 September 1840(1840-09-25) (aged 74)
Beaulieu-sur-Loire, France
Allegiance Kingdom of France
 Kingdom of the French
 French First Republic
 First French Empire
Bourbon Restoration
July Monarchy
BranchArmy
Years of service1785–1830
RankMarshal of the Empire
Battles / wars
AwardsGrand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Other workChancellor of the Legion of Honour
Signature

Étienne Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre Macdonald, 1st duc de Tarente (French pronunciation: [etjɛn ʒak ʒozɛf alɛksɑ̃dʁ makdɔnald]; 17 November 1765  25 September 1840), was a Marshal of the Empire and military leader during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. While not as famous as the other marshals of Napoleon, he was nonetheless a first-rate and successful general.

Macdonald distinguished himself during the War of the First Coalition, with Macdonald being instrumental in the French victory during the Flanders campaign. He saw service in the Low Countries, Germany and Italy. He was one of the most successful Republican generals, playing an important role in extending French control over Europe during the French Revolutionary Wars.