Jean Maximilien Lamarque

Jean Maximilien Lamarque
Jean Maximilien Lamarque
Born22 July 1770 (1770-07-22)
Saint-Sever, France
Died1 June 1832 (1832-07) (aged 61)
Paris, France
AllegianceKingdom of France
French First Republic
French First Empire
Kingdom of Naples
Service / branchFrench Royal Army
French Revolutionary Army
French Imperial Army
Army of the Kingdom of Naples
Years of service1791–1830
RankDivisional-General
Battles / warsFrench Revolutionary Wars
Napoleonic Wars
AwardsRoyal Order of the Two-Sicilies Légion d'honneur
Other workPolitician; Writer
Signature

Divisional-General Jean Maximilien Lamarque (22 July 1770 – 1 June 1832) was a French army officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Lamarque served with distinction in many of Napoleon's campaigns, and was known for retaking Capri from the British in 1808 and defeating French Royalists in the Vendée in 1815. The latter campaign received great praise from Napoleon, who said Lamarque had "performed wonders, and even surpassed my hopes".

After the Bourbon Restoration in France, Lamarque became an outspoken opponent of the return of the ancien régime. With the overthrow of the Bourbons in the July Revolution of 1830, he was placed in command of a force to suppress any uprisings by their supporters, known as the Legitimists.

However, he soon became a leading critic of the new constitutional monarchy of Louis Philippe I, arguing that it failed to support human rights and political liberty. He also advocated French support for revolutionary struggles in Poland and Italy. Lamarque's views made him a popular figure. His death was the catalyst of the June Rebellion of 1832, which provided the background for events depicted in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables.