duc de Raguse Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont

Born in 1774 in Châtillon-sur-Seine, Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont built his career during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He served with Napoleon in Italy and Egypt, took part in the coup of 18 Brumaire, and was later made Duke of Ragusa and a Marshal of the Empire.

Marmont held major commands across Europe, including in Dalmatia and during the Peninsular War, where he succeeded Masséna in Portugal and Spain. He was an able organizer as well as a battlefield commander, though his defeat at Salamanca in 1812 damaged his standing.

His name is most often remembered for 1814, when he surrendered Paris and then brought his troops over to the Allied side during Napoleon’s collapse. That decision made him one of the most controversial men of the era. He later wrote memoirs that remain an important source for readers interested in Napoleon, the Empire, and the complicated loyalties of the period.