An aristocrat by birth, Gudin was admitted to the military school of Brienne and in 1782 entered the King's Guard. A lieutenant, he embarked for Santo-Domingo in 1791 and spent a year there, before returning to France in July 1792. He was appointed to several positions as a general staff officer in the Armies of the ...
General Gudin de la Sablonnière
Général Gudin de la Sablonnière
An aristocrat by birth, Gudin was admitted to the military school of Brienne and in 1782 entered the King's Guard. A lieutenant, he embarked for Santo-Domingo in 1791 and spent a year there, before returning to France in July 1792. He was appointed to several positions as a general staff officer in the Armies of the North, then of the Rhine-and-Moselle.
He became a brigadier general at the beginning of 1799 and was given a command during the Swiss campaign. The following year he took part in the battles of Stein, Stockach, Mösskirch, Memmingen, Hocstädt and Neuburg.
Promoted to general of division for his valor on the battlefield, on 11 July 1800 he took Füssen.
Gudin's name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe
General Gudin de La Sablonière was given the command of a division in the Grande Armée and fought in the wars of the Third Coalition and Fourth Coalition between 1805 and 1807, taking a serious wound at Auerstädt, then forcing the town of Custrin to capitulate and then playing an important part at the battles of Pultusk and Eylau.
A count of the First French Empire in 1808, he was named governor of the castle of Fontainebleau the following year.
He took part in several battles of the War of the Fifth Coalition: Thann, Landshut, Eckmühl, the taking of Ratisbon. He was wounded at the great battle of Wagram. In 1812 he was given the command of a division of the second Grande Armée.
He was struck by a cannonball during the battle of Valutino and died on the battlefield.
