Empire Collections

Empire General Reille

Reference : GLREILLE

Empire General - Honoré Charles Michel Joseph Reille (1 September 1775 - 4 March 1860) was a Marshal of France, born in Antibes.

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Reille served in the early campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars under Dumouriez and Masséna, whose daughter Victoire he married. In 1800, Reille was appointed commander of the Italian city of Florence. Promoted to general de brigade in 1803, he commanded the allied troops of Württemberg during the War of the Third Coalition in 1805. He served in the battles of Jena, Pultusk and Ostrolenka and served as aide-de-camp to Napoléon at Friedland.

In 1808 Reille partook in the campaign in Spain, the next year he participated in the battles of Aspern and Wagram. After Wagram, he was sent back to Spain, where until 1812 he commanded in Navarre and Aragon. By 1813 he was given command of the Army of Portugal which he commanded in the Battle of Vitoria but was defeated.

After the fall of Napoléon in 1814, the Bourbons made Reille inspector-general of the 14th and 15th Infantry Divisions. During the Hundred Days, he rallied to Napoléon and was given command of II Corps, which he led in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

In 1819 he was made a Peer, in 1847 he was made a Marshal of France and in 1852 he was made a Senator.

Reille died in 1860 in Paris and was buried at Père Lachaise, in the same tomb as Masséna.