Antoine de Malet, Marquis de Coupigny
Antoine de Malet, Marquis of Coupigny | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1761 Arras,France |
| Died | 26 June 1825 Madrid,Spain |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Battles/wars |
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Antoine de Malet(in Spanish,Antonio Malet),Marquis of Coupigny(1761–1825) was a French-born Spanish military officer.
Early career
[edit]Having obtained Spanish nationality, Coupigny joined theSpanish Royal Guardas a cadet in 1776 and was promoted toalférezthat same year. In 1780 he was promoted toalférezof Grenadiers.[1]
He saw action at theGreat Siege of Gibraltarin 1781 and in theWar of the Pyrenees,where he was wounded. In 1781 he was promoted to second lieutenant, to lieutenant in 1786 and in 1796 to captain of the Royal Guards.[1]
In 1801, Coupigny participated in theWar of the Oranges,seeing service at the sieges of Olivenza and Jurumenha.[1]
At the outbreak of theWar of the Third Coalition,in 1805, he was appointed commanding officer ofCampo de Gibraltar.[1]
Peninsular War
[edit]In 1807, Coupigny led the vanguard of the Spanish division thatinvaded Portugal.[1]
In 1808 theJunta Supremapromoted Coupigny to field marshal and lieutenant general. Given the command of the 2nd Division of the Army of Andalusia, under GeneralCastaños,Coupigny's troops, some 7,300 foot soldiers and 500 horse,[2]made up the vanguard of the Spanish forces at the decisiveBattle of Bailén.
He fought atTudela(November 1808) andBelchite(June 1809), being promoted to commander of the Royal Guard that same year.[1]
In January 1809, Coupigny commanded the 5,121 troops of the 1st Division of the Army of the Centre; battalions from his division participated at the defeat atUclés(January 1809).[3]
Following the death of GeneralRedingin April 1809, Coupigny took interim command of the Army of Catalonia, with only 6,000 men left from Reding's army.[3]
In 1811 he commanded the 4th Army atLa Albuera[1]and, whenLapeñawas relieved of command as a result ofAlbuera,Coupigny was given command of the Army of Andalusia.
In 1812, Coupigny was appointed captain general of the Balearic Islands.[1]
Post-war career
[edit]Following the 1817pronunciamentoby generalsMilans del BoschandLuis de Lacy,Coupigny ordered Lacy's execution, which led to him having to abandon Mallorca and his post, in 1820,[1]when the revolt led byRafael del Riegoforced King Ferdinand VII to restore the 1812 Constitution, bringing about theTrienio Liberal.
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghi(in Spanish)Isabel Sánchez, José Luis."Antoine de Malet".Diccionario Biográfico electrónico.Real Academia de la Historia.Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^Oman, Charles(1902).A History of the Peninsula War,Vol. I.Project Gutenberg.Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^abOman, Charles(1908).A History of the Peninsular War, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810,Vol. 3.Project Gutenberg.Retrieved 8 February 2023.