Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno

He was born at Lamarche in the Vosges in 1764,[1] son of Charles Perrin and wife Marie Anne Floriot, paternal grandson of Charles Perrin and wife Gabrielle Guerin, born in 1696, and great-grandson of Pierre Perrin and wife Anne Louvière. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the artillery regiment in Grenoble as a private soldier,[1] and after ten years' service he applied for and received his discharge because of his disgust at the manners revolutionary army[1] and settled at Valence.[2] Soon afterwards he joined the local volunteers, and distinguishing himself in the war on the Alpine frontier, in less than a year he had risen to the command of a battalion. In Drôme, Valence, on 16 May 1791 he married Jeanne Josephine Muguet, by whom he had issue which was extinct in the male line by 1917.

When the second restoration followed the Battle of Waterloo he was made a peer of France. He became president of a commission which inquired into the conduct of the officers during the Hundred Days, and dismissed Napoleon's sympathizers. In 1821 he was appointed war minister and held this office for two years. In 1830 he was major-general of the royal guard, and after the July Revolution of that year he retired altogether into private life. He died in Paris on 1 March 1841.[3] His papers for the period 1793–1800 have been published (Paris, 1846).

Victor first married Jeanne-Josephine Muguet in May 1791 and had four children:

• Victorine (1792–1822)
• Charles (1795–1827)
• Napoleon-Victor (1796–1853)
• Eugene (1799–1852)

His second marriage was to Julie Vosch van Avesaet in June 1803 (1781–1831), with whom he had a daughter:

• Stephanie-Josephine (1805–1832)

Victor had mixed military talents. He was an excellent organizer and tactician. During his time in Spain he destroyed entire Spanish armies with Cannae like envelopments and even fought Wellington to a virtual tactical draw at Talavera. However he was a timid strategist often afraid of taking risks. Nevertheless, he recognized new developments in warfare and implemented them throughout his career. At the Beresina River in 1812, he made excellent use of reverse slope defenses showing that he learned something from Wellington.

On the contrary in his book “Napoleon and His Marshals” MacDonell calls Victor a stupid soldier.[6] He claims the closest Victor ever came to victory is when he changed his name from Perrin into Victor.[6] Dunn-Pattison says of him “Not specially dowered by fortune with talents for war” but does praise his courage and sense of honor.[1]

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Victor-Perrin, Claude". Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

• Claude Perrin Victor Papers at The Historic New Orleans Collection