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| Guy-Victor Duperré | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1775-02-20)20 February 1775 La Rochelle, France |
| Died | 2 November 1846(1846-11-02) (aged 71) Paris, France |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service | French Navy |
| Years of service | 1792–1843 |
| Rank | Admiral of France |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Peer of the Empire Peer of France Inscription on the Arc de Triomphe Légion d'honneur |
| Other work | Préfet maritime of Brest Minister of the Navy |
Admiral of France Guy-Victor Duperré (20 February 1775 – 2 November 1846) was a French Navy officer. He is known for commanding French naval forces in the Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811 and was victorious in the Battle of Grand Port, where he was wounded. Later he had a command in the Mediterranean and continued to serve during and after the Bourbon Restoration. He commanded the naval elements of the expeditionary force that carried out the Invasion of Algiers in 1830 and went on to become Minister of the Navy three times.
Early years and education
Duperré was born on20 February 1775 in La Rochelle to Jean Augustin Duperré, counselor of the king and financer for war, and Marie-Gabrielle Prat-Desprez.
He spent a few years with the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri at the Collège de Juilly, before enlisting at 16 on the Henri IV, a French East Indiaman.
Career
Revolutionary wars
In November 1792, Duperré joined the French Navy at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars. He served against the Netherlands and Britain aboard the corvette Maire-Guiton, and later aboard the frigate Tortu. In May 1796, he was made an auxiliary ensign aboard the Virginie. In June, he was captured by the British during a night fight. He was exchanged two years later and made a full rank ensign, taking command of the corvette Pélagie.
In 1804, he was made a lieutenant de vaisseau, and later assistant of the préfet maritime of Boulogne-sur-Mer. In 1806, he served off Brazil aboard the Vétéran, under Jérôme Bonaparte. Back to France, he was promoted to capitaine de frégate on 28 September. In 1808, commanding the frigate Sirène, he led a troop convoy to Martinique; returning to France, he was intercepted by a British blockade off Lorient, and managed to escape by beaching his ship.
Napoléon made him a capitaine de vaisseau and knight of the Légion d'honneur, before promoting him to Commodore. On 6 December 1810, Duperré was made Baron of the Empire.
Duperré was sent to the Isle de France (now Mauritius) aboard the frigate Bellone, fighting several British ships in the process, notably the action of 3 July 1810. On 23 August 1810, he won the Battle of Grand Port, completely destroying a British squadron. He was wounded in this battle. The naval victory made its way on the Arc de Triomphe. In recognition, Duperré was promoted to contre-amiral when he returned to France in September 1811.
From 1812 to 1814, Duperré commanded the Italian and French naval forces in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic. In 1814, he defended Venice against Austria.
Bourbon restoration
Duperré was made Préfet maritime of Toulon during the Hundred Days, and was retired during the Bourbon Restoration. In 1818, he was brought back to active duty. He commanded the squadron which blockaded Cadiz during the war which reinstated Ferdinand VII of Spain on the throne. In October 1823, he was made vice-admiral, grand officier de la Légion d'honneur and Commander of the Order of Saint Louis in 1824. In 1827, he was made Préfet maritime of Brest and inspector of the 5th arrondissement militaire.
Though Duperré was critical towards the expedition against Algiers, Charles X made him commander of the fleet which ferried troops under Bourmont to depose the Algerian Regency. The fleet of the invasion of Algiers and shipwreck of Dellys was 103 warships strong, with 572 freighters ferrying 35 000 soldiers, 3 800 horses and 91 heavy guns. In recognition for his role, Duperré was made pair de France on 16 July 1830.
July monarchy
After the July Revolution, all pairages were cancelled as a whole. Duperré was reinstated pair de France by Louis-Philippe on 18 August 1830, and promoted to Admiral in March 1831. Then in Africa, Duperré was called back to France and made chief of the council of the Admiralty.
On 18 November 1834, Duperré became Naval Minister in Mortier's government. He retained the office in de Broglie's and Thiers' governments, and got out of office when Thiers' government collapsed on the 16 September 1836. Duperré came back to office on 12 May 1839 in Soult's second government. In 1840, a budget project for the Duke of Nemours was rejected, which made the government collapse; Duperré then said: "The ministry has received a round shot in the belly, which has gone to hit the wood of the Crown." Duperré came back again to the ministry on the 29 October 1840 in Soult's third government, until he retired for health reasons on 6 February 1843.
Death and honours
Duperré died on 2 November 1846 in Saint-Servan, Brittany. Admiral Jean Tupinier said a eulogy in the chamber of the pairs de France.
He was buried in the Invalides in a national funeral.
His name is carved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
| Preceded byCharles, baron Dupin | Ministers of Marine and the Colonies 18 November 1834 – 6 September 1836 |
Succeeded byClaude Charles Marie du Campe de Rosamel |
| Preceded byJean Marguerite Tupinier | Ministers of Marine and the Colonies 12 May 1839 – 1 March 1840 |
Succeeded byAlbin Reine, baron Roussin |
| Preceded byAlbin Reine, baron Roussin | Ministers of Marine and the Colonies 29 October 1840 – 7 February 1843 |
Succeeded byAlbin Reine, baron Roussin |
References
- B. Barbiche, Les institutions de la monarchie française à l'époque moderne, Presses universitaires de France, 1999.
| Cabinet of Édouard Adolphe Mortier (18 November 1834 to 12 March 1835) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head of state: King Louis Philippe I | ||
| President of the council | Édouard Mortier, duc de Trévise | .svg) .JPG) Édouard Mortier, duc de Trévise |
| War | Édouard Mortier, duc de Trévise | |
| Interior | Adolphe Thiers | |
| Justice and Religious Affairs | Jean-Charles Persil | |
| Foreign Affairs | Henri de Rigny | |
| Finance | Georges Humann | |
| Navy and Colonies | Guy-Victor Duperré | |
| Public Education | François Guizot | |
| Commerce | Tanneguy Duchâtel | |
| Cabinet of Victor de Broglie (12 March 1835 to 22 February 1836) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head of state: King Louis Philippe I | ||
| President of the council | Victor de Broglie |  Victor de Broglie |
| Foreign Affairs | Victor de Broglie | |
| Interior |
| |
| Justice | Jean-Charles Persil | |
| War |
| |
| Finance | ||
| Navy and Colonies | Guy-Victor Duperré | |
| Public Education | François Guizot | |
| Commerce | Tanneguy Duchâtel | |
| First cabinet of Adolphe Thiers (22 February 1836 to 6 September 1836) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head of state: King Louis Philippe I | ||
| President of the council | Adolphe Thiers |  Adolphe Thiers |
| Foreign Affairs | Adolphe Thiers | |
| Interior | Camille de Montalivet | |
| Justice and Religious Affairs | Paul Jean Pierre Sauzet | |
| War | Nicolas Joseph Maison | |
| Finance | Antoine Maurice Apollinaire d'Argout | |
| Navy and Colonies | Guy-Victor Duperré | |
| Public Education | Joseph Pelet de la Lozère | |
| Commerce and Public Works | Hippolyte Passy | |
| Second cabinet of Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult (12 May 1839 to 1 March 1840) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head of state: King Louis Philippe I | ||
| President of the council | Nicolas Soult | .JPG) Nicolas Soult |
| Foreign Affairs | Nicolas Soult | |
| Interior | Tanneguy Duchâtel | |
| Justice and Religious Affairs | Jean-Baptiste Teste | |
| War | Antoine Virgile Schneider | |
| Finance | Hippolyte Passy | |
| Navy and Colonies | Guy-Victor Duperré | |
| Public Education | Abel-François Villemain | |
| Public Works | Jules Armand Dufaure | |
| Agriculture and Commerce | Laurent Cunin-Gridaine | |
| Third cabinet of Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult (29 October 1840 to 19 September 1847) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head of state: King Louis Philippe I | ||
| President of the council | Nicolas Soult | Nicolas Soult |
| War |
| |
| Interior |
| |
| Justice and Religious Affairs | ||
| Foreign Affairs | François Guizot | |
| Finance | ||
| Navy and Colonies |
| |
| Public Education | ||
| Public Works | ||
| Agriculture and Commerce | Laurent Cunin-Gridaine | |
- Admirals of France
- 1775 births
- People from La Rochelle
- 1846 deaths
- Ministers of marine and the colonies
- French naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
- Peers of France
- Barons of the First French Empire
- Members of the Chamber of Peers of the Bourbon Restoration
- Members of the Chamber of Peers of the July Monarchy
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
- Commanders of the Order of Saint Louis
- Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe