Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard

Camille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard (14 February 1652 – 20 March 1728) was a French nobleman, diplomat and military commander, who became a Marshal of France.

Military career

Tallard was granted a commission in the French army at the age of 15.<ref name=falkner104>Falkner: Blenheim 1704: Marlborough's Greatest Victory, p. 104</ref> He later served under the prince de Condé in the Netherlands, and from 1674, under Turenne in Alsace. He was promoted maréchal de camp in 1678, and served in the Nine Years' War (1688–1697).

His friendship with King Louis XIV ensured a position of authority.<ref name=falkner104/> After the war he served for two years as ambassador to the Court of St. James's, where his exceptional knowledge of European political affairs proved highly valuable.<ref>Churchill: Marlborough: His Life and Times, p. 426</ref> When King James II died in September 1701, King Louis recognised James's son as his successor to the throne of England. Consequently, King William III expelled Tallard from London in 1702.<ref name=falkner104/>

Tallard's military career reached its height during the War of the Spanish Succession. On 7 September 1703 the Duke of Burgundy and Tallard took the town of Breisach. Tallard proceeded to attack Landau in mid October.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p. 285</ref> A relief force under the Prince of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) was roundly defeated by Tallard's force at the Battle of Speyerbach on 15 November.<ref>Also spelled Spire, Speyer, Spirbach or Speyerbach.</ref> As a result, Landau fell two days later. Shortly after, Tallard was created Marshal of France.<ref name=falkner104/>

In 1704, Tallard was sent to reinforce Maximilian II Emanuel's and Marshal Marsin's Franco-Bavarian army on the Danube, which was under threat from the Duke of Marlborough's and Prince Eugene's allied army. Tallard set out on 1 July from Strasbourg, but although the six day siege of Villingen proved abortive, (abandoned on 22 July), the French Marshal was able to bring 34,000 men through the Black Forest, reaching Ulm on 5 August.<ref>Chandler: Marlborough as Military Commander, p. 136</ref>

Plaque on Newdigate House

Tallard was placed in overall command of the combined Franco-Bavarian army, but the subsequent Battle of Blenheim on 13 August 1704 resulted in complete destruction of his forces. Decisively beaten, he was captured and taken back to England and housed on parole in Chatsworth, Derbyshire<ref>CHATSWORTH, from Rev. John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-1872) online at visionofbritain.org.uk (accessed 14 November 2007)</ref> and Newdigate House Nottingham.<ref name=falkner104/> The writer Daniel Defoe reported that his small, but beautiful parterre, after the French fashion was one of the beauties of Nottingham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During his stay in Britain, he is credited with introducing celery to English cuisine.<ref>The French prisoner who taught us to eat celery</ref>

Later life

On his release in 1711 he returned to France.<ref>Tincey: Blenheim 1704: The Duke of Marlborough's Masterpiece, p. 88</ref> Despite the calamity of Blenheim, Louis appeared to bear the Marshal no ill will.<ref name=falkner104/> Tallard was made a duke in 1712 and became a Peer of France in 1715. In King Louis XIV's testament, Tallard was appointed to the Council of Regency but the duc d'Orléans had the testament nullified. He was elected president of the Académie des Sciences in 1724 and, in 1726, he became a French minister of state. He died in 1728.

Family

He married Marie-Catherine de Grolée de Viriville-La Tivolière and had one son;

1. Marie Joseph d'Hostun de La Baume-Tallard, Duke of Hostun, Duke of Tallart, (b.1683 - ?) he married Marie Isabelle de Rohan, daughter of Hercule Mériadec, Duke of Rohan-Rohan and Anne Geneviève de Lévis, daughter of Madame de Ventadour. The couple had no children; Marie Isabelle was the Governess to the children of Louis XV from 1735-1754.

References

• Chandler, David G. Marlborough as Military Commander. Spellmount Ltd, (2003). Template:ISBN
• Churchill, Winston. Marlborough: His Life and Times, Bk. 1, vols. i & ii. University of Chicago Press, (2002). Template:ISBN
• Falkner, James. Blenheim 1704: Marlborough's Greatest Victory. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, (2004). Template:ISBN
• Lynn, John A. The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman, (1999). Template:ISBN
• Tincey, John. Blenheim 1704:The Duke of Marlborough's Masterpiece. Osprey Publishing Ltd, (2004). Template:ISBN

External links

• Tallard in Nottingham Template:Webarchive
• Template:IMSLP