Léman (department)

Léman ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire. Its name came from the French name of Lake Geneva, Lac Léman. It was formed in 1798, when the Republic of Geneva was annexed by the French Republic. Léman also included districts that were previously part of the departments of Mont-Blanc (northern Savoy) and Ain (the Pays de Gex). Its territory corresponded with the present Swiss canton of Geneva and parts of the present French departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie.

Map of the department of Léman

The Chef-lieu of the department was Geneva. The department was subdivided into the following three arrondissements and cantons:<ref name='a' />

Coat of arms of the city of Geneva under the French Empire

• Genève: Carouge, Chêne-Thônex, Collonge, Frangy, Genève (3 cantons), Gex, Reignier and Saint-Julien.
• Bonneville: Bonneville, Chamonix, Cluses, Megève, La Roche, Sallanches, Samoëns, Taninges and Viuz-en-Sallaz.
• Thonon: Douvaine, Évian, Saint-Jean-d'Aulps and Thonon.

After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the former Republic of Geneva became a Swiss canton, and Savoy was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Pays de Gex returned to the department of Ain except for six communes (Pregny, Collex-Bossy, Grand-Saconnex, Vernier, Meyrin and Versoix), which were ceded to the Canton of Geneva.<ref>Template:HDS</ref>

Administration

Prefects

The Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||10 December 1802||Ange Marie d'Eymar
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||30 November 1810||Claude Ignace Brugière de Barante
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||5 January 1814||Guillaume Antoine Benoît Capelle
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||Not installed||Louis Toussaint de La Moussaye

Secretary-General

The Secretary-General was the deputy to the Prefect.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
2 March 1800	?? ?? 1802	Cornuaud
?? ?? 1803	?? ?? 1811	Étienne Charles Garnier
?? ?? 1811	31 December 1813	J.J. Councler

Subprefects of Bonneville

Term start	Term end	Office holder
1 August 1800<ref name=e>Template:Cite book</ref>	12 June 1811	Joseph Marie Gavard
12 June 1811<ref name='e' />	31 December 1813	Gavard Fils
26 December 1811<ref name='e' />	31 December 1813	Jean Baptiste Rogniat

Subprefects of Genève

The office of Subprefect of Genève was held by the Prefect until 1811.

Term start	Term end	Office holder
14 January 1811<ref name='e' />	7 May 1812	Bouthillier de Beaumont
7 May 1812<ref name='e' />	31 December 1813	Jean Baptiste Bourgeois de Jessaint

Subprefects of Thonon

Term start	Term end	Office holder
5 April 1800<ref name='e' />	1 October 1804	François Plagnat
1 October 1804<ref name='e' />	31 December 1813	Joseph Jérôme Milliet

See also

• Former departments of France
• Canton of Léman