François-Joseph Offenstein

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François-Joseph Offenstein
July 27, 1760 - September 27, 1837
Place of birth Erstein, Alsace, France
Place of death Mouzay, Meuse, France
Allegiance French Army
Years of service 1777 - 1816
Rank Major General (Revolutionary Wars)
Brigadier General (First Empire)
Battles/wars French Revolutionary Wars
French Directory
French Consulate
First Empire
Awards Officer of the Legion of Honor
Baron of the French first Empire

François-Joseph Offenstein (Erstein in France, July 27, 1760 - Mouzay in France, September 27, 1837) was a French general and military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.


Contents

[edit] Biography

Son of François-Joseph Offenstein (butcher in Erstein) and of Catherine Reibel, he grew up in Alsace during the french Ancien Régime before joining the royal army at age of 16 in 1777.

Major in 1790, then Lieutenant Colonel two years later, he was nominated at age of 33 in july of 1793 Brigadier General and thanks to his political support, he climb up to the rang of Major General two month later.

He became the Commandant in chief of Neuf-Brisach, nevertheless, a year later, in 1794, he has been destituted by the leaders of Hentz and Goujon for having confused on a map a river with a road when he was assigned with a division of 18.000 men inside the Army of Moselle. We may easily explain this strategical mistake by the fact his education were botched : indeed, althought he was a Major general, he was not able to read correctly. That ignorance in some area lead him to be the abiding source of jokes (even if they were most of the time exaggerated) at the general staff. Despite it, Offenstein considered himself as a soldier and just a soldier. He has never disputed a direct order.

Further to his destitution, he retired himself until 1796 when the army called him back but came back only with the rank of Brigader Chief.

On July 14, 1804, Napoleon Ist made him Officer de la Legion of Honor during the first awards ceremony of the Legion of Honor at the Invalides of Paris for his participation to nearly all the battles of the Rhine during the French Revolutionary Wars and many fights during the French Consulate.

In 1806, he joined the Grande Armée.

Thanks to his military experience and his faithfulness in France, the french Emperor nominated him again, in 1807, at the rank of Brigadier General of the Grande Armée after his heroic acts during the battle of Heilsberg.

On June 26, 1809, Napoleon Ist gave him the title of Baron of the first Empire.

Offenstein passed away in 1837 at age 77 during the July Monarchy

Offenstein got married in 1803 with Marie Barbe Lamarcq and got two son : Guillaume François (1804 - 1865) and Eugène Auguste (1808 - 1863)

[edit] Honour & Homage

  • A street of Strasbourg has been called "Gal. François-Joseph Offenstein"

[edit] Service record

[edit] During the Ancien Régime in France

  • 03.10th.1777 : Joins the "Régiment Royal Deux-Pont dragons", but resigns on 12.23rd.1786
  • 01.01st.1787 : Re-enlists as grenadier in the "Régiment d'Alsace-infanterie"

[edit] During the French Revolutionary Wars

[edit] During the French Directory

[edit] During the French Consulate

  • 04.28th.1799 : Nominated Brigader Chief of the "44th régiment d'infanterie de ligne"
  • 07.31st.1799 : Nominated Brigader Chief of the "12nd régiment de chasseurs", he served in Leibdingen and Luciensteig
  • 12.23rd.1802 : Nominated Brigader Chief of the "7th régiment de cuirassiers"

[edit] During the First French Empire

[edit] During the first Bourbon Restoration

  • 24th.12.1814 : Retired temporarily from the Army

[edit] During the Hundred Days

  • 05.01st.1815 : Back in the Army, he has been nominated Commandement of two regiments of lancers from the National Guard of the Haut-Rhin and the Bas-Rhin, but after having scoffed at Napoléon, he has been relieved from his commandement after only 10 days
  • 05.11st.1815 : Sended to Sélestat

[edit] During the second Bourbon Restoration

  • 07.06th.1816 : Retired definitely from the Army even if he asked to rejoin the army

[edit] See also

  • Family :
  • Paul Rohmer (1876-1977), french physician considered as the father of the modern paediatrics in the east corner of France.
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