Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer

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Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer (December 18, 1747 - August 19, 1804), born in Delle, near Belfort was a French general.

Before the French Revolution, Schérer served in the Austrian army but defected to France in 1775. In 1780 Schérer became a major in an artillery regiment stationed in Strasbourg. He entered Dutch service in 1785 as a major in the légion de Maillebois. In 1790 he was released from Dutch service with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

He returned to France in 1791 and in 1792 he was made a captain in the 82nd Infantry Regiment. He fought as aide-de-camp to general Despretz–Crassier at Valmy. In 1793 he served as a senior aide-de-camp to general de Beauharnais on the Rhine. In 1794, Schérer was promoted to the rank of general de division and commanded a division in the Army of the Sambre and Meuse and served with distinction at Aldenhoven. On May 3 the same year he married Marie Françoise Henriette Caroline Müller in a civil ceremony in Delle. On November 3, 1794 he was made commandre of the Army of Italy for a first time until transferred to command of the Army of the Pyrénées orientales on March 3, 1795. On June 14 Schérer commanded 12,000 men in battle against a Spanish army of 28,000 men at Fluvia.

On August 31, 1795 he was again send to Italy to replace Kellerman as commander-in-chief of the Army of Italy. Schérer as commander of the Army of Italy won the battle of Loano (22-24 November 1795) against an Austrian army but then failed to exploit his advantage. He was relieved of the command of his army on February 23, 1796 and replaced by Napoléon Bonaparte.

He was unemployed for a number of months until made inspector-general of cavalry of the Army of the Interior and then of the Army of the Rhine and Mosselle. He served as French Minister of War from July 22, 1797 to February 21, 1799. Schérer was then again given command of the Army of Italy, but unable to stop the Russo-Austrian advance he was beaten by Kray at Pastrengo (March 26), Verona (March 30) and Magnano (April 5) and was forced to retire behind the river Mincio where he surrendered command to Moreau. Because of his loss of Italy he was forced to appear before a committee of inquiry but been acquitted, he then retired to private life on his estate at Chauny, where he died in 1804.

Preceded by Lazare Hoche

Minister of War July 22, 1797 - February 21, 1799

Succeeded by Louis Marie de Milet de Mureau