Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke
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Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st Comte d'Hunebourg, 1st Duc de Feltre (October 17, 1765 - October 28, 1818), born in Landrecies, was a Marshal of France and French politician of Irish descent.
Clarke entered the French army in 1782. With the outbreak of the French Revolution, Clarke served in the early French Revolutionary Wars in the Army of the Rhine and by 1793 had been promoted to general de brigade. In 1795 Clarke was briefly arrested. After his release, Clarke lived in Alsace until Lazare Carnot sent him to Italy to serve as Napoléon Bonaparte's Chief topographical officer until he was sent to Sardinia. After 18 Brumaire, Clarke served as Chief of the Topographical Bureau, State Councillor, state secretary for the army and navy. During the war against Austria in 1805, Clarke was appointed governor of Vienna and during the war against Prussia in 1806 he served as governor of Erfurt and of Berlin.
In 1807, Napoléon appointed Clarke Minister of War. His role in thwarting the British invasion of Walcheren in 1809 lead to the emperor creating him Duc de Feltre (extinguished in 1852 but extended in 1864). Clarke served as Minister of War until the end of Napoléon's reign. When the allies neared Paris, Clarke mounted an ineffectual defense of the capital and was one of the generals pressing for Napoléon's abdication. After Napoléon's abdication he was replaced as minister of war by Dupont de l'Étang but Louis XVIII of France made him a Peer of France. When Napoléon landed in Southern France in March 1815 to reclaim his throne, Clarke was again made Minister of War and served until the Bourbon government fled. When the King fled to Ghent, Clarke followed him. After Napoléon's second abdication, Clarke was made Minister of War once more and served in that capacity until 1817 when Gouvion Saint-Cyr took over. He was then given command of the 15th Military Division.
In 1816 he was made a Marshal of France. Clarke died in 1818.
| Preceded by Louis Alexandre Berthier |
Minister of War August 19, 1807 - April 1, 1814 |
Succeeded by Dupont de l'Étang |
| Preceded by Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult |
Minister of War March 11, 1815 - March 20, 1815 |
Succeeded by Louis Nicolas Davout |
| Preceded by Gouvion Saint-Cyr |
Minister of War September 26, 1815 - September 12, 1817 |
Succeeded by Gouvion Saint-Cyr |
