Portal:Military history of France/Selected biography

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Jean Victor Marie Moreau (February 14, 1763 – September 2, 1813) was a French general. He was born at Morlaix in Brittany. His father was an avocat in good practice, and instead of allowing him to enter the army, as he attempted to do, insisted on his studying law at the University of Rennes. Young Moreau showed no inclination for law, but revelled in the freedom of a student's life. Instead of taking his degree, he continued to live with the students as their hero and leader, and formed them into a sort of army, which he commanded as their provost. When 1789 came, he commanded the students in the daily affrays which took place at Rennes between the young noblesse and the populace.

In 1791 Moreau was elected a lieutenant colonel of the volunteers of Ille-et-Vilaine. With them he served under Dumouriez, and in 1793 the good order of his battalion, and his own martial character and republican principles secured his promotion as general of brigade. Carnot, who had an eye for the true qualities of a general, promoted Moreau to be general of division early in 1794, and gave him command of the right wing of the army under Pichegru, in Flanders. (More...)