Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force (French pronunciation: [ʒak nɔ̃paːʁ də komɔ̃ dyk də la fɔʁs]) (30 October 1558 – 10 May 1652) was a marshal of France and peer of France.
He was born in La Force, the son of Francois de Caumont and Philippes de Beaupoil.
He survived the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572), but his father and older brother Armand were killed. He served Henri IV. He was governor of Béarn (1593) and governor of Navarre. After the death of Henri (1610), he plotted with Henri de Rohan, before submitting to Louis XIII.
He had a house in the Rue du Roi de Sicile in Paris, which was transformed to La Force Prison in 1780.
During the reign of Louis XIII, he was made a marshal of France on 27 May 1622.
He campaigned in Piedmont , took Saluzzo in 1630 , defeated the Spaniards at Carignano (1630) and lifted the siege of Casale.
Between 1631 and 1634 he invaded Lorraine, and took La Mothe after a siege of 141 days in which Turenne first distinguished himself and La Force's grandson Jacques was killed. He also took Philippsburg and made the general Colloredo prisoner.
In 1638 he besieged Saint-Omer in Flanders, but was defeated by Louis Thomas of Savoy-Carignan. It was his last battle.
He died in Bergerac.
He married on 5 February 1577, Charlotte de Gontaut, daughter of marshal Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron
Children :