Alexandre-François-Marie, vicomte de Beauharnais
Date of Birth
May 28, 1760
Date of Death
July 23, 1794
About
An army officer and deputy for the nobility of Blois, Beauharnais twice presided over the Constituent Assembly in 1791 before returning to military service. In 1793 he commanded the Army of the Rhine during the siege of Mainz, although he did not command the garrison inside the city. His army’s failure to relieve Mainz, followed by his resignation, later formed part of the case brought against him. Arrested in March 1794, he was convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal and guillotined on 23 July. His widow, Joséphine, later married Napoleon Bonaparte, while their children Eugène and Hortense became prominent members of the imperial family.