 armand-augustin-louis, marquis de caulaincourt, duke of vicenzafierro p. 600 (9 december 1773 â 19 february 1827) was a french soldier, diplomat and close personal aide to napoleon bonaparte.bohn pp 201â207 ==early life== armand de caulaincourt was the eldest son of louis gabriel de caulaincourt, the marquis de caulaincourt, a nobleman and general officer in the army. born in caulaincourt, aisne in the french region of picardy, he began service in the army at the age of 15, serving as an aide to his father. ==military career== by the time of the declaration of war in 1792 caulaincourt had been promoted to captain and was serving as an adjutant on the staff of his uncle, harville. his lineage as a noble made him suspect by the revolutionaries, causing caulaincourt to volunteer to serve in the french garde nationale in paris as a common soldier. while on his way to join his regiment he was denounced as an aristocrat and thrown into prison. he escaped prison, and returned to serving in the army. in three years he had regained his previous rank and was serving general lazare hoche. he attained the rank of colonel in the army of the rhine. by 1801 caulaincourt had been involved in thirteen campaigns and wounded twice. ==diplomatic career== caulaincourt was fluent in a number of languages, including russian. after the peace of lunÃ©ville in 1801 he was sent to saint petersburg by first consul napoleon bonaparte. his mission was primarily to check british influence in the russian court. on his return he was named aide-de-camp of napoleon. at this juncture an event occurred which was to profoundly affect his life. in 1804 caulaincourt had been sent by napoleon across the rhine to seize some agents of the british government who were in baden. he was used to pass on orders calling for the
1773_births 1827_deaths 19th-century_French_diplomats Ambassadors_of_France_to_Russia Burials_at_PA"re_Lachaise_Cemetery Dukes_of_the_First_French_Empire French_Foreign_Ministers French_commanders_of_the_Napoleonic_Wars French_military_personnel_of_the_French_Revolutionary_Wars Grand_Marshals_of_the_Palace Knights_of_the_Order_of_Saint_Hubert Members_of_the_SA(c)nat_conservateur Names_inscribed_under_the_Arc_de_Triomphe People_from_Aisne