Jean Joseph Guieu, 1758-1817

Jean Joseph Guieu (1758-1817) was a French general who played a part in Napoleon's first successful campaign in Italy in 1796-7. Guieu entered the army in 1774, and served in the artillery until 1780. He was promoted to major on 22 May 1792, to chef de brigade on 4 October 1793 and to brigadier general on 25 December 1793. In 1796 he commanded a brigade in the Army of Italy. At the battle of Mondovi (19-21 April 1796) his brigade captured Torre, at the far left of the French line, giving the French a foothold across the Corsaglia River, but a Piedmontese counterattack restored the situation. On the first day of the battle of Arcola (15-17 November 1796) Guieu was given the task of outflanking the Austrian position behind the Adige. He was sent to cross the river at Albaredo, to the right of the main French position. He successfully captured Arcola at dusk, but this came too late in the day to be exploited and Napoleon pulled him back to Ronco to join the main French force. Guieu was promoted to major general on 6 December 1796, but after the campaign in Italy ended Guieu fades from the record, and he doesn't appear to have played a part in Napoleon's later campaigns.

Napoleonic Home Page | Books on the Napoleonic Wars | Subject Index: Napoleonic Wars

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 January 2009), Jean Joseph Guieu, 1758-1817 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_guieu.html

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy