Anne Jean Marie René Savary Biography

Dromo's Den

Savary, Anne Jean Marie René, Duke of Rovigo (1774-1533). A French general, born at Marcq (Ardennes). In 1797 he accompanied Desaix to Egypt, and after Marengo (1800) Napoleon made him a colonel and aid-de-camp. In 1802 he became general of brigade and was made chief of the secret police; in 1804 he presided at the execution of the Duke d'Enghien. In the wars of 1806-07 he acquired high military reputation by his brilliant victory at Ostrolenka (Feb. 16, 1807). He distinguished himself also at Friedland (June 14, 1807), and was created Duke of Rovigo in the beginning of the following year. He was then sent to Spain by the Emperor and negotiated the arrangements by which Joseph Bonaparte became King of Spain. In 1810 Savary replaced Fouché as Minister of Police and held office until 1814. After the fall of Napoleon he was confined by the British government at Malta for seven months, when he succeeded in making his escape and landed at Smyrna. He returned to Paris in 1818 and was reinstated in his titles and honors. In 1823 he removed to Rome, having given offense to the court by his pamphlet Sur la catastrophe de Mgr. le Duc d'Enghien, in which Talleyrand was charged with the responsibility for the Duke's death, but at the close of 1831 he was recalled by Louis Philippe and appointed commander in chief of the Army of Africa. His Mémoires (Paris, 1828) are valuable for the Napoleonic period.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XX (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920)