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Claude Carra Saint-Cyr

1760 – 1834

French general and diplomat

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About Claude Carra Saint-Cyr

Lived 1760 – 1834 (aged 73). Claude Carra Saint-Cyr was a French military personnel and diplomat.

For the French milliner, see Claude Saint-Cyr, For the Marshal of France see Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr

Claude Carra Saint-Cyr (; born 28 July 1760 in Lyon, died 5 January 1834 in Vailly-sur-Aisne) was a French general and diplomat, noted for his participation to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Carra Saint-Cyr entered active service in 1774, with the Bourdonnais regiment, and was a part of the French expeditionary corps during the American War of Independence. He was a captain and held a position in the military commissariat. With the outbreak of the Wars of the Revolution, Carra Saint-Cyr resumed active duty, serving in the army of the West as aide-de-camp to general Jean-Baptiste Annibal Aubert du Bayet, subsequently accompanying Aubert du Bayet to Constantinople, where the latter was appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Carra Saint-Cyr then served as consul in Wallachia, before returning to France, in 1798. He was at Marengo in 1800 and became a general of division in 1803. Named governor of Magdeburg in 1806, he was created baron of the Empire two years later and in 1809 he held the command of an infantry division during the War of the Fifth Coalition, playing an important role at the battle of Aspern-Essling. He was named governor of Dresden and in 1813 governor of Hamburg and in this capacity evacuated the city with his troops and was defeated on the Elbe. For this, he was disgraced, but general Dominique Vandamme still gave him the command of a division, with the mission of defending the Ems river. With the Bourbon Restoration of 1814, Carra Saint-Cyr was created count and named governor of French Guiana, a position that he would hold from 1814 to 1819. His name appears on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Positions held
Colonial governor of French Guiana
Awards
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis; List of names inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe; Baron of the Empire
Also known as
CARRA ST CYR

People in Claude Carra Saint-Cyr's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Claude Carra Saint-Cyr's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Claude Carra Saint-Cyr?

French general and diplomat (1760-1834)

When was Claude Carra Saint-Cyr born?

Claude Carra Saint-Cyr was born on 28 July 1760 in Lyon.

When did Claude Carra Saint-Cyr die?

Claude Carra Saint-Cyr died on 5 January 1834 in Vailly-sur-Aisne.

What was Claude Carra Saint-Cyr's occupation?

Claude Carra Saint-Cyr was a military personnel and diplomat.

What nationality was Claude Carra Saint-Cyr?

Claude Carra Saint-Cyr was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Claude Carra Saint-Cyr

· Wikidata: Q2625373

· DBpedia: Claude Carra Saint-Cyr

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Claude Carra Saint-Cyr. https://biography.guide/claude-carra-saint-cyr/

MLA: "Claude Carra Saint-Cyr." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/claude-carra-saint-cyr/.

Chicago: "Claude Carra Saint-Cyr." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/claude-carra-saint-cyr/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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