Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke

Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st comte d'Hunebourg, 1st duc de Feltre (; 17 October 1765 – 28 October 1818), was a French military officer, diplomat, and politician of Irish origin who served as Minister of War of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1814. He was made a Marshal of France in 1816.

Early life and career

Clarke was born in Landrecies, northern France, on 18 October 1765, to Irish parents from Lisdowney, County Kilkenny. Clarke was one of the most influential and charismatic Franco-Irish generals in the French army during the Napoleonic period. His family had close links to the Irish Brigade of France. His father served in Dillon's Regiment, and his mother's father and several uncles served in Clare's Regiment.

In September 1781, Clarke entered the Military School of Paris as a cadet, joining the army in November 1782 as a second lieutenant in Berwick's Regiment. During the War of the Third Coalition in 1805, Clarke was appointed governor of Vienna, and during the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806 he served as governor of Erfurt and of Berlin. Although he needed Clarke's centralized Ministry in 1813, he never fully trusted Clarke after the Malet affair, and in November 1813 appointed an equally strong administrator, Pierre Daru, as Minister of War Administration. Daru began building his own authority, and during 1814 the army suffered as both Clarke and Daru sparred over administrative responsibilities and authority. As the Allies approached Paris, Clarke found himself with the responsibility to defend the capital but with split authority; not only was he charged with producing manpower for Napoleon, a duty he shared with Daru, but he was also responsible for the population and civil defense. He found himself organizing hospitals and mobilizing the population. In the end, his efforts at defense were ineffectual and he was one of the generals pressing for Napoleon's abdication.

Bourbon Restoration

After Napoleon's abdication, Clarke was replaced as Minister of War by Dupont de l'Étang but King Louis XVIII made him a Peer of France. When Napoleon landed in Southern France in March 1815 to reclaim his throne (the "Hundred Days"), Clarke was again made Minister of War and served until the Bourbon government fled. When the King fled to Ghent, Clarke followed him. After Napoleon's second abdication, Clarke was made Minister of War once more and served in that capacity until 1817 when Gouvion Saint-Cyr took over. He was then given command of the 15th Military Division.

Clarke was made a Marshal of France on 3 July 1816. He died in Neuviller-la-Roche on 28 October 1818.