Jean Victor, one of the greatest generals of the French revolution, was born at Morlaix in 1763. He was the son of an advocate who had destined him for the same profession, but having early contracted a decided predilection for the army, he enlisted in a regiment, in which he served for a short time, until his father purchased his discharge, and sent him to resume his studies. He did so with considerable success, and at length became prévôt de droit at Rennes, where he exercised a sort of supremacy over the students, by whom he was greatly beloved. In 1787, when the ministry wished to effect a revolution in the magistracy, he joined in resisting the attempt; and having figured in the early troubles as chief of the youth of Rennes, he was called "the General of the Parliament." At the commencement of the revolution he raised a company of volunteer gunners, of which he became captain; and having organized and instructed it, he continued to serve in the same capacity until the year 1792, when he enrolled himself in a battalion of volunteers which was then setting out to join the army of the north. He made his first campaign under Dumouriez, as commandant of a battalion. In 1793 he became general of brigade, and the following year he was promoted to the rank of general of division, on the recommendation of Pichegru, who immediately confided to him a corps destined to act in maritime Flanders. Moreau took possession first of Menin, then of Bruges, Ostend, Nieuport, the island of Cassandria, and lastly of Sluys, which capitulated on the 26th of August. At the moment when he made this conquest for the republic, the revolutionists of Brest were sending his aged father to the scaffold as an aristocrat. This venerable old man, whom the people of Morlaix called the "father of the poor," had undertaken to manage the property of some emigrants; and this was employed as a pretext to destroy him. Moreau had already become disgusted with the revolutionary system, and such an event naturally increased his detestation. He conceived that he had no longer any country but the camp, nor any home but his tent in the field.

He commanded with great distinction the right wing of the army of Pichegru during the celebrated winter campaign of 1794; and when that general assumed the command of the army of the Rhine and Moselle, Moreau was promoted to the command of the army of the north. After the retreat of Pichegru, he placed himself at the head of the army of the Rhine and Moselle, and in the year 1796 opened that campaign which became the foundation of his military fame. Having driven back Wurmser towards Mainz, he effected the passage of the Rhine near Strasbourg, attacked the Archduke Charles at Rastadt, forced him to abandon the course of the Neckar, and on the 11th of August fought a battle near Heydenheim, which lasted seventeen hours. The Austrians having retired on the Danube, Moreau advanced and soon found himself opposed by General Latour, who was daily receiving reinforcements; but believing himself supported by the diversion, or rather the parallel invasion of Jourdan towards Ratisbon, he continued his forward movement. The discomfiture and retreat of Jourdan, however, disconcerted all his combinations, and leaving his flank completely uncovered, obliged him to retire. This retreat commenced on the 11th of September, and though severely criticized by Napoleon, is unquestionably one of the finest operations of the kind recorded in the history of war.

At the opening of the next campaign in 1797, Moreau effected the passage of the Rhine in the face of the enemy ranged in order of battle upon the opposite bank. The immediate consequences of this brilliant action were, the surrender of the fort of Kehl, and the capture of nearly 40,000 prisoners, besides several standards. Owing to some misunderstanding with the executive directory relative to his old friend Pichegru, Moreau was obliged, on the 7th September 1797, to resign, and to shelter himself in retirement. He remained comparatively unemployed until April 1799, when the misfortunes which had attended the commencement of war rendered his talents necessary. Moreau was therefore sent to Italy, where he superseded Schérer in the command of the army. On the 11th of May he repulsed the Russians near Bassignano, and then passed the Bormida; but being assailed by the greater part of the forces under Suworoff, he was obliged to evacuate Valentia and Alessandria.

Moreau had just been appointed to the chief command of the army of the Rhine, when Joubert arrived to replace him in that of Italy. Being on the point of fighting a battle—which, by the fall of Mantua and the junction of Kray with Suworoff, had become inevitable—Joubert wished to leave the direction of it to him; but he refused, and begged permission to combat under the orders of the new chief of the army. At this battle, which was fought at Novi, and in which Joubert fell, Moreau ran the greatest risks, having had three horses killed under him, and his uniform pierced by balls. After a fierce conflict, the French army was defeated; but Moreau conducted his retreat with so much superiority that he almost nullified the victory which the allies had gained.

On the arrival of Bonaparte, who had escaped from Egypt, Moreau consented to serve under the orders of that general, and by his influence and means to promote the revolution which was then preparing. But scarcely had it been effected at St Cloud, on the 9th of November 1799, when he saw reason to apprehend that he had concurred in giving a tyrant to his country. Being almost immediately called to assume the command on the Rhine and the Danube, he introduced several important changes into the constitution of the army. His plan was not approved by Bonaparte, who, thinking only of reconquering Italy, wished to make the army of the Rhine merely an army of observation. But Moreau stuck firmly to his plan, and resisted. Napoleon felt greatly offended; and this dispute as to the cooperation of the two armies proved the germ of that mutual hatred which sprung up between these celebrated rivals, and which was probably one of the causes of their common ruin. Napoleon saw it necessary, however, to yield, and to leave to Moreau all the honour of the conception of the plan of campaign, and all the means for carrying it into execution.

The success of the campaign which ensued was throughout decisive. He encountered the enemy, first at Stockach, where he defeated him, and then fought successively the battles of Engen, Moeskirch, and Biberach, in all of which he was victorious. Those victories gained by Moreau facilitated the conquest of Italy; and he even detached a corps of 12,000 men to reinforce the army of the First Consul. Finding, however, that neither his demonstrations nor his rapid incursions into Bavaria, could induce Marshal Kray to quit his unassailable position at Ulm, Moreau advanced beyond the Lech, attacked the Austrians along their whole line, crossed the Danube at Blenheim, and in the plains of Hochstadt, obtained, by similar manoeuvres, on the 19th of June, an advantage similar to that which Bonaparte had gained at Marengo only three days before. Kray having at length abandoned his position at Ulm, Moreau marched in pursuit of the marshal, whom he once more vanquished at Neuburg; he then entered Bavaria, again defeated the Austrians at Landskron, and only suspended his operations after having caused them to sign, on the 15th of July, the armistice of Parsdorf.

This suspension of arms continued until the end of November, when Moreau was attacked by the Archduke John with an army of Austrians amounting to 120,000 men. Moreau retreated from the banks of the Inn, and continuing his movement on Hohenlinden, succeeded in drawing the enemy into the defiles near that place. The moment for striking a blow had now arrived. Accordingly, on the 3rd of December 1800 was fought that bloody and decisive battle, in which there was not a French corps that did not come into action and cover itself with glory. Eleven thousand prisoners and 100 pieces of cannon fell into the hands of the victors. More than 6000 Austrians remained on the field of battle, whilst the loss of the French did not exceed 2500 men killed and wounded. To the congratulations of his generals, Moreau replied by attributing to them the principal share in the glory of the day, adding at the same time, "My friends you have conquered peace."

The archduke having taking refuge behind the Inn, Moreau pursued him without intermission, gained another victory at Lauffen, and having passed the Salza, occupied Salzburg; and, continuing his advance, carried terror to the gates of Vienna. Nor did he suspend his march until the Archduke Charles, who had been again placed at the head of the imperial army, announced to him that the Emperor had resolved to make peace, whatever might be the determination of his allies; and this declaration served as the basis of the armistice of Steyer, signed on the 25th of December. This campaign of twenty-five days placed Moreau in the rank of the greatest captains, and entitled him to the homage of public admiration, which was paid to him on his return to Paris. Bonaparte presented him with a pair of pistols magnificently mounted, observing that he had wished to have had his victories engraved on them, but found that there would not be room. Despite this show of personal admiration, Napoleon could not forgive the success of Moreau, and especially the affection with which he was regarded by his officers. Moreau, who was deficient in civil prudence, acted in such a manner as to increase the suspicion with which he was regarded. His house Morecambe became the rendezvous of persons avowedly inimical to the consular government; and he was by imperceptible degrees drawn into that fatal connection with Pichegru and his associates which eventually proved the cause of his ruin. (The particulars of this affair, with the arrest, imprisonment, trial, and sentence of Moreau, will be found narrated in the historical portion of the article France.) On the 10th of June 1804 he was sentenced to two years' detention, which, by the influence of Fouché, was commuted into permission to travel, on condition that he should retire to the United States, and not return to France without the leave of Bonaparte. He accordingly set out for Spain, escorted by gendarmes, and in 1805 embarked at Cadiz for the United States, where he resided for about eight years, beloved and respected by all who knew him.

After the disasters which befell the French grand army in the retreat from Moscow, the Emperor Alexander, aware that he had no general capable of contending with Napoleon, made secret overtures to Moreau; and the latter having decided to embrace the offers of the Czar, and join him in the approaching contest, embarked on the 21st of June 1813 with M. de Svinine, chancellor of the Russian embassy, and on the 24th of July entered the port of Gottenburg. At Stralsund he passed three days with his old companion in arms Bernadotte, then Crown Prince of Sweden, and having concerted with him the plan of the ensuing campaign, proceeded to join the allied sovereigns at Prague, where, as might have been expected, he was received in the most flattering manner.

The plan of the allies consisted in debouching from Bohemia with their grand army, in order to turn and attack Dresden, which formed the pivot of Napoleon's operations. The attack commenced on the 26th of August, and was resumed the following day, when Moreau, having advanced to observe a movement of the French, was struck by a cannon-ball, which fractured the knee of the right leg, and, passing through, carried away the calf of the left. He fell into the arms of Colonel Rupatet, exclaiming, "I am done for, but it is pleasant to die in so good a cause." Being removed to an adjoining house, he there underwent amputation of the right leg, and the same operation was performed on the left, which had been too much shattered to admit the possibility of its being saved. In this horribly mutilated condition, the allied army being now in full retreat, he was transported as far as Laun, where he lingered in agony till the morning of the 2d of September, when he expired. At the time of his death he had prepared for publication a proclamation to the French, which the Emperor Alexander had approved, and in which he explained the object of his return to Europe,—the most questionable act of his life,—namely, to assist the French in emancipating themselves from the despotism of Bonaparte, and to sacrifice his life, if necessary, to restore prosperity to his country, all the true sons of which he invited to rally round the standards of independence. As a warrior, Moreau was superior to all the generals of the Revolution, Napoleon excepted; he combined the caution of Fabius with the cool determination of Turcenne; in every succeeding campaign his genius shone forth with increased splendour; and his last achievement at Hohenlinden exhibited a union of scientific combination with precise and vigorous execution which has seldom been equalled and never surpassed.