Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani

Horace François Bastien Sebastiani (1772-1851) was a French soldier and diplomat. He was born in Corsica, and was forced to leave his native island during the civil disturbances in 1789. Sebastiani entered the French army and took part in the Revolutionary Wars (Corsica, 1793; the Alps, 1794-1797; Marengo, 1800). He supported Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup d'etat of 18 Brumaire (November 9, 1799). Sebastiani appeared in his first diplomatic post in Turkey and Egypt (1802). He was promoted to brigadier general in 1803 and general of division after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. Sebastiani was appointed an ambassador in Turkey in 1806. He convinced the Porte to declare war on Russia. In 1807, Sebastiani helped the Turkish in the successful defence of Constantinople against the British squadron of Admiral Sir Duckworth . But the deposition of the Sultan Selim III put an end to French diplomatic success, and Sebastiani was recalled in April 1807 (see Anglo-Turkish war 1807-1809). He became Count of the Empire. Sebastiani commanded corps in the Peninsula War, and in Russia and Germany in 1812-1813. Sebastiani accepted the Restoration government in 1814, but rejoined Napoleon I during the Hundred Days in 1815. After Waterloo he left France for a short time. From 1819 Sebastiani was a prominent member of the Chamber of Deputies. He held the posts of Minister of Marine , Foreign Affairs, and later, Minister of State He was ambassador at Naples in 1833 and to Britain in 1835-1840. Sebastiani was made Marshal of France in 1840. His last years were clouded by the death of his daughter at the hands of her husband.