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ROHAN, HENRI

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Originally appearing in Volume V23, Page 460 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ROHAN, See also:HENRI , Duc DE (1579-1638), See also:French soldier, writer and See also:leader of the See also:Huguenots, was See also:born at the See also:chateau of Blain, in See also:Brittany, in 1579. His See also:father was Rene II., See also:count of Rohan (1550-86), and See also:head of one of the See also:oldest and most distinguished families in See also:France, which was connected with many of the reigning houses of See also:Europe. He was educated by his See also:mother, who was a woman of exceptional learning and force of See also:character. Rohan was by See also:birth the second son, but his See also:elder See also:brother Rene dying See also:young he became the See also:heir of the name. He appeared at See also:court and in the See also:army at the See also:age of sixteen, and was a See also:special favourite with See also:Henry IV., after whom, failing the See also:house of See also:Conde, he might be said to be the natural See also:chief of the French Protestants. Having served till the See also:peace of Vervins, he travelled for a considerable See also:time over Europe, including See also:England and See also:Scotland, in the first of which countries he received the not unique See also:honour of being called by See also:Elizabeth her See also:knight, while in the second he was godfather at See also:Charles I.'s christening. On his return to France he was made See also:duke and peer at the age of twenty-four, and two years later (1603) married See also:Marguerite de See also:Bethune, the duc de See also:Sully's daughter. He served in high command at the celebrated See also:siege of Jiilich in 161o, but soon afterwards he See also:fell into active or passive opposition to the See also:government over the religious disputes. For a time, however, he abstained from actual insurrection, and he endeavoured to keep on terms with See also:Marie de' See also:Medici; he even, despite his dislike of De See also:Luynes, the favourite of See also:Louis XIII., reappeared in the army and fought in See also:Lorraine and See also:Piedmont. It was not till the See also:decree for the restitution of See also:church See also:property in the See also:south threw the Bearnese and Gascons into open revolt that Rohan appeared as a See also:rebel. His authority and military skill were very formidable to the royalists; his constancy and firmness greatly contributed to the happy issue of the See also:war for the Huguenots, and brought about the treaty of See also:Montpellier (1623). But Rohan did not See also:escape the results of the incurable factiousness which showed itself more strongly perhaps among the French Huguenots than among any other of the numerous armed oppositions of the 17th See also:century.

He was accused of lukewarmness and treachery, though he did not hesitate to renew the war when the compact of Montpellier was broken. Again a hollow peace was patched up, but it lasted but a See also:

short time, and Rohan undertook a third war (1627-29), the first events of which are recounted in his celebrated See also:Memoirs. This last war (famous for the See also:defence of La Rochelle by See also:Soubise, Rohan's younger brother) was one of considerable danger for Rohan. In spite of all efforts he had in the end to sign a peace, and after this he made his way quickly to See also:Venice. Here he is said to have received from the See also:Porte the offer of the See also:sovereignty of See also:Cyprus. It is more certain that his hosts of Venice wished to make him their See also:general-in-chief, a See also:design not executed owing to the peace of Cherasco (1631). At Venice he wrote his Memoirs; at See also:Padua, Le Parfait Capitaine. But when France began to See also:play a more conspicuous See also:part in the See also:Thirty Years' War Rohan was again called to serve his lawful See also:sovereign, and. entrusted with the war in the Valtelline. The See also:campaign of 1633 was completely successful, but Rohan was still considered dangerous to France, and was soon again in retirement. At this time he wrote his Traite du gouvernement See also:des treize cantons. Rohan fought another Valtelline campaign,but without the success of the first, for the motives of France were now held in suspicion. The unfortunate See also:commander retired to See also:Geneva and thence went to the army of Bernhard of See also:Saxe-See also:Weimar.

He received a mortal See also:

wound at the See also:battle of Rheinfelden on the 28th of See also:February 1638, and died at the See also:abbey of Konigsfeld, See also:canton Berne, on the 13th of See also:April. His See also:body was buried at Geneva, and his arms were solemnly handed over to the Venetian government. With his daughter Marguerite the honours of the See also:family of Rohan-Gie passed to the house of See also:Chabot. Rohan's Memoires sur See also:les choses qui se sont passees en France, &c., See also:rank amongst the best products of the singular See also:talent for memoir See also:writing which the French noblesse of the 16th and 17th centuries possessed. Alike in See also:style, in clearness of See also:matter and in shrewdness, they deserve very high praise. The first three books, dealing with the See also:civil See also:wars, appeared in 1644; the See also:fourth, containing the narrative of the Valtelline See also:campaigns, not till 1758. Some suspicions were thrown on the genuineness of the latter, but, it would seem, groundlessly. His famous See also:book on the See also:history and See also:art of war, Le Parfait Capitaine, appeared in 1631 and subsequently in 1637 and 1693 (see also See also:Quincy, Art de la guerre, See also:Paris, 1741). It treats of the history and lessons of See also:Caesar's campaigns and their application to See also:modern warfare, and contains appendices dealing with phalangite and legionary methods of fighting and the art of war in general. He also wrote an See also:account of his travels, the book on See also:Switzerland mentioned above, De l'interPt des princes et etals de la chretiente, etc. The Memoirs may be conveniently found in the collection of See also:Michaud and Poujoulat, vol. 19.

See Fauvelet de See also:

Foix, Histoire du Duc Henri de Rohan (Paris, 1667) ; Schybergson, Le Duc de Rohan et la charle du parti See also:protestant en France (Paris, 188o) ; See also:Baring, Venedig, Gustaf Adolf, and Rohan (See also:Halle, 1885) ; Laugel, Henri de Rohan, son role politique et militaire (Paris, 1889) ; Veraguth, See also:Herzog Rohan and See also:seine See also:Mission in Graubunden (Berne, 1894); and See also:Shadwell, See also:Mountain Warfare.

End of Article: ROHAN, HENRI

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