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Pierre-Augustin Hulin

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Pierre-Augustin Hulin was a prominent French general who lived through several of the most transformative eras in French history. Born on September 6, 1758, to a Parisian draper, Hulin began his military career in 1771. He initially served in a Champagne infantry regiment before transferring to the French Guards in 1772. Through steady service, he rose to the rank of sergeant. By 1787, he had retired from the guards and was managing the Royal Laundry, serving as the Director of the Queen's Laundry. His life would soon shift from business to the center of revolutionary conflict.

During the week leading up to the storming of the Bastille, Hulin was known for agitating the Parisian crowds against the Crown. He delivered inflammatory speeches to royal soldiers, questioning why they were not marching with the people. On the day of the Bastille attack, Hulin offered his military expertise to the Hôtel de Ville, the city government. He assembled a company of seventy men and equipped them with five cannons. Around 3 o'clock, he led his men from Les Invalides toward the Bastille prison. By 5 o'clock, artillery fire and pressure from the attackers forced the governor, Marquis de Launay, to surrender.

Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790
Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790

In the chaos following the surrender, Hulin and his deputy, Jacob Job Elie, attempted to maintain order. They defended Marquis de Launay from the angry mob and provided an armed escort to take him to the Hôtel de Ville. They reportedly saved the governor from being lynched at least once near the church of St. Louis. However, the mob eventually broke through the convoy at the Place de Grève. The governor and the royalist provost, Jacques de Flesselles, were both killed by the crowd. Despite these violent events, Hulin had successfully escorted most of the Bastille's defenders to safety.

On July 15, 1789, the day after the Bastille fell, Hulin was appointed company commander of the Volontaires de la Bastille. This was an armed force funded by the city government that eventually evolved into the National Guard. Hulin’s role in the revolution made him a national hero, often described in patriotic magazines as a "herculean victor." However, his rise was not without danger. During the Reign of Terror, a period of intense political violence, Hulin was incarcerated for nearly a year. He was only released in 1794 after the radical government of Robespierre fell.

Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790
Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790

Following his release, Hulin continued his military career during the French Revolutionary Wars. He served in the Army of Italy, where he fought the Austrians to defend Genoa and commanded troops in Milan. His service eventually brought him under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul. Hulin served as a chief of staff for several divisions and commanded the grenadiers of the Consular Guard. In August 1803, he reached the rank of brigadier general. He also presided over the 1804 commission that tried Louis Antoine, Duke of Enghien, for treason. The Duke was executed by firing squad, an event that caused significant anger among European nations.

Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790
Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790

As Napoleon's empire expanded, Hulin's responsibilities grew. In 1807, he was promoted to major general and appointed the governor of Paris, a position he held until 1814 and again during the Hundred Days in 1815. He was also named a Count of the Empire in 1808 and a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1809. In 1812, while Napoleon was campaigning in Russia, a man named General Claude François de Malet attempted a coup in Paris. Malet's troops seized several Bonapartist officers in an attempt to take control of the government. During the struggle, Malet shot Hulin in the face as Hulin attempted to arrest him.

Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790
Lallemand - Arrestation du gouverneur de la Bastille - 1790

Despite being shot, Hulin's resistance helped cause the military police and other troops to turn against the rebels. Malet and his conspirators were executed, and Hulin was rewarded with the command of the 1st Division. The political shifts following Napoleon's eventual defeat caused Hulin's career to fluctuate. The restored Bourbon monarchy stripped him of his command and exiled him, though he was allowed to return to France in 1819. Hulin remained a figure of historical interest, even inspiring characters in popular culture like Oscar François de Jarjayes in the manga *The Rose of Versailles*. He died in Paris on January 9, 1841.

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