Background
He was born at Grenoble in Dauphiné, of a Protestant family. Revolutionary Antoine-Joseph Barnave was a first cousin of his mother.
military minister officer politician senator
He was born at Grenoble in Dauphiné, of a Protestant family. Revolutionary Antoine-Joseph Barnave was a first cousin of his mother.
He was a nephew of General Jean-Gabriel, Count Marchand, the husband of an aunt. He took part in the Russian Campaign, the taking of Moscow and the retreat back. He then fought in Napoleon"s campaigns in Germany and France, notably at the battles of Lützen, Bautzen and Leipzig.
He was Minister of War from January to October 1851, after which he was appointed Governor-General of Algerie (11 December 1851 to 31 August 1858).
Although initially not in favour of the coup of December 1851, he finally rallied the Second French Empire. He served again as Minister of War from 1859 to 1867.
He received no command during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, because of his high age. He was nevertheless accused to have a part of responsibility in French defeat for having neglected to prepare for it during his second ministry and for having dissuaded Napoleon III of acting in favour of Austria at the time of the Battle of Sadova in 1866.
Modern research has shown that the latter accusation is unfounded and that, quite contrarily, Randon had advocated an immediate action against Prussia.
He died on 16 January 1871 in Geneva, leaving only one surviving daughter. Marshal Randon later remarried to Zénaïde Suin.