An edition of Mottin de La Balme (2005)

Mottin de La Balme

cavalier des deux mondes et de la liberté

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Last edited by MARC Bot
December 13, 2020 | History
An edition of Mottin de La Balme (2005)

Mottin de La Balme

cavalier des deux mondes et de la liberté

  • 0 Ratings
  • 0 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

Augustin Mottin de La Balme (1733-1780), écuyer d’une finesse exceptionnelle, écrivain très rousseauiste et bouillant capitaine de cavalerie, est un des pères de l’équitation militaire.
Sa vie est d’abord un roman. Fils d’un tanneur dauphinois que l’artisanat avait rapproché des élites villageoises, Augustin Mottin sert dans la prestigieuse Gendarmerie de France, puis devient instructeur à l’École d’équitation établie à Lunéville. Son passage chez les « gendarmes rouges » l’assimilerait à un gentilhomme, mais la réaction nobiliaire est implacable… Ayant la tête épique mais les pieds dans le crottin du manège, le sieur Mottin espère qu’une incursion dans la République des Lettres lui fera un nom : Mottin de La Balme écrit donc de brillants essais sur l’équitation et la tactique qu’il présente à Louis XVI. C’est peine perdue : son statut d’officier de fortune ne lui offre aucune perspective de commandement. Pendant ce temps, le Nouveau Monde bouge. Volontaire de la première heure de la guerre d’Indépendance des États-Unis, recommandé par Franklin, Mottin de La Balme embarque avec le jeune frère de son éditeur, qui est aussi celui de Beaumarchais. Le Congrès le nomme Inspecteur Général de la Cavalerie américaine. Mais le colonel de La Balme démissionne très vite parce qu’on lui préfère le comte Pulawski pour mener cette arme au combat. Il reprend bientôt espoir grâce à un projet d’invasion du Canada, puis construit des ateliers à Philadelphie pour « soustraire les victimes de la guerre aux horreurs de l’infortune ». A cet admirateur d’Hannibal, il restera le Pays des Illinois : le soldat-philosophe y exhortera le petit peuple des paysans à la vertu, l’invitant à prendre les armes pour défendre sa liberté. Son but : armer une troupe d’Indiens et de Canadiens pour prendre Fort Détroit aux Anglais et soulever le Canada tout entier. L’opération est un échec et le massacre de La Balme, le premier fait d’armes de Petite-Tortue, redoutable chef de guerre des Indiens miamis.
Le fil biographique est utilisé ici comme révélateur. A cheminer à cheval avec Mottin de La Balme du Dauphiné aux rives du Mississippi, en passant par les forêts de Westphalie, on bénéficie d’un point de vue singulier pour explorer l’histoire sociale, militaire et culturelle des Deux Mondes, dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle.

[Augustin Mottin de La Balme was the mystery man of the American Revolution in Illinois Country. His “massacre”, in 1780, is often considered as the first of Chief Little Turtle’s
notable military victories.
Long overdue, this biography of the French cavalry officer unveils a prominent character, at one and the same time soldier, horseman and philosopher, buoyed up with the will to put the spirit of the Enlightenment into practice.
Augustin Mottin was born to a tanner in Saint-Antoine, Dauphiné (French Alps), on August 28, 1733. During the Seven Years War, he served as a trooper in the oldest company of the Gendarmerie de France (The Men at Arms of France), the “Scottish” company, dating back to 1422.
After the war, he studied the art of horsemanship under several well-known masters in Paris and became in his turn a master at the Gendarmerie’s Riding School.
Promoted Fourrier-Major in 1766, he finally obtained a retirement pension in 1773. With the assumed name of “Mottin de La Balme”, he wrote a book on horsemanship (1773) and a book on cavalry tactics (1776) that he presented to King Louis XVI with the hope to obtain the command of a regiment.
At the same time, Americans declared themselves independent of all British connections. Mottin de La Balme foresaw a chance to prove his value and to test his principles in a new Republic free of antiquated ideas. The Congress made him the first Inspector General of the Cavalry of the United-States, with the rank of Colonel. But Colonel de La Balme soon resigned wen he found that Pulawski was in command of the Cavalry.
Following the Saratoga campaign, he rejoined the victorious general Gates, supporting the project of a revolution of French Canadians.
Then, he erected a row of workshops near Philadelphia to help the poor to overcome, by the means of their own labor, the difficulties of their misfortune.
In 1780, on his own initiative, and probably inspired by Clark’s previous attempt, the soldier-philosopher exhorted Indians and French Canadians to take up arms to defend their freedom. He advanced with them against Fort Détroit with a general rising of Canadians as a final objective. The expedition was disastrous…
Walking on with Mottin de La Balme from the French Alps to Mississippi banks, through the forests of Westphalia, in Germany, one can gain a singular point of view to explore the military, social and cultural history of the two worlds, during the second part of the Eighteenth Century.]

Publish Date
Publisher
L'Harmattan
Language
French
Pages
409

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Edition Availability
Cover of: Mottin de La Balme

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references (p. [385]-398) and index.

Published in
Paris, France
Series
Logiques historiques, Collection Logiques historiques.
Genre
Biography.

Classifications

Library of Congress
E265.M84 M34 2005

The Physical Object

Pagination
409 p. :
Number of pages
409

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL3469388M
ISBN 10
2747590801
LCCN
2005534792

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Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
December 13, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
April 14, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Linked existing covers to the edition.
December 12, 2009 Edited by WorkBot link works
December 9, 2008 Edited by 90.10.234.31 Edited without comment.
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from Scriblio MARC record