Général d'Hautpoul
(1789-1865)

A pencilled inscription verso in a period hand identifies the sitter as 'Général d'Hautpoul.' His name appears as the 'Marquis [sic] d'Hautpoul' among the 97 generals listed in Disdéri's catalogue dated 15 March 1861.

This is Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul, who was Prime Minister of France from 31 October 1849 to 10 April 1851 during the French Second Republic.

Born in Versailles on 4 January 1789, he was educated at the military school of Fontainebleau. As a lieutenant in the 59th Regiment he took part in the German campaign of 1806 and in the Polish campaign of 1807. In 1808 he was sent to serve in Spain where he fought in the Peninsular War until 1812.

On 22 July 1812 he was wounded and taken prisoner in the Battle of Salamanca. Released from captivity in May 1814, he was promoted to command of a battalion. After Napoléon's return from Elba he served as aide-de-camp to the Duke of Angoulême. Promoted to colonel in October 1815, he was given command of the Legion of the Aude (4th Line Regiment). In 1823 he was promoted to brigadier-general and given command of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Royal Guard and took part in the 1823 Spanish campaign. In 1830 d'Hautpoul was elected deputy for the Aude (1830–1838). He was appointed director of the war administration for four months in 1830.

Promoted to lieutenant-general in 1841, he was stationed in Algeria for the following two years.

Appointed to the Peerage of France in 1848, he was appointed minister of War and President of the Council in 1849. He resigned after incidents between supporters and opposition of Bonaparte and returned to Algeria as governor-general.

He died on 27 July 1865.