Editing Louis-Gabriel Suchet (section)

==French Revolutionary Wars==
[[File:Louis Gabriel Suchet (1792).jpg|thumb|Suchet as a lieutenant-colonel of the 4th Ardèche Battalion in 1792, by Vincent-Nicolas Raverat (1834)]]

After the ''[[Levée en masse]]'' of August 1793, Suchet was appointed commander of the 4th Ardèche Battalion.<ref name=DPF/> In this capacity he served in the [[Siege of Toulon]], where he captured British General [[Charles O'Hara]].<ref name=DPF/> In May 1794, at the head of 250 soldiers of his battalion, he suppressed a [[counter-revolutionary]] uprising in the town of [[Bédoin]] in southeastern France.<ref name=Rollet/> Suchet was then sent to the [[Army of Italy (France)|Army of Italy]], where he would serve for most of the next seven years.<ref name=DPF/> He fought at the [[Battle of Loano]] in November 1795 during the [[Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars|army's first campaign]].<ref name=DPF/> During the [[Italian campaign of 1796–1797]], he served with distinction at the battles of [[Battle of Lodi|Lodi]], [[Battle of Castiglione|Castiglione]], and [[Battle of Bassano|Bassano]].<ref name=DPF/> He went to [[Paris]] on [[Leave (military)|leave]] after being severely wounded on 11 October at [[Cerea]], but soon returned to the army.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=7}}<ref name=DPF/>

In May 1797, Suchet was one of three [[lieutenant colonels]] of the 18th Infantry Demi-brigade, with little hope of advancement. He was sent to [[Venice]] to procure uniforms for the troops. Since the Venetians believed that they might in future be ruled by the French, Suchet and an aide were treated like royalty. For two months, they enjoyed living in a palace, having a personal gondola and holding reserved seats at the opera. On 28 October 1797, 150 officers of [[André Masséna]]'s division hosted a large dinner. The colonel of the 32nd Line, [[Dominique Martin Dupuy]] brought Suchet to [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]'s table and said, "Well general, when will you make our friend Suchet a colonel?" Bonaparte tried to brush him off with the reply, "Soon: we will see about it." Thereupon Dupuy took off one of his epaulettes and placed it on Suchet's shoulder, saying, "By my almightiness, I make thee colonel." This clownish action was successful; Bonaparte immediately directed [[Louis-Alexandre Berthier]] to write out Suchet's nomination for advancement.{{sfn|Phipps|2011|pp=215–216}} 

Suchet received the command of the 18th [[demi-brigade|half-brigade]] (''{{lang|fr|demi-brigade}}'') on 26 October 1797.<ref name=DPF/> In March 1798, he served under General [[Guillaume Brune]] in the [[French invasion of Switzerland|invasion of Switzerland]].<ref name=DPF/> At the end of the campaign, he was promoted to [[brigade general]] and was given the honor of presenting the flags captured from the enemy to the [[French Directory|Directory]].<ref name=DPF/><ref name=FN>{{cite web|website=Napoleon.org|url=https://www.napoleon.org/histoire-des-2-empires/biographies/suchet-louis-gabriel-1770-1826-duc-dalbufera-marechal/|title=SUCHET, Louis-Gabriel, (1770-1826), duc d'Albufera, maréchal}}</ref> Although designated to take part in the [[French campaign in Egypt and Syria|expedition to Egypt]], Brune kept Suchet’s services and appointed him his chief of staff in the Army of Italy, a role that he retained under General [[Barthélemy Catherine Joubert|Barthélemy Joubert]], Brune's successor as commander in Italy and Suchet's friend.<ref name=DPF/> He was appointed chief of staff of the [[Army of the Danube]] on 21 February 1799, but soon rejoined Joubert in Italy and was promoted to [[general of division]].<ref name=DPF/> After Joubert's death at the [[Battle of Novi]], Suchet continued to serve as chief of staff to his successors [[Jean Victor Marie Moreau|Moreau]] and [[Jean-Étienne Championnet|Championnet]].<ref name=DPF/>

In 1800, Suchet was named second-in-command to General [[André Masséna]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=7}} His dexterous resistance to the superior forces of the Austrians with the left wing of Masséna's army, when the right and centre were [[Siege of Genoa (1800)|besieged in Genoa]], not only prevented the invasion of France from this direction but contributed to the success of Bonaparte's [[Battle of Marengo#Background|crossing of the Alps]], leading to a  decisive victory at the [[Battle of Marengo]] on 14 June.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=7}} Following the signing of the [[Convention of Alessandria]] on 15 June, Suchet was entrusted with the administration of [[Genoa]] and [[Lucca]].<ref name=DPF/> He took a prominent part in the subsequent of the Italian campaign up to the [[Armistice of Treviso]], and thereafter served as governor of [[Padua]] until the [[Peace of Lunéville]] and the end of the [[War of the Second Coalition]].<ref name=DPF/> He was appointed Inspector-General of the Infantry on 24 July 1801.<ref name=DPF/>