Maréchal Randon

A carte-de-visite portrait of Maréchal Randon (1795-1871), who twice served in the cabinet as Ministre de la Guerre [Minister of War].

Jacques Louis César Alexandre Randon, 1st comte Randon, was a French military and political leader, also a Marshal of France and governor of Algeria.

Born on 25 March 1795 at Grenoble in Dauphiné of a Protestant family, he enlisted in the French Army at sixteen, joining his uncle, General Marchand, in Warsaw, where he was promoted to sergeant on 11 April 1812. He served in the Russian campaign and was present at the taking of Moscow and the disastrous retreat to France through the Russian winter. He then fought in Napoléon’s army in Germany and France.

After the Hundred Days, his advancement stopped. His progression in the military hierarchy continued under the July Monarchy. Between 1838 and 1847, he was stationed in Algeria. He was appointed governor-general of Algeria on 11 December 1851, a post he held until the creation of a special ministry for Algeria and the colonies on 24 June 1858.

In 1852 he inherited the title of his uncle, who had died without heirs. He was made a Marshal of France in 1856 at the same time as Canrobert and Bosquet.

Jacques Louis Randon was twice Minister of War: briefly in 1852, before he was replaced after the Coup d’État of 2 December, then again from 1859 to 1867, when he was replaced by Niel.

Due to his advanced age, he received no command during the Franco-Prussian War. He died on 16 January 1871 at Geneva.

Photographed by Disdéri of Paris.