Prancūzų slaptoji misija Abiejų Tautų Respublikoje: barono Antoine’o-Charles’io de Vioménilio vaidmuo Baro konfederacijoje 1771–1772 m

• Published in: XVIII amžiaus studijos / Eighteenth-Century Studies no. T. 7; pp. 72 - 96
• Main Author: Parent, Arnaud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 31.12.2021
• ISSN: 2351-6968
• DOI: 10.33918/23516968-007004

FRENCH SECRET MISSION IN THE POLISH-LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH: THE ROLE OF BARON ANTOINE-CHARLES DE VIOMÉNIL IN THE BAR CONFEDERACY IN 1771–1772 Antoine-Charles du Houx, Baron de Vioménil (1728–1792) was sent by the French Government after Colonel Charles-François Dumouriez (1729–1823) to provide guidance to the leaders of the Bar Confederacy during the years 1771–1772. However, if Colonel Dumouriez is famous because of his activities during the French Revolution, namely for the determinant role he played at the Valmy battle (1792), it is different when it comes to the Baron. Except for some articles in the 19th century biographical encyclopedias and a short biography centered on the role he played during the American Revolutionary war published in 1935, there is no study on him. In spite of this, Baron de Vioménil’s career is a matter of interest, for he participated in the major conflicts the French army took part during the reign of the kings Louis XV and Louis XVI. The baron’s archives, which include abundant correspondence related to his campaigns, are preserved today in the Académie François Bourdon, le Creusot, Burgundy. Being inaccessible for a long time they have not been thoroughly studied, yet. This paper aims at presenting the career of Baron de Viomenil as well as some documents taken from his archives, linked to his participation in the Bar Confederacy operations. Through this endeavour we hope to help cast some new light on a discrete, but efficient French officer who exerted influence on the Polish-Lithuanian history. Keywords: Antoine-Charles du Houx, Baron de Vioménil, the Bar Confederacy (1768–1772), France, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.