Jean-Baptiste Olivier | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of general Jean-Baptiste Olivier | |
| Born | 25 December 1765 Strasbourg, Haut-Rhin, France |
| Died | 27 September 1813 (aged 47) Witternesse, Pas-de-Calais, France |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service/ | Infantry |
| Years of service | 1781–1813 |
| Rank | General of Division |
| Battles/wars | French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Légion d'Honneur, Grand Officer Order of the Iron Crown |
| Other work | Baron of the Empire |
Jean-Baptiste Olivier (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ batist ɔlivje]; 25 December 1765 – 27 September 1813) enlisted in the French Royal Army as foot soldier in 1781. During the French Revolutionary Wars he was promoted general of brigade, fighting at Kaiserslautern, Fleurus, and Neuwied. He famously observed the action at Fleurus from a hot air balloon. In 1799 he transferred to the Army of Naples as a general of division. He fought at the Trebbia where he was severely wounded, losing a leg. During the Napoleonic Wars he held military commands in the interior and was appointed Baron of the Empire and Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur. He died in 1813. Olivier is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe.