General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm; Master Tactician and Warrior - Essay Example

Montcalm remains a legendary military leader, an enduring icon of Canadian national history2. Thesis statement: The purpose of this paper is to first present a short biography of General Montcalm and his place in the French Army. Further, his responsibilities during the French and Indian War, major battles and campaigns, the tactics he used and how they were developed will be identified. Also, the impact of Montcalm on the War, on future campaigns and on change of tactics; and how it helped to build his legacy will be determined.

Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, seigneur de Saint-Veran (Figure 1), was born on February 29th, 1712, at the Chateau of Candiac, near Nimes, France. He came of an old aristocratic family originally from Rouergue. His ancestors for many generations had performed heroic deeds on the field of battle. “The people of the country were in the habit of saying that the war was the tomb of Montcalms”3. The mother of Louis-Joseph was the marquise de Saint Veran, nee Marie-Therese de Lauris de Castellane was a woman of eminent character and piety.

She had converted to Catholicism her husband, who was born of Huguenot parents, and she had exercised an extraordinary influence over her son. She inspired him with principles which may not have prevented him from errors in the era of impiety, but which produced a lasting impression on him governing the whole course of his future life4. Montcalm’s early childhood was spent at Roquemaure with his maternal grandmother, Madame de Vaux, who, like all grandmothers spoilt him a little. Because of this reason and also due to his ill health, by 1718 he had not yet learned to read.

He was then sent to his uncle, M. Louis Dumas, a genius, a learned person and an educator, but used harsh methods. He applied the new system of teaching that he had invented on his pupil. Gifted with a good memory and bright intelligence, Louis-Joseph made rapid