Ladmirault was born on 17 February 1808 at
Montmorillon to an old family belonging to the
Poitou minor aristocracy. His father had
fled France during the
French Revolution. Ladmirault entered the prestigious
Saint-Cyr Military School in 1826 (in the same class as the future
Marshal of France François Certain Canrobert). Upon his graduation in 1829, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 62nd Line Infantry Regiment. In 1831 he was promoted to lieutenant in the 67th Regiment before being sent to Algeria, where he spent the next 22 years. He was promoted to the post of
adjudant-major in 1834, then to captain in the
Zouaves in 1837, and finally major in 1840. In the same year he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry and placed in charge of the region of
Cherchell. He was made lieutenant colonel in 1842, full colonel in the Zouaves in 1844 and
général de brigade in June 1848, being placed in command of
Médéa Province. In 1852 he was recalled to France, and promoted
général de division on 14 January 1853. He participated in the
Italian war of 1859, commanding the 2nd division of I Corps under Marshal
Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers, and taking part in the
Battle of Solferino, during which he was wounded twice. In 1863 he was made commander of the 2nd division of the
French Imperial Guard, in 1865 he was appointed deputy governor of
French Algeria and the named
Senator in 1866. After a period as commander of the military camp at
Châlons, he assumed command of II Corps at
Lille in 1867. During the
Franco-Prussian War he was placed in command of the IV Corps of the
Army of the Rhine, taking part in the battles of
Mars-la-Tour and
Saint-Privat; during the latter he repulsed the German attack at
Amanvillers. After the capitulation of the
Bazaine's army however, he became a Prussian prisoner of war. He was freed in order to take part in the assault against the
Paris Commune, during which he led the assault against the Gate of Saint-Ouen and
Montmartre. After the suppression of the Commune, he was named
military governor of Paris, a post he held until 1878. He also succeeded Marshal
Mac-Mahon as commander of the Army of Versailles when the latter became
President of France. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1879 Presidential election, and died on 1 February 1898 at
Sillars. == Decorations ==