Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras (30 June 1755 - 29 January 1829) was a French politician of the French Revolution, and the main executive leader of the Directory regime of 1795 - 1799. Descended from a noble family of Provence, he was born at Fox-Amphoux, in today's Var département. At the age of sixteen, he entered the regiment of Languedoc as a "gentleman cadet", but embarked for French India in 1776. After an eventful voyage, he reached Pondicherry and contributed to the defence of that city during the Second Anglo-Mysore War, a siege which ended in its surrender to Great Britain on 18 October 1778. On the release of the garrison, Barras returned to France. After taking part in a second expedition to the region in 1782-1783, he left the army and spent the following years in relative obscurity.