In the last days of February 1743, the Regiment du Roi and the young Choiseul at last reached their starting point in Metropolitan France. [19] He came back to discover that his standing as a soldier of distinction during the Bohemian campaign had the unfortunate concomitant of associating him in the popular thinking with Marshal Belle Isle, currently on the decline in what Emile Zola was to refer to in a later age as le politique de la conte [20] swirling around the court of Louis XV. On this basis, despite his standing as a soldier and a noble, he was denied the proprietorship of a regiment.

Choiseul's dismay may appear unreasonable considering his extreme youth. Yet, although only twenty-three, at this time there were thirty colonels in the French establishment aged eighteen to twenty. The only ranks really open to a noble of his years were lieutenant and then either captain or colonel, depending on the family wealth. Both the latter ranks were proprietary in nature: the company or regiment was treated as real property. The ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, and the newly created rank of brigadier were given on the basis of merit and service. The other field-grade officers were managers; the captains and colonels were the landlords.

At this same time, Choiseul's younger brother became a captain of dragoons in the Austrian service. Upon his father's entreaties, the Grand Duke Francis Stephen of Tuscany, Maria-Theresa's consort and soon to be Holy Roman Emperor, also made an offer to Choiseul of a place on his staff with the rank of colonel and the promise of rapid advancement beyond. This the young man graciously refused, continuing to seek his fortunes in France.

His response to this personal crisis was to seek and gain a place under the Marshal de Noailles, soon to lead the 1743 season's campaign in Germany. At this point, his professional luck turned. He became the aide to the major-general of Noailles's army who, in the French system of the time, was the chief of staff of the infantry. Now, with his attachment to a new Marshal, and one in good favor at that, he at long last received his regiment.

The Regiment d'Auroy, also lately of the Bohemian army, now became known at the Regiment de Stainville. [21] This regiment was of but one battalion.

The position of colonel cost him 40,000 livres. [22] In finally winning through to this position, the young Comte de Stainville had accommodated himself to the prevailing system and had operated skillfully within it. In twenty years, the older Duc de Choiseul would dismantle it.

Choiseul's new regiment was to be part of the garrison in Strasbourg during the campaign so our hero went off with the army alone in his staff officer position. The campaign was, of course, destined to be punctuated by the battle of Dettingen. The latter should have been a reaping of the fruits of victory sown by de Noailles's classic maneuvering. Instead it was destined to become the last battle won by a King of England in person. The French infantry that was the special charge of Choiseul's immediate superior was made up largely of urban drafts newly recruited to replace the Bohemian losses and so was even more skittish than was usual for French armies, while Noailles's own nephew, the Duc de Gramont, seriously jumping the gun, cascading a series of events leading not to the destruction of George II's Pragmatic Army but rather to the collapse of the French army. Indiscipline, both high and low, once again lost France a battle and the campaign.

However, as before, Choiseul managed to get himself noticed favorably. Unusually, de Noailles mentioned the quality of his staff support in his dispatch to the king, [23] and he chose Choiseul to carry back the official word about Dettingen to Versailles. Once again, this young man had not only survived disaster but also managed to land squarely upon his feet.

Next Time: (Should I find the time to follow more of our hero's progress) Alliance Adventures in Italy and Campaigning in Flanders

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