French monarchist, officer-cavalry guard Georges Charles Dantes lived a long life. The politician, senator of the Second Empire, made a significant contribution to the development of his country. But for every Russian person, his name is associated with the fatal shot that mortally wounded Alexander Pushkin.
A family
D'Anthes' distant ancestors came from the island of Gotland. The first to receive the title of baron was his great-grandfather, who began a noble dynasty. The title of nobility was bestowed upon him for his success in commerce. Georges was born in 1812 in the city of Colmar, he was the third child in the family of Baron Dantes and Countess Hatzfeldt. A pretty, blond boy on his mother's side was a distant relative of Pushkin. Then he could not know that fate, years later, would bring them together.
Service
After primary education, Georges studied at the Bourbon Lyceum, but did not graduate from it, studies were given to him hard. This was followed by training in Saint-Cyr, the second most prestigious military school, which he also did not complete - the July revolution prevented. For some time, the young man lived with his father, and then decided to start a military career. Having received letters of recommendation, Dantes went to Russia "to pursue happiness and ranks." He appeared in St. Petersburg in September 1833 and entered the Cavalry Regiment. Cornet was full of ambition and wanted to rise to the rank of field marshal. He became the empress's bodyguard and easily entered high society. Contemporaries described him as a stately and handsome young officer who knew science, languages and perfectly fulfilled his official duties. There is a version that this was facilitated by the patronage of Baron Heckern.
Personal life
His pleasant appearance made Georges a favorite of the high society. He often attended balls, danced well and won the attention of the opposite sex. Cornet is credited with numerous novels. A lot of talk was caused by the adoption of a young man by Heckern, carried out in violation of the laws.
In January 1735, Dantes met Natalia Pushkina, the wife of Alexander Pushkin and the first beauty of the capital. A passionately in love officer pursued the poet's wife. When Alexander Sergeevich found out about the affair, he sent a challenge to his opponent.
Duel
After the first message, the Frenchman asked to postpone the meeting for two weeks. During this time, he proposed to Ekaterina Goncharova, Natalia's sister. The girl in love, without hesitation, agreed. The wedding made the men relatives, but did not resolve their conflict. Dantes continued to flirt with Natalya Nikolaevna, "barracks puns" about the Pushkin family crawled around the city. The jealous husband was forced to send a second call. Prior to that, Alexander was the initiator of fifteen duels, some of the writer received an "invitation" from opponents. Dantes was present at the duel for the first time. After a tragic meeting at the Black River, Pushkin died of his wounds three days later, and Georges was deported from the country.
In France
Following her husband, his wife moved to France. Their family had three daughters and a son. The last childbirth took the life of Catherine. Widowed, Dantes no longer thought about marriage, he directed all his efforts to building a career as a politician. His fellow countrymen elected him as mayor of the city and then as senator. Dantes multiplied his own fortune by becoming one of the founders of the Paris Gas Society.
Georges Charles outlived his wife by half a century and left a significant mark in the history of France. It was the biography of a centenarian who lived an interesting and happy life. The only fact darkening the fate of Dantes was the youngest daughter's infatuation with all Russians. Leonie sincerely fell in love with Russia, learned the language and recited Pushkin's lines with inspiration, blaming her father for the death of the famous poet.
