Abel Hugo facts for kids

Abel Hugo (1830), painted by his wife, Julie Hugo

Abel Joseph Hugo (born November 15, 1798, in Paris; died February 7, 1855, in Paris) was a French military officer, writer, and historian. He was the older brother of the famous novelist Victor Hugo.

Biography

Abel was the oldest son of General Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo and his wife, the artist Sophie Trébuchet. He went to school at the Lycée Impérial in Paris. When he was thirteen, he was the only son who went with his father to Spain.

In Spain, he joined the school for pages of Joseph Bonaparte. Joseph Bonaparte was the King of Spain at that time. Abel was the only French page at the Spanish Court. While working there, he started to practice his writing skills.

He took part in the French army's retreat in 1812. He served as a Second Lieutenant. Two years later, the Comte d’Artois, who later became King Charles X, made Abel and his brothers Knights. This was part of the Order of The Lily. It was to thank their mother for her support during the Malet Coup. From then until 1818, Abel worked with the French General Staff.

In 1819, he helped his brothers Victor and Eugène [fr] start a literary magazine. It was called Le Conservateur littéraire. This magazine supported the Royalist political group. Abel was mostly in charge of managing the magazine and getting it distributed.

In 1827, Abel married Louise Rose Julie Duvidal de Montferrier. She was an artist who had studied with Jacques-Louis David. Her father was Jean-Jacques Duvidal de Montferrier [fr], the second Marquis de Montferrier. Abel and Julie had two sons. Léopold Armand (1828-1895) became a graphic designer. Joseph Napoléon (1835-1863) became a Jesuit priest. At first, Victor Hugo did not trust Julie. He warned Abel not to marry her. But later, Victor grew to respect her. When his father died in 1828, Abel became "Count Hugo."

Abel was a strong supporter of Monarchism, which means he believed in kings and queens. Around 1833, he changed his views. This was when he started writing his two main books about Napoleon and the French military. Besides his published books, he also wrote for Revue des deux Mondes. He also wrote for military magazines like Le Spectateur militaire and the Journal de l’Armée. From 1835 to 1843, he published three large history books about France. He was also a member of several literary groups.

Selected works

• Traité du mélodrame (A Study of Melodrama), with Armand Malitourne and Jean-Joseph Ader, 1817 (Online)
• Histoire de la campagne d’Espagne en 1823 (History of the Spanish Campaign of 1823), 2 volumes, 1824 and 1825 (Vol.I) (Vol.II)
• France pittoresque (Picturesque France), a description of France's regions and colonies, 3 volumes, 1835 (Vol.I) (Vol.III)
• Histoire générale de France (General History of France), from ancient times to his day, 5 volumes, 1836-1843 (Vol.I) (Vol.II) (Vol.V)
• France militaire (Military France), History of French armies from 1792 to 1837, 1838 (Vol.II) (Vol.IV) (Vol.V)

Images for kids

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  Abel Hugo (left), with his father, General Hugo, and two of his uncles (painted by Julie Hugo, 1820s)

See also

In Spanish: Abel Hugo para niños