RADET, ETIENNE. - French general, b. 19 Dec. 1762 at Stenay (Lorena), d. 28 Sept. 1825 at Varennes. After the outbreak of the French Revolution he entered the gendarmerie.
Of monarchist sentiments and a fervent Catholic, on 23 June 1791 he attempted to free the royal family arrested at Varennes. He organized the gendarmerie in Piemonte, Corsica, and Genova. In the kingdom of Napoli he pursued Michele Pezza, known as Fra' Diavolo. As general and supreme commander of the gendarmerie in the new State of the Church, he received the order to arrest Pio VII. Indeed, on the night of 5 to 6 July 1809 R., with a band of armed men, scaled the Quirinale and, arriving before the Pope at daybreak, notified him of the Emperor’s order to renounce temporal dominion. Upon Pio VII’s resolute refusal, R. informed him of the warrant for his arrest. Pio VII had to enter a carriage together with R., who accompanied him as far as Firenze. On returning to Roma, R. received the title of baron.
During the Hundred Days he was appointed inspector general of the gendarmerie. Upon the return of Luigi XVIII, he was arrested and condemned by a military tribunal to 9 years’ imprisonment, but was pardoned in Dec. 1818.