BIGNON, LOUIS PIERRE EDOUARD, BARON (I 771— 1841), French diplomatist and historian, was born on Jan. 3 177r, and died at Paris, Jan. 5 1841. As minister-plenipotentiary at Cassel, between the years 18°4 and 1806, he took a prominent share in the formation of the confederation of the Rhine; and after the battle of Jena he returned to Prussia as administrator of the public domains and finances. He filled a similar function in Austria in 1809 after the battle of Wagram. At the end of 181 o he became French resident at Warsaw. After Waterloo, as minister of foreign affairs under the executive commission, it was he who signed the convention of July 3 1815, by which Paris was handed over to the allies. Bignon did not re-enter public life until 1817, when he was elected to the chamber of deputies, in which he sat until 183o, consistent in his opposition to the reactionary policy of successive governments. He pub lished attacks on the policy of the continental allies, two of his works attracting special attention, Du Congres de Troppau ou Examen des pretentions des monarchies absolues a regard de la monarchie constitutionelle de Naples (1821), and Les Cabinets et les peoples de puffs 1815 jusqu'a la fin de 1822 (1822).
He was for a few weeks minister of foreign affairs in the first government of Louis Philippe, and again for a few weeks minister of public instruction. Elected deputy in 1831 and member of the chamber of peers in 1839, he devoted himself to his great work, the Histoire de France sous Napoleon (io vols. 1829-38, then 4 vols., 1847-5o).
See Mignet, Notice historique sur la vie et les ouvrages de M. Bignon (1848).