Charles Denis Bourbaki
Encyclopedia
Charles Denis Sauter Bourbaki (22 April 1816 – 27 September 1897) was a French
general.
He was born at Pau, the son of Greek colonel Constantin Denis Bourbaki
, who died in the War of Independence
in 1827. He was educated at the Prytanée National Militaire
, entered St Cyr
, and in 1836 joined the Zouave
s, becoming lieutenant of the Foreign Legion
in 1838, and aide-de-camp to King Louis Philippe
. It was in the African expedition that he first came to the front. In 1842 he was captain in the Zouaves; 1847, colonel of the Turcos; in 1850, lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Zouaves; 1851, colonel; 1854, brigadier-general. In the Crimean War
he commanded a portion of the Algerian troops; and at the Alma
, Inkerman
and Sevastopol
Bourbaki's name became famous. In 1857 he was made general of division, commanding in 1859 at Lyon
. His success in the war in Italy
was second only to that of MacMahon
, and in 1862 he was proposed as a candidate for the vacant Greek throne, but declined the proffered honour. In 1870 the Emperor Napoleon III entrusted him with the command of the Imperial Guard
, and he played an important part in the fighting round Metz
. His conduct at Gravelotte
however was questionable as with the Prussians exhausted from the fighting and heavy casualties, the French were poised to mount a counter-attack but for Bourbaki refusing to commit the reserves of the French Old Guard to the battle because he considered it a defeat.
A curious incident of the siege of Metz
, during the Franco-Prussian War
, is connected with Bourbaki's name. A man who called himself Regnier, about 21 September, appeared at Hastings
, to seek an interview with the refugee empress Eugénie
, and failing to obtain this he managed to get from the young Prince Imperial a signed photograph with a message to the emperor Napoleon. This he used, by means of a safe-conduct from Bismarck
, as credentials to Marshal Bazaine, to whom he presented himself at Metz, telling him on the empress's alleged authority that peace was about to be signed and that either Marshal Canrobert
or General Bourbaki was to go to Hastings for the purpose. Bourbaki at once went to England, with Prussia
n connivance, as though he had a recognized mission, only to discover from the empress at Hastings that a trick had been played on him; and as soon as he could manage he returned to France.
He offered his services to Gambetta
and received the command of the Northern Army, but was recalled on 10 November and transferred to the Army of the Loire. In command of the hastily-trained and ill-equipped Army of the East
, Bourbaki made the attempt to raise the siege of Belfort
, which, after the victory of Villersexel
, ended in the repulse of the French in the three days' battle of the Lisaine
. Other German forces under Manteuffel
now closed upon Bourbaki, and he was eventually driven over the Swiss frontier with the remnant of his forces. His troops were in the most desperate condition, owing to lack of food; and out of 150,000 men under him when he started, only 87,000 men with 12,000 horses escaped into Swiss territory. They crossed the western border of Switzerland at Les Verrières
, Sainte-Croix
, Vallorbe
and in the Vallée de Joux
at the beginning of February 1871. They were disarmed and detained for six weeks before being repatriated in March. Rather than submit to the humiliation of a probable surrender, Bourbaki had delegated his functions to General Clinchant
on 26 January 1871, and tried to commit suicide that night. He fired a pistol at his own head, but the bullet, owing to a deviation of the weapon, was flattened against his skull and his life was saved. General Clinchant carried Bourbaki into Switzerland
, where he recovered sufficiently to return to France.
In July 1871, he again took the command at Lyon, and subsequently became military governor. In 1881, owing to his political opinions, he was placed on the retired list. In 1885 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the senate. A patriotic Frenchman and a brilliant soldier and leader, Bourbaki, like some other French generals of the Second Empire whose training had been obtained in Africa, was found wanting in the higher elements of command when the European conditions of 1870 were concerned.
, named after the general.
The scene of Bourbaki's army being disarmed when they crossed the Swiss borders is the subject of a panoramic painting
done in 1881 by Edouard Castres
. Since 1889, this 360° painting has been on display at Lucerne
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
general.
He was born at Pau, the son of Greek colonel Constantin Denis Bourbaki
Constantin Denis Bourbaki
Colonel Constantin Denis Bourbaki , was a Greek officer educated in France, and serving in the French military. He fought in the last phases of the Napoleonic Wars, and after 1825, joined the Greek War of Independence. He was killed in 1827 following his defeat at the Battle of Kamatero...
, who died in the War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
in 1827. He was educated at the Prytanée National Militaire
Prytanée National Militaire
The Prytanée National Militaire, originally Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand, is a French school managed by the military, offering regular secondary education as well as special preparatory school classes, equivalent in level to the first years of university, for students who wish to enter French...
, entered St Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
, and in 1836 joined the Zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
s, becoming lieutenant of the Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
in 1838, and aide-de-camp to King Louis Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
. It was in the African expedition that he first came to the front. In 1842 he was captain in the Zouaves; 1847, colonel of the Turcos; in 1850, lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Zouaves; 1851, colonel; 1854, brigadier-general. In the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
he commanded a portion of the Algerian troops; and at the Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
and Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
Bourbaki's name became famous. In 1857 he was made general of division, commanding in 1859 at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. His success in the war in Italy
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
was second only to that of MacMahon
Patrice MacMahon, duc de Magenta
Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de Mac-Mahon, 1st Duke of Magenta was a French general and politician with the distinction Marshal of France. He served as Chief of State of France from 1873 to 1875 and as the first president of the Third Republic, from 1875 to 1879.-Early life:Born in Sully , in the...
, and in 1862 he was proposed as a candidate for the vacant Greek throne, but declined the proffered honour. In 1870 the Emperor Napoleon III entrusted him with the command of the Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard (Napoleon III)
The Imperial Guard of Napoleon III was a military unit in the French Army formed by Napoleon III as a re-establishment of his uncle Napoleon I's Imperial Guard, with an identical uniform and almost the same privileges...
, and he played an important part in the fighting round Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
. His conduct at Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
however was questionable as with the Prussians exhausted from the fighting and heavy casualties, the French were poised to mount a counter-attack but for Bourbaki refusing to commit the reserves of the French Old Guard to the battle because he considered it a defeat.
A curious incident of the siege of Metz
Siege of Metz
The Siege of Metz lasting from 19 August – 27 October 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a decisive Prussian victory.-History:...
, during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, is connected with Bourbaki's name. A man who called himself Regnier, about 21 September, appeared at Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, to seek an interview with the refugee empress Eugénie
Eugénie de Montijo
Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y Kirkpatrick, 16th Countess of Teba and 15th Marquise of Ardales; 5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo , was the last Empress consort of the French from 1853 to 1871 as the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of...
, and failing to obtain this he managed to get from the young Prince Imperial a signed photograph with a message to the emperor Napoleon. This he used, by means of a safe-conduct from Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
, as credentials to Marshal Bazaine, to whom he presented himself at Metz, telling him on the empress's alleged authority that peace was about to be signed and that either Marshal Canrobert
François Certain Canrobert
François Certain de Canrobert, usually known as François Certain-Canrobert and later simply as Maréchal Canrobert , was a marshal of France.-Biography:...
or General Bourbaki was to go to Hastings for the purpose. Bourbaki at once went to England, with Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n connivance, as though he had a recognized mission, only to discover from the empress at Hastings that a trick had been played on him; and as soon as he could manage he returned to France.
He offered his services to Gambetta
Léon Gambetta
Léon Gambetta was a French statesman prominent after the Franco-Prussian War.-Youth and education:He is said to have inherited his vigour and eloquence from his father, a Genovese grocer who had married a Frenchwoman named Massabie. At the age of fifteen, Gambetta lost the sight of his right eye...
and received the command of the Northern Army, but was recalled on 10 November and transferred to the Army of the Loire. In command of the hastily-trained and ill-equipped Army of the East
Armée de l'Est
The Armée de l'Est was a French army which took part in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71...
, Bourbaki made the attempt to raise the siege of Belfort
Siege of Belfort
The Siege of Belfort was a 103-day military assault and blockade of the city of Belfort, France by Prussian forces during the Franco-Prussian War...
, which, after the victory of Villersexel
Battle of Villersexel
The Battle of Villersexel in the Franco-Prussian War opposed on January 9, 1871 elements of the French Armée de l'Est under General Bourbaki to August von Werder's Prussians...
, ended in the repulse of the French in the three days' battle of the Lisaine
Battle of the Lisaine
The Battle of the Lisaine was fought from 15 January to 17 January 1871 between Prussian and French forces. The French were led by Charles Denis Bourbaki, and were attempting to relieve the Siege of Belfort. Early in the morning the French forces under Bourbaki with only a few thousand men against...
. Other German forces under Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel was a German Generalfeldmarschall noted for his victories in the Franco-Prussian War....
now closed upon Bourbaki, and he was eventually driven over the Swiss frontier with the remnant of his forces. His troops were in the most desperate condition, owing to lack of food; and out of 150,000 men under him when he started, only 87,000 men with 12,000 horses escaped into Swiss territory. They crossed the western border of Switzerland at Les Verrières
Les Verrières
Les Verrières is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.-Geography:Les Verrières has an area, , of . Of this area, or 46.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 50.7% is forested...
, Sainte-Croix
Sainte-Croix, Switzerland
Sainte-Croix is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Sainte-Croix is first mentioned in 1177 as Sancta Crux. In 1317 it was mentioned as Saint Crueyz. Previously it was known by its German name Heilig Kreuz.-Geography:Sainte-Croix has...
, Vallorbe
Vallorbe
Vallorbe is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Vallorbe is first mentioned in 1139 as de valle urbanensi. In 1148 it was mentioned as de valle urbe.-Geography:...
and in the Vallée de Joux
Vallée de Joux
The Vallée de Joux is a valley of the Jura Mountains in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. Located 20 miles north of Geneva and Lausanne, its mean elevation is over 3300 feet . There are three lakes in the Vallée de Joux : the lac de Joux , the lac Brenet and the lac Ter...
at the beginning of February 1871. They were disarmed and detained for six weeks before being repatriated in March. Rather than submit to the humiliation of a probable surrender, Bourbaki had delegated his functions to General Clinchant
Justin Clinchant
Justin Clinchant was a French Army general, entered the army from St Cyr in 1841.From 1847 to 1852 he was employed in the Algerian campaigns, and in 1854 and 1855 in the Crimea. At the assault on the Malakoff he greatly distinguished himself at the head of a battalion...
on 26 January 1871, and tried to commit suicide that night. He fired a pistol at his own head, but the bullet, owing to a deviation of the weapon, was flattened against his skull and his life was saved. General Clinchant carried Bourbaki into Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he recovered sufficiently to return to France.
In July 1871, he again took the command at Lyon, and subsequently became military governor. In 1881, owing to his political opinions, he was placed on the retired list. In 1885 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the senate. A patriotic Frenchman and a brilliant soldier and leader, Bourbaki, like some other French generals of the Second Empire whose training had been obtained in Africa, was found wanting in the higher elements of command when the European conditions of 1870 were concerned.
Cultural references
A group of 20th-century French mathematicians published many works under the pseudonym Nicolas BourbakiNicolas Bourbaki
Nicolas Bourbaki is the collective pseudonym under which a group of 20th-century mathematicians wrote a series of books presenting an exposition of modern advanced mathematics, beginning in 1935. With the goal of founding all of mathematics on set theory, the group strove for rigour and generality...
, named after the general.
The scene of Bourbaki's army being disarmed when they crossed the Swiss borders is the subject of a panoramic painting
Panoramic painting
Panoramic paintings are massive artworks that reveal a wide, all-encompassing view of a particular subject, often a landscape, military battle, or historical event. They became especially popular in the 19th Century in Europe and the United States, inciting opposition from writers of Romantic poetry...
done in 1881 by Edouard Castres
Edouard Castres
Edouard Castres was a Swiss artist. He studied fine arts with Barthélemy Menn in Geneva before enrolling in the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He took part in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 as a Red Cross volunteer accomanying General Bourbaki's Eastern Army throughout the last phase of the war...
. Since 1889, this 360° painting has been on display at Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
.