Henri Alexis Brialmont
Encyclopedia
Henri Alexis Brialmont was a Dutch
-born Belgian
military engineer
. He was one of the leading fortification
s engineers in the 19th century.
He was born in Dutch Limburg
, the son of the French-born Laurent Mathieu Brialmont (1789–1885), who was in 1821 lieutenant in the Dutch army, but would later become a Belgian general (1849) and minister of war (1850–51). Henri Brialmont was educated at the Brussels
military school, he entered the army as sub-lieutenant of engineers in 1843, and became lieutenant
in 1847. From 1847 to 1850 he was private secretary to the war minister, General Baron Chazal. In 1855 he entered the staff corps, became major
in 1861, lieutenant-colonel 1864, colonel
in 1868 and major-general
in 1874. In this rank he held at first the position of director of fortifications in the Antwerp district (December 1874), and nine months later he became inspector-general of fortifications and of the corps of engineers.
In 1877 he became lieutenant-general. His far-reaching schemes for the fortification of the Belgian places met with no little opposition, and Brialmont seems to have felt much disappointment in this. At any rate he went in 1883 to Romania
to advise as to the fortification works required for the defence of the country, and presided over the elaboration of the scheme by which Bucharest
was to be made a first-class fortress (see Fortifications of Bucharest
). He was thereupon placed en disponibilite in his own service. His services were, however, too valuable to be lost, and on his return to Belgium in 1884 he resumed his command of the Antwerp military district. He had, further, while in eastern Europe
, prepared at the request of the Hellenic government, a scheme for the defence of Greece
. He retired in 1886, but continued to supervise the Romanian defences. He finaly designed the Shinkakasa Fort
on the Congo River
in 1891 for the Congo Free State
.
In the first stage of his career as an engineer Brialmonts plans followed with but slight modification the ideas of Vauban
; and his original scheme for fortifying Antwerp provided for both enceinte and forts being on a bastioned trace. But in 1859, when the great entrenched camp at Antwerp was finally taken in hand, he had already gone over to the school of polygonal fortification and the ideas of Montalembert. About twenty years later Brialmonts own types and plans began to stand out amidst the general confusion of ideas on fortification which naturally resulted from the introduction of long-range guns, and from the events of 1870/1871.
The extreme detached forts of the Antwerp region and the fortifications on the Meuse at Liège and Namur
were constructed in accordance with Brialmonts final principles, viz, the lavish use of armour to protect the artillery
inside the forts, the suppression of all artillery positions open to overhead fire, and the multiplication of intermediate batteries. In his capacity of inspector-general Brialmont drafted and carried out the whole scheme for the defences of Belgium.
Only days after he had left the army, he was elected e member of Parliament in June 1892, where he was able to continue to defend his ideas on military matters. He was also an advocate of universal suffrage.
He was an indefatigable writer, and produced, besides essays, reviews and other papers in the journals, twenty-three important works and forty-nine pamphlets. In 1850 he originated the Journal de l'armée Belge.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-born Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
military engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
. He was one of the leading fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s engineers in the 19th century.
He was born in Dutch Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, the son of the French-born Laurent Mathieu Brialmont (1789–1885), who was in 1821 lieutenant in the Dutch army, but would later become a Belgian general (1849) and minister of war (1850–51). Henri Brialmont was educated at the Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
military school, he entered the army as sub-lieutenant of engineers in 1843, and became lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1847. From 1847 to 1850 he was private secretary to the war minister, General Baron Chazal. In 1855 he entered the staff corps, became major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1861, lieutenant-colonel 1864, colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1868 and major-general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in 1874. In this rank he held at first the position of director of fortifications in the Antwerp district (December 1874), and nine months later he became inspector-general of fortifications and of the corps of engineers.
In 1877 he became lieutenant-general. His far-reaching schemes for the fortification of the Belgian places met with no little opposition, and Brialmont seems to have felt much disappointment in this. At any rate he went in 1883 to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to advise as to the fortification works required for the defence of the country, and presided over the elaboration of the scheme by which Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
was to be made a first-class fortress (see Fortifications of Bucharest
Fortifications of Bucharest
Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is surrounded by a ring of 18 fortifications built in the late 19th century.A report by the War Ministry led the celebrated Belgian military architect Henri Alexis Brialmont to draft a plan for the city's fortifications, with construction beginning in 1884...
). He was thereupon placed en disponibilite in his own service. His services were, however, too valuable to be lost, and on his return to Belgium in 1884 he resumed his command of the Antwerp military district. He had, further, while in eastern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, prepared at the request of the Hellenic government, a scheme for the defence of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He retired in 1886, but continued to supervise the Romanian defences. He finaly designed the Shinkakasa Fort
Fort de Shinkakasa
The Fort de Shinkakasa was a fortification built in the Congo Free State to defend access to the Congo river in 1891. It is located about west of Boma....
on the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
in 1891 for the Congo Free State
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...
.
In the first stage of his career as an engineer Brialmonts plans followed with but slight modification the ideas of Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
; and his original scheme for fortifying Antwerp provided for both enceinte and forts being on a bastioned trace. But in 1859, when the great entrenched camp at Antwerp was finally taken in hand, he had already gone over to the school of polygonal fortification and the ideas of Montalembert. About twenty years later Brialmonts own types and plans began to stand out amidst the general confusion of ideas on fortification which naturally resulted from the introduction of long-range guns, and from the events of 1870/1871.
The extreme detached forts of the Antwerp region and the fortifications on the Meuse at Liège and Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
were constructed in accordance with Brialmonts final principles, viz, the lavish use of armour to protect the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
inside the forts, the suppression of all artillery positions open to overhead fire, and the multiplication of intermediate batteries. In his capacity of inspector-general Brialmont drafted and carried out the whole scheme for the defences of Belgium.
Only days after he had left the army, he was elected e member of Parliament in June 1892, where he was able to continue to defend his ideas on military matters. He was also an advocate of universal suffrage.
He was an indefatigable writer, and produced, besides essays, reviews and other papers in the journals, twenty-three important works and forty-nine pamphlets. In 1850 he originated the Journal de l'armée Belge.
Publications
- Oeuvres militaires de Simon Stevin, Brussel, 1846.
- Notice sur la conservation des poudres de guerre, in: Annales des Travaux publics de Belgique, 1849.
- Éloge de la guerre ou réfutation des doctrines des Amis de la paix, 1850.
- Histoire critique des négociations relatives au Traité du 11 décembre 1831, prescrivant la démolition des forteresses, in: Le Spectateur militaire, 1850.
- De l'armée et de la situation financière, 1850.
- De la guerre, de l'armée et de la garde civique, 1850.
- Faut-il fortifier Bruxelles? Réfutation de quelques idées sur la défense des Etats, par un officier du génie, 1850.
- Réponse d'un officier du génie à M. Vande Velde, pour faire suite à l'ouvrage intitulé : « Faut-il fortifier Bruxelles?, 1850.
- Précis d'art militaire (publications de l'Encyclopédie militaire), 4 volumes, 1851.
- Considérations politiques et militaires sur la Belgique, 3 volumes, 1851-1852.
- Utilité de la marine militaire, 1853.
- Projet de réorganisation de la marine militaire belge, par un ancien officier du génie, 1855.
- Réflexions sur la marine militaire belge (1830–1835), 1855 (*).
- Défense du projet d'agrandissement général d'Anvers, présenté par MM. Keller et consorts, 1855.
- Histoire du duc de Wellington, 3 volumes, 1856-1857. - Translated in English.
- Résumé d'études sur les principes généraux de la fortification des grands pivots stratégiques. Application à la place d'Anvers, 1856.
- Défense de l'Escaut, 1856.
- De la fortification des grands pivots stratégiques. Réponse au colonel Augoyat, 1857.
- Agrandissement général d'Anvers. Réfutation des critiques dont le projet de grande enceinte a été l'objet, 1858.
- Réponse à une note de M. Eenens. De l'emploi de l'artillerie aux travaux de défrichement (Académie royale de Belgique, t. XVI), 1859.
- La vérité sur la question d'Anvers par le général Bonsens, 1859.
- Manifestation du peuple belge en 1860.
- Système de défense de l'Angleterre. Observation critique sur la commission d'enquête nommée en 1859, 1860 (*).
- Complément de l'oeuvre de 1830. Etablissements à créer dans les pays transatlantiques, 1860.
- Réorganisation de la marine nationale en Belgique, 1860.
- Question des canons. Réponse A M. Féréol-Fourcault, par le capitaine Gargousse, 1861.
- Le système cellulaire et la colonisation pénale. Réponse à M. E. Ducpétiaux, in: Revue britannique, 1861.
- Marine militaire. Nouvelles considérations sur l'utilité d'une marine militaire, 1861.
- Étude sur la défense des États et sur la fortification, 3 volumes, 1863.
- Les nouvelles fortifications d'Anvers. Réponse aux critiques de Mangonneau, ancien ingénieur, 1863 (*).
- La guerre du Schleswig, envisagée au point de vue belge, 1864.
- Le corps belge au Mexique. Considérations en faveur de l'organisation de ce corps, par un officier d'état-major, 1864.
- Réflexions d'un soldat sur les dangers qui menacent la Belgique. Réponse à M. Dechamps, ministre d'État, 1865.
- Réponse au pamphlet: « Anvers et M. Brialmont, avec plan de la position d'Anvers », 1865.
- La Belgique doit armer, 1866.
- Réorganisation du système militaire de la Belgique, par un officier supérieur, 1866.
- Considérations sur la réorganisation de l'armée. Justification du quadrilatère. Le volontarisme jugé au point de vue belge, etc., 1866.
- Étude sur l'organisation des armées, et particulièrement de l'armée belge, 1867.
- Utilité de la citadelle du Nord, 1868.
- Traité de fortification polygonale, 2 volumes, 1869.
- La fortification polygonale et les nouvelles fortifications d'Anvers. Réponse aux critiques de MM. Prévost et Cosseron de Villenoisy, 1869.
- La fortification polygonale jugée par le général Tripier, in: Revue militaire française, 1870.
- Observations critiques sur l'enseignement de la fortification à l'École militaire de Bruxelles, 1870.
- Le service obligatoire en Belgique, par un colonel de l'armée, 1871.
- Réponse aux adversaires du service obligatoire, par un colonel de l'armée, 1871.
- La vérité sur la situation militaire de la Belgique en 1871.
- Ce que vaut la garde civique. Étude sur la situation militaire du pays, 1871.
- Projet de réorganisation de l'infanterie belge. Conférence donnée à MM. les officiers du corps d'état-major le 6 février Ì871.
- Le service obligatoire. Réponse à MM. Frère-Orban et Hymans, 1872.
- L'armée, la presse et les partis en Belgique. Lettre adressée à la « Belgique militaire », 2e édition, revue et corrigée, 1872.
- La fortification à fossés secs, 2 volumes, 1872.
- La fortification improvisée, 2e édition, revue et augmentée, 1872.
- Étude sur la fortification des capitales et l'investissement des camps retranchés, 1873.
- Le service obligatoire et le remplacement; erreurs, mensonges et vérités. Bases d'un projet de loi sur la milice, 1873.
- Les adversaires du service obligatoire mis au pied du mur, 1873.
- Imprévoyance et impérities, in: La Belgique militaire, 1873.
- Le remplacement par l'État, dernière planche de salut des adversaires du service obligatoire, 1873.
- Situation politique et militaire des petits États et particulièrement de la Belgique, 1874.
- La vérité sur le remplacement militaire et le service personnel, 1874.
- L'Angleterre et les petits États à la Conférence de Bruxelles, par le général T., 1875.
- Causes et effets de l'accroissement successif des armées permanentes, 1876.
- La défense des États et les camps retranchés, 1876.
- Symptôme de décadence à propos de la question de la défense nationale, 1876.
- La fortification du champ de bataille, 1878.
- Manuel des fortifications de campagne, 1879.
- Étude sur la formation de combat de l'infanterie, l'attaque et la défense des positions et des retranchements, 1880.
- La tactique de combat des trois armes, 2 volumes, 1881.
- La situation militaire de la Belgique, 1882.
- Le général comte de Todleben. Sa vie et ses travaux, 1884.
- Le général de Blois. Sa vie et ses ouvrages, 1885.
- La fortification du temps présent, 2 volumes, 1885.
- Les fortifications de la Meuse, 1887.
- M. Frère et les travaux de la Meuse, 1887.
- Les fortifications de la Meuse. Réponse au colonel Crousse, 1887.
- Réponse aux objections de M. le général Chazal, contre les fortifications de la Meuse, 1887.
- L'influence du tir plongeant et des obus torpilles sur la fortification, 1890.
- Situation actuelle de la fortification. Idées et tendances de la nouvelle école, 1890.
- La fortification de l'avenir, d'après les auteurs anglais, 1890.
- Notice sur le général Liagre, in: Annuaire de l'Académie, 1892.
- Étude sur l'infanterie légère, l'organisation et l'emploi des troupes du génie, 1893.
- Ce que Bazaine a fait à Metz, in: Revue internationale de Dresde, 1893.
- Notice sur Henri Maus, in: Annuaire de l'Académie, 1895.
- La défense des États et la fortification de la fin du XIXe siècle, 1895.
- La défense des côtes et les têtes de pont permanentes, 1896.
- Progrès de la défense des États et de la fortification depuis Vauban, 1898.
- Affaiblissement de la place d'Anvers, projet du Gouvernement, 1900.
- Notice sur Emile Banning, in: Annuaire de l'Académie, 1901.
- Agrandissement d'Anvers. Critique des résolutions de la sous-commission militaire, 1901.
- Anvers et Termonde. Critique des résolutions de la commission mixte, 1901.
- Organisation et composition des troupes du génie et de l'état-major de cette arme, 1901.