Adolphe Niel
Adolphe Niel (born October 4, 1802 in Muret , Haute-Garonne , † August 14, 1869 in Paris ) was Marshal of France and Minister of War.
Life
Niel received his education from 1821-27 at the École polytechnique in Paris and the application school in Metz, became lieutenant in 1827, captain of the pioneers in 1831 , went to Africa in 1836 and earned the rank of battalion chief when the attack on Constantine took place.
Colonel since 1846, Niel led the siege work on the Roman expedition in 1849, as a result of which he was appointed Brigadier General. He then took over the engineering department in the War Ministry, was appointed State Councilor in extraordinary service and, in 1853, made a division general. During the Crimean War, as commander of the Genie Corps of the Baltic Sea Expedition, he led the attack on the Bomarsund Fortress (August 11-16 , 1854) and, meanwhile, went to Adjutant Napoléon III. appointed to the Crimea in January 1855 to report on the pioneering work off Sevastopol . Appointed in April as commander in chief of all engineering of the French siege army, he played a major role in the final fall of Sevastopol. In 1857 he was appointed senator .
During the Sardinian War of 1859, Niel distinguished himself as the commanding general of the IV Army Corps in the Battle of Magenta , but especially in the Battle of Solferino (June 24th), where he commanded the right wing and withstood double odds. For this he was appointed Marshal of France in June of that year . In August 1859 he received the command of the VI. Army Corps in Toulouse . When Napoleon III. Due to the French intervention in Mexico after 1866, Niel was appointed Minister of War on January 20, 1867 and introduced the new army law despite the strong opposition, which found the increase in the sacrifice of money and people in the legislative body - but not without questionable changes. He also introduced radical innovations in the equipment, in the retreat etc., procured the Chassepot rifle in the shortest possible time, supplemented the supplies and expanded the fortifications of Metz .
But before he had completed the reorganization of the army, he died August 14, 1869 of the consequences of an operation. A monument designed by Crank was erected for him in Muret.
literature
- Niel, Adolphe . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 19 : Mun - Oddfellows . London 1911, p. 670 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Jacques-Louis Randon |
Minister of War of France January 20, 1867-13. August 1869 |
Charles Rigault de Genouilly |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Niel, Adolphe |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Marshal of France and Minister of War |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 4, 1802 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Muret , Haute-Garonne department |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 14, 1869 |
| Place of death | Paris |