Fleet du Ponant

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The Flotte du Ponant ( West Wind Fleet ) was during the Ancien Régime the name of the French naval units that were responsible for service in the overseas colonies, especially in the Antilles and North America , and the protection of the sea routes there. On the other hand, the main area of ​​application of the Flotte du Levant ( Ostwind fleet ) was the Mediterranean area . Ponant and Levant are the names for westerly and easterly winds occurring in the Mediterranean; the expressions are derived from the Vulgar Latin "sol ponens" (sinking sun) and "sol levens" (rising sun).

The main bases of the Ponant fleet were Brest , from 1631, and Rochefort , from 1666, while the Levant fleet operated mainly from Toulon .

The names of the two fleets are first mentioned in the assignments of the State Secretaries in 1626, when Cardinal Richelieu was appointed Grand Master of Navigation ( Grand Maître de la Navigation ). The two fleets were united in 1642, but separated again in 1661. In the following year, both were placed under the control of Jean-Baptiste Colbert , who in 1661 had become superintendent of finance, trade, transport, the navy and the colonies and in 1669 was appointed first secretary of state for the navy ( Secrétaire d'État à la Marine ). From this point on, the entire French Navy was always under the command of the Secretary of State or, from 1791, the Minister of the Navy.

The Musée National de la Marine in Rochefort contains a number of paintings on the history of the Flotte du Ponant.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated February 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ville-rochefort.fr

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