Jean-Baptiste Billot
Jean-Baptiste Billot (born August 15, 1828 in Chaumeil ( Département Corrèze ), † May 31, 1907 in Paris ) was a French Général de division and statesman. He was significantly involved in the Dreyfus affair , which began, however, under one of his predecessors, the war minister Auguste Mercier .
Billot entered the Saint-Cyr Military School on December 1, 1847 , was transferred to the General Staff as a Sous-lieutenant in 1849 and, with the exception of the French intervention in Mexico , served almost always in Algeria . In quick succession he rose to lieutenant colonel in 1852-69 , was appointed from Africa to France in 1870 when the Franco-Prussian War broke out and promoted to colonel in the Loire Army.
He joined the republican party and gained the special favor of Gambettas and Freycinet , who placed him at the head of the newly formed 18th Corps and very soon promoted him to Général de brigade , then to Général de division au titre auxiliaire (auxiliary). At the head of his corps he took part in the battle of Beaune-la-Rolande on November 28th, but came to the aid of the 19th Corps under General Crouzat so late that the latter could not take Beaune and had to back down.
He then belonged to Bourbaki's army and formed the extreme left wing in the battle of the Lisaine . By the commission for the revision of the military degrees he was only confirmed as général de brigade.
As a member of the National Assembly , to which his native Corrèze department elected him in February 1871, he joined the republican left, which soon elected him president, and took an active part in the negotiations on the army reform. At the end of 1875 he was made an irremovable senator, resisted the monarchical restoration plans with great zeal and, mainly in February 1878, brought about the reform of the French general staff based on the Prussian model. After the victory of the republic, his friend Gambetta brought about his appointment as general de division and commander of the 1st division of the 1st Army Corps in Lille . As early as 1879 he was appointed corps commander of the l. Corps in Marseilles and in January 1882 took over the War Ministry in the Freycinet cabinet, which he kept until 1883; In 1884 he was given command of the 1st Army Corps in Lille. From April 29, 1896 to June 27, 1898 he was again Minister of War in the Méline cabinet .
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
|
Jean-Baptiste Campenon Godefroy Cavaignac |
Minister of War of France January 30, 1882 - January 29, 1883 April 29, 1896 - June 28, 1898 |
Jean Thibaudin Godefroy Cavaignac |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Billot, Jean-Baptiste |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French general and statesman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 15, 1828 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chaumeil ( Corrèze ) |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 31, 1907 |
| Place of death | Paris |