Lucien Lacaze
Lucien Marie Jean Lacaze (born June 22, 1860 in Pierrefonds , † March 23, 1955 in Paris ) was a French admiral and politician.
Life
Lacaze was born in 1860 to a French doctor and a Creole . He spent his childhood on Réunion on his parents' estate near Saint-Denis . At the age of 12, his parents sent him to France for schooling and he attended the Jesuit school in Sarlat . After graduating, he began training at the French Naval School in 1879 . He was quickly promoted to the French Navy: in 1882 he became an ensign in the navy, in 1886 a first lieutenant in the sea and in 1902 a frigate captain . He served in Senegal , India and Vietnam before becoming Naval Attaché in Rome , then Chief of Staff to Admiral Paul-Louis Germinet . He briefly commanded the battleship Masséna, then was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1911 and served as Chief of Staff to Naval Minister Théophile Delcassé . The First World War only briefly interrupted his political career: he commanded a division of the Mediterranean fleet and was involved in organizing the Battle of Gallipoli .
In 1915, Lacaze was appointed Minister of the Navy in the 5th cabinet of Aristide Briand and also sat in the 6th cabinet of Briand. In 1917 he was acting minister of war for a few days and was then minister of the navy again under Alexandre Ribot . During this time he was promoted to Vice Admiral. Lacaze reorganized the French Navy and played a decisive role in the defense against German submarines, which made the Entente's trade increasingly difficult. However, his strategy was increasingly criticized by the socialists involved in the government, so that he resigned in August 1917 and became naval prefect in Toulon . He retired in 1922.
On November 12, 1936, Lacaze was elected to the 40th armchair of the Académie française . From 1945 until his death in 1955 he was also President of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers .
Political functions
- Minister of the Navy, October 29, 1915 to December 12, 1916 in the 5th cabinet of Aristide Briand .
- Secretary of the Navy, December 12, 1916 to March 17, 1917 in the 6th cabinet of Aristide Briand.
- War Minister (acting) March 15 to March 17, 1917 in the 6th cabinet of Aristide Briand.
- Minister of the Navy from March 20, 1917 to August 2, 1917 in the 5th cabinet of Alexandre Ribot , following the overthrow of the government, Naval Prefect in Toulon
honors and awards
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
- Officer of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- Member and secretary of the Académie de Marine
- Member of the Académie des Sciences d'Outre-Mer
- Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts (1935)
literature
- Jacques Jaujard: Notice sur la vie et les travaux de Lucien Lacaze: 1860-1955 . Institut de France, Académie des Beaux-Arts, 1956
- Jean Meyer: Histoire de la marine française . Éditions Ouest-France, Rennes, 1994
- Miche Vergé-Franceschi: Dictionnaire d'Histoire maritime . Editions Robert Laffont, Paris, 2002
- Étienne Taillemite: Dictionnaire des marins français . Éditions Tallandier, Paris, 2002
- Bertrand Larrera de Morel: L'amiral Lacaze: Ministre de la Marine de la Grande Guerre (1915-1917) . Editions Christian, Paris, 2004
- Spencer C. Tucker , Priscilla Mary Roberts: World-War I. A Student Encyclopedia. Abc-Clio, Santa Barbara, 2006, pp. 1051 f.
Web links
- Short biography and list of works of the Académie française (French)
- Private website about Lacaze with a detailed description of the military career
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lacaze, Lucien |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lacaze, Lucien Marie Jean (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French admiral and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 22, 1860 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pierrefonds , France |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 23, 1955 |
| Place of death | Paris , France |