Pierre Marie Philippe Aristide Denfert-Rochereau
Pierre Marie Philippe Aristide Denfert-Rochereau (born January 11, 1823 in Saint-Maixent-l'École , Deux-Sèvres ; † May 11, 1878 in Versailles ) was a French colonel who was famous for his role in the defense of Belfort attained.
Life
Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau came from a noble Protestant family. He attended the École polytechnique and the application school (École d'application de l'artillerie et du génie) in Metz . After graduation, he joined the 2nd Genieregiment in 1847 as a Sous-lieutenant .
When the Crimean War broke out , Denfert-Rochereau had already reached the rank of captain . He was badly wounded in the first storm on Fort Malakow off Sevastopol . After his recovery he worked as a teacher in the application school in Metz. In 1860 he was transferred to Algeria , where he was promoted to Chef de bataillon in 1863 .
In 1864 Denfert-Rochereau became the commandant of the Belfort fortress. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and on October 17, 1870 to colonel . During the Franco-Prussian War , the garrison of the fortress under his command defended Belfort against all attacks by the Prussian besiegers. Thereupon Denfert-Rochereau achieved an honorable surrender on February 16, 1871 , after he had to hand over the fortress on Jules Favre's instructions . That the fortress 103 days had been long so tough claims helped that Belfort - though the city at that time for the Haut-Rhin belonged (Haut-Rhin) and historically part of the Sundgau was - not in the newly formed Alsace-Lorraine incorporated but remained with France as Territoire de Belfort .
After the peace agreement, Denfert-Rochereau said goodbye, although he had not yet reached the prescribed age limit. He was elected to the National Assembly on February 8, 1871 , but resigned when the Assembly approved the peace preliminaries. On July 2, 1871, he was re-elected and in the new elections in October 1877 he was again given a mandate to the Chamber of Deputies , where he joined the Union républicaine .
Pierre Marie Aristide Denfert-Rochereau died on May 11, 1878 in Versailles.
Honors
In his honor, Fort Bellevue in Belfort was given his name. On September 21, 1879, a statue of Denfert-Rochereau was consecrated in Montbéliard and on May 16, 1880 in St. Maixent. In Paris one square bears his name, the Place Denfert-Rochereau .
Fonts
- Des droits politiques des militaires . Paris 1874
literature
- Édouard Thiers, Philippe Marie Léopold Sosthènes de Fornel de la Laurencie: La défense de Belfort . Chevalier, Paris 1871 (written under the guidance and supervision of Denfert-Rochereau).
- Adolphe Caillé: Le colonel Denfert et le siège de Belfort 1870 - 1871 . Pélot, Belfort 1883.
- Auguste Marais: Le colonel Denfert-Rochereau . H.-E. Martin, Paris 1885; New edition 1902.
- Roger Boigeol: Le Colonel Denfert-Rochereau . Société belfortaine d'émulation. Belfort 1980.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Denfert-Rochereau, Pierre Marie Philippe Aristide |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French colonel, defender of Belfort and politician, member of the National Assembly |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 11, 1823 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saint-Maixent-l'École , Deux-Sèvres department |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 11, 1878 |
| Place of death | Versailles |