André-Joseph Lafitte-Clavé, also André-Joseph de Lafitte (1740 in Clavé, a mansion of

Moncrabeau Moncrabeau (; oc, Montcrabèu) is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France. Moncrabeau is located on the Petite Baïse river, close to the D930. See also *Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department The following is a ...

– 1794 in Perpignan) was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

engineering officer. He became

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

on 1 April 1791, and Maréchal de Camp on 25 October 1792. He was a graduate of the ''Ecole royale du génie de Mézières'' ( en, Royal engineering school of Mézières). He is especially known for his participation to a French mission in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

under

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

from 1784 to 1788.''Imperialism and science: social impact and interaction'' by George Vlahakis p.92
/ref> The mission, from 1783, was sent to the Ottoman Empire to train the Turks in naval warfare and fortification building.''From Louis XIV to Napoleon'' Jeremy Black p.144
/ref> Up to the

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

in 1789, about 300 French artillery officers and engineers were active in the Ottoman Empire to modernize and train artillery units.''Ottoman wars 1700-1870: an empire besieged'' by Virginia H. Aksan p.20

/ref> From 1784, André-Joseph Lafitte-Clavé and Joseph-Monnier de Courtois instructed engineering drawings and techniques in the new Turkish engineering school ''Mühendishâne-i Hümâyûn'' established by the Grand-Vizier

Halil Hamid Pasha Halil Hamid Pasha, also Halil Hamit Paşa (1736–1785) was the grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 31 December 1782 to 30 April 1785. He was of Bosnian origin. He was especially instrumental in inviting foreign experts, especially French ...

.''Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire'' by Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters p.395
/ref> Mostly French textbooks were used on mathematics, astronomy, engineering, weapons, war techniques and navigation. The French experts had to leave in 1788, as a condition of the peace treaty between Russia and Turkey. Some returned to Constantinople, but eventually all instructors had to leave with the end of the

Franco-Ottoman alliance The Franco-Ottoman Alliance, also known as the Franco-Turkish Alliance, was an alliance established in 1536 between the King of France Francis I and the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Suleiman I. The strategic and sometimes tactical alliance was o ...

in 1798.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafitte-Clave, Andre-Joseph 1740 births 1794 deaths French Army officers