Abraham de Fabert, marquis d'Esternay (11 October 159917 May 1662) was a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

Biography

Fabert was the son of Abraham Fabert, seigneur de Moulins (died 1638), a famous printer who rendered great services, civil and military, to Henry IV. This article cites: *''Histoire du maréchal de Fabert'' (Amsterdam, 1697) *P. Barre, ''Vie de Fabert'' (Paris, 1752) *A. Feillet, ''Le Premier Maréchal de France plébéien'' (Paris, 1869) *Bourelly, ''Le Maréchal Fabert'' (Paris, 1880). Fabert, statue de Metz

At the age of fourteen, Abraham de Fabert, against his father's wish, entered the ''

Gardes Françaises The French Guards (french: Régiment des Gardes françaises) were an elite infantry regiment of the French Royal Army. They formed a constituent part of the Maison militaire du roi de France ("Military Household of the King of France") under the ...

'', and in 1618 received a commission in the Piedmont regiment, becoming major in 1627. He distinguished himself repeatedly in the constant wars of the period, notably in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...

and at the Siege of

Exilles Exilles ( Occitan: ''Eissilhas''; nonstandard Occitan: ''Isiya''; Piedmontese: ''Isiles''; Latin: ''Excingomagus'' or ''Scingomagus''; Italianization under Italian Fascism: ''Esille'') is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Ital ...

in 1630. His bravery and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

skill were again displayed in the sieges of

Avesnes Avesnes () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography The commune is a very small village situated some 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D 129 E 1. Population See also *Communes of ...

and Maubeuge in 1637, and in 1642

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

made him governor of the recently acquired fortress of Sedan. In 1651 he became lieutenant-general, and in 1654 at the Siege of Stenay he introduced new methods of

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

craft which anticipated in a measure the great improvements of Vauban. In the 1620s, Fabert created a number of regional maps, particularly of the emerging eastern frontier from the Ardennes south through

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

. In 1658 Fabert was made a marshal of France, being the first commoner to attain that rank. He died in 1662 from a pneumonia at Sedan, where he was governor.

References

External links

Encyclopædia Britannica, Abraham de Fabert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabert, Abraham de 1599 births 1662 deaths Marshals of France French military personnel of the Thirty Years' War