Cyriaque Cyprien Victor Gillain (11 August 1857 – 17 August 1931) was a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
officer who served in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and was chief of the Belgian
general staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
between April 1918 and February 1920.
Youth and education
Gillain was born in
Biesme on 11 August 1857, as a son of Adolphe Gillain and Virginie Alexandre. Gillain experienced a difficult youth because he could not agree with his family. To escape from them, he enlisted as a volunteer in the 4th artillery regiment at the age of 18. A few years later, in 1878, he entered the
Ecole Militaire. According to fellow students, Gillain never was a brilliant student during his time at the Ecole. He graduated in 1883 with the rank of
sous-lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...
in the artillery, and, at his own request, was transferred to the cavalry a few months later.
In 1886, he entered the Ecole de Guerre, which provided further schooling for officers, where he graduated in 1888 as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
with a degree of the
general staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
.
Congo Free State
The Belgian king
Leopold II had established the
Congo Free State
''(Work and Progress)
, national_anthem = Vers l'avenir
, capital = Vivi Boma
, currency = Congo Free State franc
, religion = Catholicism (''de facto'')
, leader1 = Leopo ...
in 1885, and the Kings newly founded colony was in need of young, adventurous officers. Gillain departed to Congo in 1888, the same year still of his graduation, being motivated by the better promotional opportunities, and his desire to be among the first explorers of the vast colony. Shortly before his departure, he had become engaged to Adèle Ménétrier, the daughter of an engineer who was the director of a coal mine in
Marchienne-au-Pont
Marchienne-au-Pont ( wa, Mårciene) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
It was a commune in its own right before the merger of communes in 1977, when it had a popul ...
. Not very long after his arrival, Gillain distinguished himself in a brilliant feat of arms. On the orders of his captain, he was charged with leading a campaign against the Mussuronghe tribe whose pillaging activities impeded commercial development. During the campaign, the first gunshots in Congo were fired on Gillains command during a confrontation. This created such a surprise among the tribal warriors that they fled in panic. Gillain also partook in the campaigns against slavery.
In 1890 Gillain solicited for a position in the largely unexplored upper Congo. He was positioned at the camp of
Lusambo
Lusambo is a territory in and capital of Sankuru province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town lies north of the confluence of the Sankuru River and the Lubi River. Lusambo is served by Lusambo Airport.
In 1890 Lusambo was chosen by Paul ...
, and took part in the Le Marinel expedition along the
Lomami Lomami may refer to:
* Lomami River, a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Lomami Province
Lomami is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. Lomami, Kasaï-Oriental, ...
river. In late 1890, his superior
Paul Le Marinel
Paul-Amédée Le Marinel (1858–1912) was an American-born officer in the Belgian army who became an explorer and administrator in the Congo Free State. He was best known for his expedition to Katanga in 1891.
Early years
Paul-Amédée Le Marine ...
was tasked by Leopold to set up an expedition into the rich
Yeke Kingdom
The Yeke Kingdom (also called the ''Garanganze'' or ''Garenganze'' kingdom) of the Garanganze people in Katanga, DR Congo, was short-lived, existing from about 1856 to 1891 under one king, Msiri, but it became for a while the most powerful st ...
of
Msiri
Msiri (c. 1830 – December 20, 1891) founded and ruled the Yeke Kingdom (also called the Garanganze or Garenganze kingdom) in south-east Katanga (now in DR Congo) from about 1856 to 1891. His name is sometimes spelled 'M'Siri' in articles in Fr ...
in the
Katanga region. With Le Marinel gone, Gillain was appointed as commander of the post, which he reorganised and commanded until the end of 1891 when he returned to Belgium. In October 1892, he was promoted to district chief first class, and after his arrival in March 1893, he supported
Francis Dhanis in the
Congo Arab war, helping him take the stronghold city of
Kasombo. After the victory of the Congo Free State against the Arab-Swahili tribes, Gillain returned to his post in Lusambo in April 1894. He remained in Lusambo until, plagued by fevers, he finally returned to Belgium in February 1896.
Career in Belgium
On 26 September 1896, Gillain finally married his fiancée Adèle Menetrier. In 1898, a daughter, Claire Gillain, was born out of the marriage. However, his wife Adèle died ten years later, in 1908. Gillain remarried to her sister, Eugénie, who took over Adèles role in his daughters upbringing.
On a professional level, Gillain received the rank of
captain commander in March 1898. In 1900, he was appointed as
aide de camp to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Hallet, and in 1904 as that of general-major Mersch. He was further promoted to
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
in 1906,
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in 1909 and
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 of ...
in 1913.
First World War
![111-SC-35559 - NARA - 55230345 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/111-SC-35559_-_NARA_-_55230345_%28cropped%29.jpg)
At the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, in August 1914, Gillain was the commander of the 4th
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
regiment. In this function, he soon distinguished himself during the
Battle of Halen
The Battle of Halen, also known as the Battle of the Silver Helmets ( nl, Slag der Zilveren Helmen, french: Bataille des casques d'argent) because of the many cavalry helmets left behind on the battlefield by the German cuirassiers, took place on ...
on 12 August, where the Belgian
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
was able to defeat their
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
counterparts in a tactical victory. On 12 October, he assumed command of the 1st cavalry brigade, with which he took part in the
Battle of the Yser
The Battle of the Yser (french: Bataille de l'Yser, nl, Slag om de IJzer) was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee ...
. During the war, he was promoted several times, first to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
in February 1915, then
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
in January 1917.
Eventually, on 11 April 1918, king
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Alber ...
appointed Gillain as
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
of the army. On 17 April, under his command, the Belgian army was able to put a halt to a German offensive in the
Battle of Merckem
The Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, was fought from 7 to 29 April 1918 and was part of the German spring offensive in Flanders during the World War I, First World War. It was originally planned by General Erich Lud ...
, a part of the larger
Battle of the Lys that culminated in a decisive victory for the Allied forces. After the start of the
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allies of World War I, Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (1918), Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Wester ...
, the final stage of the war, Gillain was tasked with the command of the Army reserves, while king Albert assumed command of the offensive operations.
Later life and career
On 28 February 1920, Gillain resigned from his post as chief of staff for reasons of personal health. As a recognition for his service, his was offered the title of
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
, but refused. On 28 December 1921, he was
co-opted as a
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
by the
Catholic Party, where he took on the role of vice president of the senate defence committee. At the same time, he also actively participated in colonial
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
, becoming the first president of the
Belgian colonial academy in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in 1923.
Death and commemoration
Gilliain died on 17 August 1931, at the age of 74, and was given a
state funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...
on 22 August. He is buried at the cemetery of
Marchienne-au-Pont
Marchienne-au-Pont ( wa, Mårciene) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
It was a commune in its own right before the merger of communes in 1977, when it had a popul ...
, where a street was also named after him. In his native village of
Biesme, a monument in his memory was erected in 1968.
See also
*
Royal Museum for Central Africa
The Royal Museum for Central Africa or RMCA ( nl, Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika or KMMA; french: Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale or MRAC; german: Königliches Museum für Zentralafrika or KMZA), also officially known as the AfricaMuse ...
References
External links
Archive Cyriaque Gillain Royal museum for central Africa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillain, Cyriaque
1857 births
1931 deaths
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
People from Namur (province)
Belgian Army generals of World War I
Congo Free State officials
Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)