Édouard Pottier (6 July 1839 – 3 August 1903) was a French

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

. During his career, he served in various regions of the world and took part in the operations leading to the occupation of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

in 1861 during the

Second French intervention in Mexico The Second French Intervention in Mexico ( es, Segunda intervención francesa en México), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was an invasion of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, which hoped to ...

and the conquest of Vĩnh Long Province in 1867, which added that territory to French Cochinchina. Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1886, he served in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

and the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

. Promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

in 1893 and vice admiral in 1898, he served as commander of the International Squadron, a multinational squadron which intervened in the Cretan Revolt of 1897–1898 against 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 ...

. In 1900 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the French Far East Squadron.

Biography

Pottier was born in

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

on 6 July 1839 and entered the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

as a cadet at Brest in 1855. Promoted to

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

on 1 August 1857, he made his first cruise, operating in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

aboard the 30-gun sailing

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

. In March 1861, he was assigned to the sailing corvette on the

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Station. He was promoted to ''

enseigne de vaisseau Ensign (; Middle English#Late Middle English, Late Middle English, from Old French (), from Latin (plural)) is a junior rank of a Officer (armed forces)#Commissioned officers, commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normal ...

'' on 2 September 1861. The Admirals of the Powers in Cretan Waters

In October 1861, he reported aboard the aviso off

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

as her second-in-command and took part in the

, participating in operations in the region of

. In January 1863, he reported aboard the 50-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...

for operations in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...

and at

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. Pottier became second-in-command of the

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to ...

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

in French Cochinchina in February 1865, beginning a long stay in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

and the Pacific that included duty aboard the river

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

. Promoted to

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 ...

on 14 August 1866, he was ordered to the river gunboat , aboard which he took part in the conquest of Vĩnh Long Province that year resulting in the incorporation of the province into French Cochinchina. Becoming a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

on 10 August 1868, he became second-in-command of the screw aviso in the China and Japan Division, and he became the ship's

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

in March 1871. He transferred to the transport at New Caledonia in 1873. Pottier's long stay in East Asia and the Pacific finally came to an end in 1874, when he became second-in-command of the screw aviso in the

South Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

Division. He took part in a hydrographic survey in

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

from 1875 to 1876. From 1877 to 1881, he served aboard ships of the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

Division, first as second-in-command of the

steam frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for exa ...

from 1877 to 1878, then as second-in command of the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several ...

. Promoted to '' capitaine de frégate '' on 12 July 1881, Pottier became second-in-command of the steam frigate , which was serving as a

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

for midshipmen. In August 1882, he reported aboard the

ironclad An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. Th ...

battleship A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...

as her second-in-command. In November 1882, he transferred to the new ironclad battleship – which was commissioned that month and was assigned to the Reserve Squadron – as her commanding officer. He became commanding officer of the aviso in the Antilles Division in January 1884 and was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour on 18 November 1884. Pottier received a promotion to ''

capitaine de vaisseau Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

'' on 8 February 1886 and took command of the battleship in the

Division in April 1887. In 1889, he became Director of Underwater Defenses for the 4th Maritime District, headquartered at Rochefort, France. From 1890 to 1891, he was commanding officer of the ironclad battleship in the

and the Levant. In April 1892, he became the naval

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

in Rochefort. Promoted to

on 10 February 1893, Pottier became 4th Maritime District commander at Rochefort on 7 October 1893. He assumed command of a division of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1896. In 1897, he took command of the French division of the International Squadron, a multinational force that intervened in a Christian uprising against the

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

, operating on and around Crete from February 1897 to December 1898 and managing the island's affairs via an Admirals Council consisting of the admirals commanding the national contingents of the squadron, which included Pottier. In 1898 he relieved Italian Vice Admiral

Felice Napoleone Canevaro Felice Napoleone Canevaro (7 July 1838 – 30 December 1926) was an Italian admiral and politician and a senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He served as both Minister of the Navy and Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a recipient of the Order of S ...

as commander of the International Squadron and president of the Admirals Council, remaining the squadron's senior officer and president of the council until the squadron's dissolution, and he was elevated to the

Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...

of the

on 12 July 1898 and promoted to vice admiral on 11 October 1898. In the International Squadron's final act, Pottier steamed aboard his

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the ...

, the protected cruiser – accompanied by the squadron's Italian flagship, the battleship , its Russian flagship, the armored cruiser with the senior Russian commander Rear Admiral Nicholas Skrydloff aboard, and its British flagship, the battleship with

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Gerard Noel aboard – on 19 December 1898 to Milos in the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi ( Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

, where

Prince George of Greece and Denmark Prince George of Greece and Denmark ( el, Γεώργιος; 24 June 1869 – 25 November 1957) was the second son and child of George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, and is remembered chiefly for having once saved the life of hi ...

left his

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

on 20 December and embarked aboard ''Bugeaud''. Escorted by the other three flagships, ''Bugeaud'' took him to

Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; grc-x-medieval, Σοῦδα, Soûda; la, Suidae Lexicon) is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas (Σούδας) or Souida ...

, Crete, where Prince George disembarked on 21 December 1898 to take up duties as High Commissioner of the new Cretan State under the

suzerainty Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is ca ...

of the Ottoman

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

. His arrival on the island brought 229 years of direct Ottoman rule of Crete to an end.Clowes, p. 448. Pottier and the other admirals commanding the national contingents of the International Squadron promptly requested that their governments recall them, and the International Squadron was dissolved. On 27 March 1899, Pottier became Maritime Prefect of the 4th Maritime District in Rochefort. On 1 August 1900, he became commander-in-chief of the Far East Squadron, with the ironclad battleship as his flagship. Appointed as commander-in-chief of the West Mediterranean and Levant Squadron on 1 October 1902, he assumed that command in 1903, with the battleship as his flagship. Pottier died on 3 August 1903 in Rochefort.

Awards

of the

References

Notes

Bibliography

Dossier de Légion d'honneur de l'amiral Pottier.
(French) * . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pottier, Édouard 1839 births 1903 deaths 19th-century French military personnel 20th-century French military personnel French Navy admirals French military personnel of the Second French intervention in Mexico Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur

Biography

Awards

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography