Paul de Ladmirault (17 February 1808, in Montmorillon – 1 February 1898, in Sillars) was a French general active in the

French conquest of Algeria The French invasion of Algeria (; ) took place between 1830 and 1903. In 1827, an argument between Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Deylik of Algiers, and the French consul escalated into a blockade, following which the July Monarchy of France inva ...

and during the wars of the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France. Historians in the 1930s ...

Life

Ladmirault was born on 17 February 1808 at Montmorillon to an old family belonging to the

Poitou Poitou (, , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical c ...

minor aristocracy. His father had fled France during 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 November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. Ladmirault entered the prestigious Saint-Cyr Military School in 1826 (in the same class as the future

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 ( ...

François Certain Canrobert). Upon his graduation in 1829, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 62nd Line Infantry Regiment. In 1831 he was promoted to lieutenant in the 67th Regiment before being sent to Algeria, where he spent the next 22 years. He was promoted to the post of ''adjudant-major'' in 1834, then to captain in the

Zouaves The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...

in 1837, and finally major in 1840. In the same year he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry and placed in charge of the region of

Cherchell Cherchell (Arabic: شرشال) is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the k ...

. He was made lieutenant colonel in 1842, full colonel in the Zouaves in 1844 and ''

général de brigade Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...

'' in June 1848, being placed in command of

Médéa Province Médéa ( ar, ولاية المدية) is a province ('' wilaya'') of Algeria. The capital is Médéa. Administrative divisions The province is divided into 19 districts ('' daïras''), which are further divided into 64 ''communes'' or municip ...

. In 1852 he was recalled to France, and promoted ''

général de division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

'' on 14 January 1853. He participated in the Italian war of 1859, commanding the 2nd division of I Corps under Marshal Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers, and taking part in the

Battle of Solferino The Battle of Solferino (referred to in Italy as the Battle of Solferino and San Martino) on 24 June 1859 resulted in the victory of the allied Second French Empire, French Army under Napoleon III and Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, Piedmont-Sard ...

, during which he was wounded twice. Paul de Ladmirault statue in Montmorillon

In 1863 he was made commander of the 2nd division of the

French Imperial Guard The Imperial Guard (French: ''Garde Impériale'') was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he ...

, in 1865 he was appointed deputy governor of

French Algeria French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...

and the named

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 ...

in 1866. After a period as commander of the military camp at Châlons, he assumed command of II Corps at

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the No ...

in 1867. During the Franco-Prussian War he was placed in command of the IV Corps of the ''Army of the Rhine'', taking part in the battles of Mars-la-Tour and Saint-Privat; during the latter he repulsed the German attack at Amanvillers. After the capitulation of the

Bazaine Bazaine is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolphe Bazaine-Vasseur (1809–1893), French railway engineer * François Achille Bazaine François Achille Bazaine (13 February 181123 September 1888) was an officer of the Fren ...

's army however, he became a Prussian prisoner of war. He was freed in order to take part in the assault against the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defende ...

, during which he led the assault against the Gate of Saint-Ouen and

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

. After the suppression of the Commune, he was named

military governor of Paris The Military governor of Paris is a post within the French Army. He commands the garrison of Paris and represents all the military based in Paris at high state occasions. He is also responsible (subordinate to the President of France) for organiz ...

, a post he held until 1878. He also succeeded Marshal Mac-Mahon as commander of the Army of Versailles when the latter became

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency i ...

. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1879 Presidential election, and died on 1 February 1898 at Sillars.

Decorations

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 ...

: # Knight in 1840 # Officer in 1845 # Commander in 1847 # Grand Officer in 1859 # Grand Cross in 1867 *

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

in 1871 *

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the ...

References

Sources

*J. de la Faye : ''le général de Ladmirault (1808-1898)'' (Paris vers 1900) *Maguy Gallet-Villechange : ''Le général Paul de Ladmirault, un enfant du Poitou sous les aigles impériales'' (Anovi, 2008).

External links

Photos and short biographical note
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladmirault, Paul De 1808 births 1898 deaths People from Montmorillon French generals Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Military governors of Paris École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Senators of Vienne