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

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

. 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, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

in 1861 during the

Second French intervention in Mexico The second French intervention in Mexico (), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was a military invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the French Empire of Napoleon III, purportedly to force the collection of Mexican de ...

and the conquest of

Vĩnh Long Province Vĩnh Long () is a province located in the Mekong Delta of southwestern Vietnam. Its capital is Vĩnh Long. Its population is 1,046,390 and its area is . Vĩnh Long (spelled 永隆 in the former Hán-Nôm writing system) is a Sino-Vietnamese na ...

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 or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

and the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

. Promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

in 1893 and

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

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 (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

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

Biography

Pottier was born in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

on 6 July 1839 and entered the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

as a cadet at Brest in 1855. Promoted to

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

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 Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

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 sloo ...

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

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Station. He was promoted to ''enseigne de vaisseau'' (ship-of-the-line

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

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

In October 1861, he reported aboard the aviso off

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

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. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

for operations in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

and at

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

. Pottier became second-in-command of the

screw A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

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

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

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-steam ...

. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 14 August 1866, he was ordered to the river gunboat , aboard which he took part in the conquest of

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 a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

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 commander, 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 give ...

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 oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...

Division. He took part in a

hydrographic survey Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore wind farms, offshore oil exploration and drilling and related activities. Surveys may als ...

Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

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

Antilles The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller groupings: the Greater An ...

Division, first as second-in-command of the steam frigate 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 operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

. Promoted to ''capitaine de frégate'' ( frigate captain) on 12 July 1881, Pottier became second-in-command of the steam frigate , which was serving as a training ship for midshipmen. In August 1882, he reported aboard the

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

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

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'' (

ship-of-the-line captain 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 (armed forces), 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 ...

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 ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

, 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 Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

Felice Napoleone Canevaro 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. Gran ...

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 navy, 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 protected cruiser – accompanied by the squadron's Italian flagship, the battleship , its Russian flagship, the

armored cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a pre-dreadnought battles ...

with the senior Russian commander Rear Admiral Nicholas Skrydloff aboard, and its British flagship, the battleship with

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

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

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...

, where Prince George of Greece and Denmark left his

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made 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 ...

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

Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; ; ) is a large 10th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine encyclopedia of the History of the Mediterranean region, ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas () or Souidas (). It is an ...

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

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

of the Ottoman

sultan Sultan (; ', ) 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 came to be use ...

. 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.

Honors and awards

of the

(20 September 1901) *

Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition The Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition () was a French commemorative campaign medal established by decree of Emperor of the French, French Emperor Napoleon III on 29 August 1863 to recognize military service during the 1862-1863 Se ...

* Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal * Palmes academiques Officier ribbon

Ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...

'' ()

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 Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques

Biography

Honors and awards

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography