Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier, 1st Duc de Malakoff (6 November 179422 May 1864), was a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

. He served in Algeria where he became widely known for his cruel conduct and extermination of entire tribes. He also served elsewhere, and as a general commanded the French forces in the Crimean War.

Biography

Pélissier was born at Maromme ('' Seine Inférieure''), of a family of prosperous artisans, his father being employed in a powder-magazine. After attending the military college of La Flèche and the special school of St Cyr, he entered the army in 1815 as second-lieutenant in an artillery regiment. Brilliant examination results in 1819 secured his appointment to the staff. He served as '' aide-de-camp'' in the Spanish campaign of 1823, and in the Morea expedition 1828–1829. In 1830, he took part in the expedition to Algeria, and on his return was promoted to the rank of '' chef d'escadron''. Endnote: See Marbaud, ''Le Maréchal Pélissier'' (1863), Castille, ''Portraits historiques'', 2nd series (1859). After some years of staff service in Paris, he was again sent to Algeria as chief of staff of the province of

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and remained there until the Crimean War, taking a leading part in many important operations. However, the severity of his conduct in suffocating the whole Ouled Riah tribe in the Dahra or Dahna caves, near Mostaganem, where they had taken refuge (18 June 1845), aroused such indignation in Europe that Marshal Soult, the minister of war, publicly expressed his regret; but Marshal Bugeaud, the governor-general of Algeria, not only approved, but secured for Pélissier the rank of général de brigade (Brigadier-General), which he held until 1850, when he was promoted to général de division (Major-General). In 1852 he successfully commanded the Siege of Laghouat. After the battles of October and November 1854 before Sevastopol, Pélissier was sent to the Crimea, where on 16 May 1855 he succeeded Marshal Canrobert as commander-in-chief of the French forces before the Siege of Sevastopol. His command was marked by relentless pressure of the enemy and unalterable determination to conduct the campaign without interference from Paris. His perseverance was crowned with success in the storming of the Tower of Malakoff on 8 September which ended the Siege of Sevastopol, crowning the Anglo-French Crimean War against Russia with victory. On the 12th he was promoted to marshal. On his return to Paris he was named senator, created ''Duke of Malakoff'' (22 July 1856; the only other victory title awarded by Napoleon III, also ducal, was for the victory by Patrice de MacMahon in the battle of Magenta, in the Italian campaign), and rewarded with a grant of 100,000 francs per annum. From March 1858 to May 1859, he was French ambassador in London, but was recalled to take command of the army of observation on the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

. In the same year, he became Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour. In 1860, he was appointed Governor-General of unruly colony of Algeria.

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

the Duke died there in 1864, when the dukedom became extinct.

Honours

* : Baton of Maréchal de France * : Grand Chancelier and Grand Croix of the Legion of Honour * : Médaille militaire * : Order of Saint Louis * : Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand * : Honorary Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (military division), ''12 November 1855''Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', I, London
p. 191
/ref> * : Crimea Medal * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold * : Grand Cordon of the Military Order of Savoy * : Sardinian Crimea Medal * : Order of Christ * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Glory * : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Medjidie

References

Heraldica.org- Napoleonic heraldry

Biography

Honours

See also

References

Popular culture