Bertrand Théobald Joseph de Lacrosse (29 January 1796 – 28 March 1865) was a French soldier and politician. He was twice Minister of Public Works during the

French Second Republic The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852. Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...

Early years

Bertrand Théobald Joseph de Lacrosse was born in Brest, Finistère, on 29 January 1796, son of Admiral Jean-Baptiste Raymond, Baron Lacrosse (1765–1829). He was descended from an ancient family of the

Agenais Agenais (), or Agenois (), was an ancient region that became a county (Old French: ''conté'' or ''cunté'') of France, south of Périgord.Mish, Frederick C., Editor in Chief. "Agenais". ''Webster's Dictionary#The Collegiate Dictionary, Webster's N ...

. He was a student at the

Collège Sainte-Barbe The Collège Sainte-Barbe () is a former college in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. The Collège Sainte-Barbe was founded in 1460 on Montagne Sainte-Geneviève ( Latin Quarter, Paris). It was until its closure in June 1999 the "oldest ...

. In 1809 he entered the navy, and became a cadet in 1811. After a few campaigns on the frigate ''Hortense'' and the pram ''Ville de Mayence'' he joined the Army. He graduated from cavalry school in 1813 with the rank of second lieutenant in the cavalry of the Imperial Guard. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Dessau, where he was wounded, and took part, as a first lieutenant in the

Battle of Craonne The Battle of Craonne (7 March 1814) was a battle between an Imperial French army under Emperor Napoleon I opposing a combined army of Imperial Russians and Prussians led by Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. The War ...

(1814), where he received seventeen injuries. His conduct earned him the Cross 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 ...

and the rank of captain. He was discharged in 1815 and lived in retirement until the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

of 1830.

July Monarchy

On 1 August 1830 Lacrosse was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the National Guard of Brest. In 1831 he was promoted to colonel. He was also a member of the General Council of the Finistère. On 21 June 1834 he was elected as deputy for the 1st constituency of the Finistère, running on a Liberal platform. Lacrosse sat with the left and was mildly opposed to the policy of the ministers of King

Louis Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

. He was reelected on 4 November 1837, and joined the coalition against the

Louis-Mathieu Molé Louis-Mathieu, comte Molé (; 24 January 1781 – 23 November 1855) was a French statesman and a close friend and associate of Louis Philippe I, King of the French during the July Monarchy (1830–1848). Biography Molé was born in Paris. ...

ministry. Lacrosse was again elected on 2 March 1839, supported the policy of

Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic. Thi ...

and opposed

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...

. In 1842, after the ministerial journal ''le Globe'' had published allegations against his father, he fought a duel with the journalist Adolphe Granier de Cassagnac in which he was hit by a ball that fractured his thigh. He was reelected on 5 July 1842 and 1 August 1846. Throughout his time as deputy in the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

he paid special attention to naval affairs.

Second Republic

After the

February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...

of 1848, Lacrosse was elected representative of Finistère in the Constituent Assembly. In June he was given command of the departmental national guards. He was one of the secretaries, then one of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly. He then joined the Conservative party, voting regularly with the right. After the presidential election of 10 December 1848 Lacrosse gave his full support to the Government of

Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

, who made him Minister of Public Works from 29 December 1848 to 30 October 1849. For a few months he was also interim Minister of the Interior. He was reelected on 13 May 1849, representing the Finistère in the Legislative Assembly. He fully supported the government and the majority. He was named vice-president of the Assembly. From 26 October 1851 to 2 December 1851 he was again Minister of Public Works. During his two terms in this office he inaugurated the railways of the North, the East and Nantes. He began clearances near

the Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

and prepared for its final completion.

Second Empire

After the coup of 2 December 1851 Lacrosse was appointed a member of the Consultative Commission, and President of the section of the Navy and Finance in the interim Council of State. On 26 January 1852 he promoted to the senate, of which he became the secretary. He supported imperial policy in the senate until his death. Théobald de Lacrosse died in Paris on 28 March 1865, aged 69.

References

Citations Sources * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lacrosse, Bertrand Theobald Joseph de 1796 births 1865 deaths French Army officers Politicians from Brest, France Party of Order politicians Bonapartists Ministers of public works of France Members of the 3rd Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 4th Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 5th Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 6th Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 7th Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 1848 Constituent Assembly Members of the National Legislative Assembly of the French Second Republic