Abraham de Fabert, marquis d'Esternay (11 October 159917 May 1662) was a

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 ( ...

Biography

Fabert was the son of Abraham Fabert, seigneur de Moulins (died 1638), a famous printer who rendered great services, civil and military, to Henry IV. This article cites: *''Histoire du maréchal de Fabert'' (Amsterdam, 1697) *P. Barre, ''Vie de Fabert'' (Paris, 1752) *A. Feillet, ''Le Premier Maréchal de France plébéien'' (Paris, 1869) *Bourelly, ''Le Maréchal Fabert'' (Paris, 1880). Fabert, statue de Metz

At the age of fourteen, Abraham de Fabert, against his father's wish, entered the '' Gardes Françaises'', and in 1618 received a commission in the Piedmont regiment, becoming major in 1627. He distinguished himself repeatedly in the constant wars of the period, notably in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wit ...

and at the Siege of

Exilles Exilles ( Occitan: ''Eissilhas''; nonstandard Occitan: ''Isiya''; Piedmontese: ''Isiles''; Latin: ''Excingomagus'' or ''Scingomagus''; Italianization under Italian Fascism: ''Esille'') is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the I ...

in 1630. His bravery and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

skill were again displayed in the sieges of Avesnes and Maubeuge in 1637, and in 1642

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

made him governor of the recently acquired fortress of Sedan. In 1651 he became lieutenant-general, and in 1654 at the Siege of Stenay he introduced new methods of

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

craft which anticipated in a measure the great improvements of Vauban. In the 1620s, Fabert created a number of regional maps, particularly of the emerging eastern frontier from the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

south through

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

. In 1658 Fabert was made a marshal of France, being the first commoner to attain that rank. He died in 1662 from a pneumonia at Sedan, where he was governor.

References

External links

Encyclopædia Britannica, Abraham de Fabert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabert, Abraham de 1599 births 1662 deaths Marshals of France French military personnel of the Thirty Years' War