Albert Lantonnois Van Rode
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Albert Bruno Amédée Lantonnois van Rode (19 June 1852 – 2 April 1934) was a Belgian Lieutenant General descendant from an aristocratic family. He was Vice-Governor General of the
Congo Free State The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo (), was a large Sovereign state, state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold II, the const ...
and later commanded a division during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Early years

Lantonnois van Rode was born in
Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...
on 19 June 1852, son of Lambert Lantonnois and Emilie Hubertine Ghislaine van Rode de Schellebrouck. He entered the Military Academy in April 1870, and was appointed second lieutenant on 8 April 1872. On 10 December 1877 he was appointed to the first regiment of guides. He was commander of the 8th Line Regiment (1903–1905) and of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers (1905–1908). Lantonnois was commander of the West Flanders Province from 1908 to 1909.


Congo

In November 1905 Lantonnois was stationed as Vice-Governor General of the Congo at Boma, the main port and capital of the colony. In July 1906 he sent a troop of 20 soldier to Kingoye on the border with the French Congo to establish Belgian authority. The Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) mission at Yakusu, just below the Stanley Falls, was at first on good terms with the authorities. However, as their influence grew there were rumours that the British planned to take over the region. In January 1907 the Lantonnois ordered the district commissioner of the Orientale Province to take vigorous measures to counter the influence of the Protestants. In June 1908 Lantonnois received a request from Colonel Jan Oomen for permission to be allowed to build a mission at
Basankusu Basankusu is a town in Province of Équateur, Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Basankusu Territory. In 2004, it had an estimated population of 23,764. It has a gravel Basank ...
. Lantonnois forwarded Oomen's request to the Colonial Ministry in Brussels, where there was a long delay before permission was obtained. In November 1909 Lantonnois had to deal with a crisis when a British force from
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
moved into the Mfumbiro region to the north of
Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which ...
. He moved troops into the region and asked permission to attack, which was refused by the Belgian authorities, who correctly considered that arbitration would be a more profitable approach.


Later career

Lantonnois was Inspector-General of the Infantry from 1913 to 1914. He was Commander of the 6th Army Division from 1914 until January 1915. He was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Infantry. Lantonnois van Rode married Marie Thérèse Joséphine Goethals, and they had three children. He died at
Ixelles (French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Pentagon (Brussels), Brusse ...
on 2 April 1934.


Honours

* : ** Grand Officer Order of Leopold ** Grand Officer Order of the Crown ** War Cross * : Knight of the Order of the African Star


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lantonnois Van Rode, Albert 1852 births 1934 deaths Belgian Army generals of World War I Congo Free State officials People from Mons, Belgium 19th-century Belgian military personnel Commanders of the Legion of Honour Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Royal Military Academy (Belgium) alumni