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Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy (; 18 March 18234 January 1883) was a French
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
, notable for his successes during the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
and as a governor of
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
.


Biography

Born in Nouart in the department of
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
, France, the son of a cavalry officer, Chanzy was educated at the naval school at Brest, but enlisted in the artillery. He subsequently attended the military academy Saint Cyr, and was commissioned in the ''
Zouaves The Zouaves () were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army and other units modelled on it, which served between 1830 and 1962, and served in French North Africa. The zouaves were among the most decorated units of the French Army ...
'' during 1843. He participated in a good deal of fighting in Algeria, and was promoted lieutenant in 1848, and to captain in 1851. He became ''chef de bataillon'' in 1856, and served in the
Second Italian War of Independence The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859 (Italian: ''Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana''; German: ''Sardinischer Krieg''; French: ...
, being present at the battles of
Magenta Magenta () is a purple-red color. On color wheels of the RGB color model, RGB (additive) and subtractive color, CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located precisely midway between blue and red. It is one of the four colors of ink used in colo ...
and
Solferino Solferino ( Upper Mantovano: ) is a small town and municipality in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, approximately south of Lake Garda. It is best known as being close to the site of the Battle of Solferino on 24 June 1859, part ...
. He participated with the
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
n campaign of 1860–61 as a lieutenant-colonel, and as colonel commanded the 45th Regiment at Rome in 1864. He returned to Algeria as general of brigade, assisted to quell the Arab insurrection, and commanded the subdivisions of Bel Abbes and
Tlemçen Tlemcen (; ) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran and is the capital of Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the port of Rachgoun. It had a population o ...
in 1868. Although Chanzy had acquired a good professional reputation, he was in disfavor at the war office because of suspected contributions to the press, and when the war with Prussia began he was refused a brigade command. After the revolution, however, the government of national defence recalled him from Algeria, made him a general of division, and gave him command of the XVI Corps of the
Army of the Loire An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...
. The Loire army won the greatest success of the French during the entire war at Coulmiers, and followed this with another victorious action at Patay; in both engagements General Chanzy's corps performed the best. After the Second Battle of Orléans and the separation of the two wings of the French army, Chanzy was appointed to command that of the west, designated the second army of the Loire. His enemies, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II divided ...
, Prince Frederick Charles of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, and General von der Tann, all regarded Chanzy as their most formidable opponent. Chanzy displayed conspicuous moral courage and constancy, not less than technical skill, in the fighting from the Battle of Beaugency to the Loire. Nevertheless, his army of badly armed conscripts suffered a great defeat at the
Battle of Le Mans The Battle of Le Mans was a German victory during the Franco-Prussian War that ended French resistance in western France. Background After capturing the armies of the Second French Empire, French Empire at Battle of Sedan, Sedan and Siege of M ...
in January 1871. Chanzy successfully retired to Laval behind the
Mayenne Mayenne ( ) is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Il ...
but his forces had been depleted severely. He was made a grand officer 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 was elected to the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. At the beginning of the Commune rebellion, Chanzy, then in Paris, was captured by the insurgents, by whom he was forced to give his parole not to serve against them. It was said that he would otherwise have been appointed instead of Patrice MacMahon to command the army of Versailles. A ransom of £40,000 was also paid by the government for him. In 1872, Chanzy became a member of the committee of defence and commander of the VII Corps, and in 1873 was appointed governor of Algeria and commander of XIX Corps, where he remained for six years. In 1875, he was elected a life senator, in 1878 received the grand cross of the Legion of Honour, and in 1879, without his consent, was nominated for the presidency of the republic, receiving a third of the total votes. From 1879 to 1882 Chanzy was ambassador to Russia, during which time he received many tokens of respect, not only from the Russians, but also from the German emperor, William I, and
Prince Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
. He died suddenly, while commanding the VI Corps (stationed nearest to the German frontier), at Châlons-sur-Marne now Châlons-en-Champagne, only a few days after Leon Gambetta, and he received a state funeral. Chanzy was the author of ''La Deuxième Armée de la Loire'' (1872). Statues of General Chanzy have been erected at Nouart and Le Mans. Chanzy was immortalized in Anatole France's classic fiction The Wicker Work Woman.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanzy, Antoine 1823 births 1883 deaths People from Ardennes (department) French generals French life senators French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War 19th-century French diplomats Ambassadors of France to the Russian Empire Governors general of Algeria Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles People of the Second Italian War of Independence