Edgard De Trentinian
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Louis Edgard de Trentinian (25 August 1851 – 24 May 1942) was a French soldier during the colonial era before
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 ...
. He fought in
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...
, and later was governor of the
French Sudan French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formall ...
. He commanded troops in the early part of World War I.


Early years

Louis Edgard de Trentinian was born in
Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...
on 25 August 1851, His family was hereditary nobility of Breton origin, with a military tradition. His father Louis-Arthur-Ernest (1822-1885), Count of Trentinian, was a brigadier-general. His grandfather was a commander in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. Louis Edgard de Trentinian was raised in
Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
. He fought in 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 ...
(1870-1871), and was made
chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur 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 ...
at the age of nineteen for his valor in the field. Wounded battle Marchenoir.
/ref> He then attended the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, graduating in 1872.


Indochina

On 9 October 1873, second lieutenant Trentinian was in charge of a detachment of marine infantry with two sergeants and twenty eight corporals and soldiers that was dispatched to
Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the ...
. He served under
Francis Garnier Marie Joseph François Garnier (; 25 July 1839 – 21 December 1873) was a French officer, inspector of Indigenous Affairs of Cochinchina and explorer. He eventually became mission leader of the Mekong Expedition of 1866–68, Mekong Exploration C ...
, and participated in the successful attack on the
Hanoi Citadel Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red and Black Rivers). As a municipality, Hanoi consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural d ...
, which he entered at Garnier's side. Using steam-powered gunboats for transport, he was involved in various military actions as the French attempted to consolidate their control in Tonkin. These efforts were temporarily abandoned after the death of Garnier on 21 December 1873. On 3 January he was ordered to evacuate the town of Hai Duong, despite his protests against abandoning the French allies to the Vietnamese. He was acting lieutenant governor of
Cochinchina Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; ; ; ; ) is a historical exonym and endonym, exonym for part of Vietnam, depending on the contexts, usually for Southern Vietnam. Sometimes it referred to the whole of Vietnam, but it was commonly used to refer t ...
from 4 March 1881 to 4 November 1881. He left Indochina in 1892. In 1893 he was appointed colonel.


Africa

On 1 July 1895 Trentinian was made the military and administrative head of the
French Sudan French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formall ...
(modern
Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
). During his term of office he had to deal with attacks by the
Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym, depending on variety: ''Imuhaɣ'', ''Imušaɣ'', ''Imašeɣăn'' or ''Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group, traditionally nomadic pastoralists, who principally inhabit th ...
s from the north. The French occupied
Ouagadougou Ouagadougou or Wagadugu (, , , ) is the capital city of Burkina Faso, and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It is also the List of cities in Burkina Faso#Largest cities, country's largest city, wi ...
and defeated
Samori Ture Samori Ture ( – June 2, 1900), also known as Samori Toure, Samory Touré, or Almamy Samore Lafiya Toure, was a Mandinka people, Malinke and a Soninke people, Soninke Muslim cleric, military strategist, and founder of the Wassoulou Empire, an Is ...
, founder of the founder of the
Wassoulou Empire The Samorian state, also referred to as the Wassoulou empire, Ouassalou empire, Mandinka empire or Samory's empire, was a short-lived West African state that existed from roughly 1878 until 1898, although dates vary from source to source. It span ...
. Samori was taken prisoner, and in September 1898 Trentinian announced that due to the clemency of the French government he would be deported to
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
. The French forces went on to take
Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...
and suppressed a revolt in Macina. Trentinian also oversaw establishment of regional structures, construction of a railway linking Sudan to Senegal, and development of agriculture and rural crafts. The reporter and traveler
Félix Dubois Albert Félix Dubois (16 September 1862 – 1 June 1945) was a French journalist, explorer and entrepreneur who is best known for his books about his travels in French West Africa. Dubois was the son of a well-known chef who had written a nu ...
obtained his support to establish a commercial trucking service in the colony. Trentinian agreed that the colony would improve the road between Toukoto and
Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...
at its own expense. On 16 December 1898 the first truck was landed at
Kayes Kayes ( Bambara: ߞߊߦߌ tr. ''Kayi'', Soninké: ''Xaayi'') is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River with a population of 127,368 at the 2009 census. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The city is loc ...
in a ceremony attended by Trentinian.


Later career

In 1898 Trentinian was made Brigadier and transferred to Madagascar. He left Africa in 1899. In
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 ...
he helped repel the German advance on Paris, leading troops to the front in taxis. He was dismissed due to the number of his soldiers that died at Ethe. He died in Paris on 24 May 1942. The Place des Généraux-de-Trentinian in Paris' quartier de la Porte-Dauphine, was renamed 1994 in honor of father and son.


Bibliography

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References

Citations Sources * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Trentinian, Edgard French generals 1851 births 1942 deaths People from Brest, France French Army generals of World War I 19th-century French military personnel