Gustave Rolland (16 July 1809 – 23 April 1871) was a French engineer, soldier and politician.

Early years (1809–48)

Gustave Rolland was born on 16 July 1809 in Vatimont, Moselle. His parents were Félix Rolland (1783–1848) and Joséphine Barbe Cécile Rolland (born 1784). His brother was the inventor Eugène Rolland (1812–85). Rolland was described as having blond hair, clean shaven, straight nose, chestnut eyes, small mouth, round chin, full face and height of . Rolland entered the

École Polytechnique (, ; also known as Polytechnique or l'X ) is a ''grande école'' located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The school was founded in 1794 by mat ...

in 1827 and graduated as an army engineer. His first posting was to Mézières, where he undertook a project to make a canal beside the citadel. Fifteen years later he was assigned to

Thionville Thionville (; ; ) is a city in the northeastern French Departments of France, department of Moselle (department), Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle (river), Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz. History Thionvi ...

, where he was able to establish a mobile defensive barrier. He prepared elements of it in experiments in Metz. Rolland reached the rank of captain.

Deputy (1848–49)

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 ...

Gustave Rolland was elected a deputy for the Moselle department in the National Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1848. He stood in place of Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who had chosen another department, and won by a decisive margin. He sat with the Right group. He voted for the Rateau proposal, for the banning of clubs, for the expedition to Rome and against the indictment of the President and the Ministers. In 1849 he failed to be reelected to the Legislative Assembly. He left office on 26 May 1849.

Later career (1849–71)

Rolland lived in retirement during the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...

. He married Bernardine Marie Léonie Dauss around 1850, daughter of Benjamin Dausse (1801–90), an engineer of the Corps des Ponts et Chaussées. Their son was Georges Rolland, born in Paris on 23 January 1852. 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 ...

he served as a battalion commander in the

Siege of Paris (1870–71) Siege of Paris may refer to: *Siege of Paris (845), the Viking siege by Reginherus, possibly Ragnar Lodbrok * Siege of Paris (885–886), the Viking siege by Rollo * Siege of Paris (978), by Otto II of Germany, and Holy Roman Emperor * Siege of Pari ...

. He was promoted to 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 ...

on 7 January 1871. Gustave Rolland died on 23 April 1871 in

Versailles, Yvelines Versailles ( , ) is a commune in the department of the Yvelines, Île-de-France, known worldwide for the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, which is designated an UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the western suburbs ...

. His son, Georges Rolland, became an engineer in the

Corps des mines The () is the foremost technical Grand Corps of the French State (). It is composed of the state industrial engineers. The Corps is attached to the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. Its purpose is to entice French students in mathematic ...

in 1877, and later became president of the Société des Aciéries de Longwy and a member of the board of the Comité des Forges de France.

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rolland, Gustave 1809 births 1871 deaths People from Moselle (department) Politicians from Grand Est Party of Order politicians Members of the 1848 Constituent Assembly