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General Jacques Charles René Achille Duchesne (3 March 1837 – 27 April 1918) was a 19th-century French military officer. He was born at
In 1895, Duchesne led the French invasion of ''African Proconsuls'' by Lewis H. Gann, Peter Duignan, p. 93
/ref> Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of
Sens
Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km southeast from Paris.
Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second la ...
and entered Saint-Cyr in 1855, aged 18, and became a lieutenant in 1861.
Career
Duchesne fought in theFranco-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 ...
in 1870–1871."He distinguished himself in the Franco-Prussian war, 1870-71" in ''The International Cyclopedia: A Compendium of Human Knowledge'' by Selim Hobart Peabody, Charles Francis Richardson – Encyclopedias and dictionaries (1898), p. 147 He became a lieutenant-colonel in 1881.
Tonkin and Formosa
In 1884-85, during the Sino-French War, Lieutenant-Colonel Duchesne distinguished himself both in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and Formosa (nowTaiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
). On 12 March 1884, during the Bắc Ninh Campaign, Duchesne was placed by General François de Négrier in command of the 2nd Brigade's attack on the forward defences of Bắc Ninh and led a successful charge into the Chinese-held village of Keroi.
In November 1884 Duchesne led a column of legionnaires, marine infantry and Tonkinese riflemen to relieve the Siege of Tuyên Quang, defeating Liu Yongfu
Liu Yongfu () (10 October 1837 – 9 January 1917) was a Chinese warlord, second president of the Republic of Formosa and commander of the celebrated Black Flag Army. Liu won fame as a Chinese patriot fighting against the French colonial empire, ...
's Black Flag Army
The Black Flag Army (; , chữ Nôm: ) was a splinter remnant of a bandit and mercenary group recruited largely from soldiers of ethnic Zhuang background and former Taiping soldiers who crossed the border in 1865 from Guangxi, China into north ...
at the Battle of Yu Oc (on 19 November 1884). In December 1884 he was appointed to the command of the Formosa expeditionary corps at Keelung
Keelung ( ; zh, p=Jīlóng, c=基隆, poj=Ke-lâng), Chilung or Jilong ( ; ), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan. The city is part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area with neighboring New Ta ...
in northern Taiwan. In January 1885 he assaulted the Chinese lines of investment around Keelung, capturing the advanced Chinese position of Fork Y. In March 1885 he launched a full-scale offensive against the Chinese lines at Keelung, making a bold flank march to attack the Chinese defences on their exposed eastern flank. The French offensive was completely successful. Duchesne's men captured the key Chinese positions of La Table and Fort Bamboo on 5 March and 7 March, respectively, forcing the Chinese to retreat to new positions south of the Keelung River.
Franco-Hova war
In 1895, Duchesne led the French invasion of Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
in the Second Franco-Hova War, disembarking his 15,000 troops at Majunga, and managing to capture Tananarive
Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
after seven months./ref> Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of
malaria
Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
and other diseases before the Second Franco- Hova War ended. The government signed a treaty that yielded significant powers to the French authorities but left the monarchy intact. Madagascar became a French protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
.
Notes
References
* * Lecomte, J., ''Lang-Son: combats, retraite et négociations'' (Paris, 1895)External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duchesne, Jacques 1837 births 1918 deaths People from Sens French generals Military history of Vietnam 1883 in Vietnam 1884 in Vietnam 1885 in Vietnam French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War French military personnel of the Sino-French War French military personnel of the Madagascar expeditions Place of death missing