The 1837 siege of Constantine was decided by

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

and the head of his government,

Count Molé Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

in the summer of 1837. At the time, during the consolidation of the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 ...

and recovery economic prosperity, the king was considering dissolving of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon ...

. As with

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and L ...

's 1830 expedition to Algiers, the king of France was seeking more votes in the upcoming elections by offering the country military glory and revenge for Clausel's failed expedition against Constantine in 1836. The preparation of the expedition at the end of August was marred by a bitter rivalry between the king's eldest sons, Prince Ferdinand Philippe and Prince Louis, who both vied for the honor to participate. The eldest considered that it was his right, while the second, who participated in the unsuccessful expedition of the previous year, was keen to avenge this humiliation. Ultimately it was the younger prince who participated.'"C'est beau, c'est grand, c'est bien: écrit Louis-Philippe à Molé le 31 août". (cité par Guy Antonetti, ''Louis-Philippe'', Paris, Fayard, 2002, p. 788). The army met in the camp Merdjez-Hammar, established on the banks of the Seybouse in

Guelma Province Guelma Province ( ar, ولاية قالمة) is a province ('' wilaya'') in eastern Algeria. Its namesake is its seat and most populous municipality: Guelma. History Its civilians suffered heavy casualties during the 1945 Sétif massacre by th ...

, halfway between Bôna and Constantine. Placed under the command of the Governor-General, General Damrémont, the army was formed in four brigades. The 1st Brigade in the vanguard was commanded by the Duke of Nemours, the second, third and fourth brigades were under the command of Generals Trezel and Rulhieres. General Valée commanded the artillery and General Rohault de Fleury the engineers. The French Army went from Bône on October 1. The siege started on October 10. On October 12, the victorious assault was begun by General Damrémont, and was, after Damrémont was killed, completed by his successor, the General Valée. The latter was raised to the rank of

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

on November 11 and appointed Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa on December 1.

References

*''The information in this article is based on that in its French equivalent''. {{Algerian resistance against French invasion Conflicts in 1837 Sieges involving France Constantine, Algeria October 1837 events Constantine

See also

References