Solomon Braun (1868–1899) was a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

of artillery, born at

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1868 and died in Togbao,

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

, in 1899. His father, a poor peddler, observing Solomon's capacity for learning, made the greatest sacrifices to give him a good education. Solomon successfully passed the competitive examination for 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 ...

'', whence he graduated as lieutenant of

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

. In 1897 he obtained permission from the

Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

to join the perilous expedition for the exploration of

Lake Chad Lake Chad (, Kanuri language, Kanuri: ''Sádǝ'', ) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of . ...

under Lieutenant

Henri Bretonnet Henri-Etienne Bretonnet (1864, Mézières-sur-Seine – 1899) was a French naval officer, killed with most of his men in the battle of Togbao. Second Mizon mission Bretonnet entered in the navy by attending the École Navale, the Navy Academy in c ...

. The expedition was surprised by the forces of

Rabih az-Zubayr Rabih az-Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah (; c. 1842 – April 22, 1900), also known as Rabih Fadlallah and usually known as Rabah in French, was a Sudanese warlord and slave trader who established a powerful empire east of Lake Chad, in today's Chad. B ...

, ruler of the region, and almost every member of the mission was killed, Solomon included.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Braun, Solomon People of French Equatorial Africa 19th-century French Jews French military personnel killed in action 19th century in Chad Military personnel from Paris 1868 births 1899 deaths 19th-century French military personnel