Title
Marshall Bazaine.
Caption
1864. Marshall Bazaine. François Achille Bazaine (Versailles, 13th February, 1811 Madrid, 23rd September, 1888), french marshall. He served in Algeria, Crimea and Mexico, but he is best known for his failings during his role in as commander in charge of the Army of the Rhine and for having also contributed to the defeat of the French army during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. The officer Louis-Nathaniel Rossel was the first to openly denounce the marshall (in vain) before a military tribunal...After the fall of Sedan on the 2nd September, he represented the last hope of victory for the French army, but nonetheless withdrew from participation in combat and surrendered on the 27th October. An explanation is often provided for his surrender by way of suggesting that his lack of willingness to defend the government corresponded with a conflicting political ideology to that of the State. The news of the surrender affected France, to the point where General Trochu was not able to loosen the german stranglehold on Paris under siege. Léon Gambetta, leaving for Tours in the hope of amassaing a resistance force, understood later on that his efforts were in vain and he issued a proclomation explicitly accusing the General of treason. Bazaine's defection arrived just in time to liberate the german army headquarters; which had just rushed to New Orleans to deal with the mounting offensive of the Republican army. From then on, he took responsability for the moral burden for the defeat at Bazaine, and was brought before military tribunals on return from his time spent in captivity in 1873. Originally condemned to death, his sentenced was reduced to 20 years in prison, without a degredation ceremony, by the new Marshall-President Mac-Mahon, who had himself been defeated in Sedan. With the help of accomplices, he was able to escape on the night of the 9th 10th August 1874 and fled to Spain. He took refuge in Madrid where he sustained wounds when, on the 17th April 1887, a french travelling salesman, Louis Hillairaud, stabbed him in the face.
Date
1864
Credit line
Photo12/Hachedé
Reference
HAC07251_2004_P1900155
Model release
No
License type
Rights managed
Available size
61,8Mb (5,2Mb) / 12,7in x 18,9in / 3802 x 5683 (300dpi)