Battle of Mazagran
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mazagran was an alleged encounter between Algerian resistance forces and French troops during the French conquest of Algeria
. The small French contingent, holed up in a fortification at Mazagran, near the port city of Mostaganem
, withstood several days of assault by `Abd al-Qādir's resistance. Unaware that the French defenders were running short of gunpowder, al-Qādir's troops withdrew after several days of ineffectual activity.
While the standoff was a relatively minor affair, the French press touted the event as a great success. Captain La Lièvre was rewarded for his success, and a medal was struck commemorating the action. Accusations were made in the British press that the event never occurred, which the French government never addressed; while accounts of the battle were widely disseminated in the 19th century, firm documentary evidence is unclear on whether the battle actually took place as described in those accounts.
, which had begun in 1830
, entered a new phase when `Abd al-Qādir renewed the struggle after French troops violated his interpretation of the 1837 Treaty of Tafna
.
Lieutenant Colonel Dubuessil, the commander of the French garrison at Mostaganem
, ordered Captain La Lièvre and 122 men from the 10th Company of the Battalion of Africa to occupy a small fort in the town of Mazagran
. They arrived at the fort on 1 February, which was fortified with a single 4-pound gun, one barrel of gunpowder
, and between 30,000 and 40,000 cartridges of ammunition.
Khami's force, numbering anywhere from ten to twenty thousand (although many sources center on twelve to fifteen thousand) consisted primarily of cavalry, and there was also an infantry regiment. The army had two eight-pound guns, but was apparently not able to use them effectively. For about two day, the battle raged around the fort, but the disciplined garrison was able to repulse all of the attacks.
There was then a break in the fighting, so La Lièvre inventoried the remaining supplies, and determined that only 10,000 rounds remained. He proposed to his men to continue fighting until the ammunition was exhausted, and then to blow up the barrel of gunpowder as their last stand. This proposal was enthusiastically agreed to by his men, and the battle was once again joined. The battle persisted for two more days, until Dubuessil finally sent a relief column, prompting the Algerians to withdraw.
and a promotion as a reward for leading the spirited defence. The French government issued a commemorative medal celebrating the victory, and there is today a Rue Mazagran in Paris.
Morning Chronicle
published an accusation that the event as described was a hoax, and challenged the French government to substantiate it. These accusations received limited coverage in the French press; the French government did not apparently respond. One correspondent to a British military journal took issue with the Morning Chronicle reporting, describing an encounter with a French officer who claimed that something resembling the affair took place, but was significantly puffed up. He reported that La Lièvre was embarrassed over the attention and honours he had received (although he did keep them), and eventually requested a transfer out of his regiment. A later French analysis of the affair placed the Arab strength at between five and six hundred.
French conquest of Algeria
The French conquest of Algeria took place between 1830 and 1847. Using an 1827 diplomatic slight by Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers, against its consul as a pretext, France invaded and quickly seized Algiers in 1830, and rapidly took control of other coastal communities...
. The small French contingent, holed up in a fortification at Mazagran, near the port city of Mostaganem
Mostaganem
Mostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
, withstood several days of assault by `Abd al-Qādir's resistance. Unaware that the French defenders were running short of gunpowder, al-Qādir's troops withdrew after several days of ineffectual activity.
While the standoff was a relatively minor affair, the French press touted the event as a great success. Captain La Lièvre was rewarded for his success, and a medal was struck commemorating the action. Accusations were made in the British press that the event never occurred, which the French government never addressed; while accounts of the battle were widely disseminated in the 19th century, firm documentary evidence is unclear on whether the battle actually took place as described in those accounts.
Background
In 1839, the French conquest of AlgeriaFrench conquest of Algeria
The French conquest of Algeria took place between 1830 and 1847. Using an 1827 diplomatic slight by Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers, against its consul as a pretext, France invaded and quickly seized Algiers in 1830, and rapidly took control of other coastal communities...
, which had begun in 1830
Invasion of Algiers in 1830
The Invasion of Algiers in 1830 was a large-scale military operation by which the Kingdom of France, ruled by Charles X, invaded and conquered the Ottoman Regency of Algiers...
, entered a new phase when `Abd al-Qādir renewed the struggle after French troops violated his interpretation of the 1837 Treaty of Tafna
Treaty of Tafna
The Treaty of Tafna was signed by both Abd-el-Kader and General Thomas Robert Bugeaud on May 30, 1837. This agreement was developed after French imperial forces sustained heavy losses and military reversals in Algeria. The terms of the treaty entailed Abd-el-Kader recognizing French imperial...
.
Lieutenant Colonel Dubuessil, the commander of the French garrison at Mostaganem
Mostaganem
Mostaganem is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran...
, ordered Captain La Lièvre and 122 men from the 10th Company of the Battalion of Africa to occupy a small fort in the town of Mazagran
Mazagran
Mazagran is a kind of drinkware usually used for coffee, which is named after a town of Mazagran in Algeria.-Overview:A battle took place there in 1840 between French soldiers and Algerians and the legend says that during the night, the 123 besieged French soldiers drank coffee laced with brandy ....
. They arrived at the fort on 1 February, which was fortified with a single 4-pound gun, one barrel of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
, and between 30,000 and 40,000 cartridges of ammunition.
Battle
According to some sources, Algerian resistance forces under the command of Ben Khami (one of al-Qādir's lieutenants) began arriving and surrounding the fort as early as the evening of 1 February, with actual organized assault beginning either then or the next day. Other sources place the arrival of these forces on 2 February, with attack commencing the next day. The duration of the battle is reported to be either three or four days.Khami's force, numbering anywhere from ten to twenty thousand (although many sources center on twelve to fifteen thousand) consisted primarily of cavalry, and there was also an infantry regiment. The army had two eight-pound guns, but was apparently not able to use them effectively. For about two day, the battle raged around the fort, but the disciplined garrison was able to repulse all of the attacks.
There was then a break in the fighting, so La Lièvre inventoried the remaining supplies, and determined that only 10,000 rounds remained. He proposed to his men to continue fighting until the ammunition was exhausted, and then to blow up the barrel of gunpowder as their last stand. This proposal was enthusiastically agreed to by his men, and the battle was once again joined. The battle persisted for two more days, until Dubuessil finally sent a relief column, prompting the Algerians to withdraw.
Aftermath
Newspapers in Paris were filled with news of the battle, and it was the talk of the city. A copy of the fort at Mazagran was erected on the Champs Elysées, and all kinds of merchandise was produced that commemorated the event. When word arrived that none of the defenders were killed (although some reports indicate that three were killed), funds raised for the widows and orphans were returned. La Lièvre received the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and a promotion as a reward for leading the spirited defence. The French government issued a commemorative medal celebrating the victory, and there is today a Rue Mazagran in Paris.
Accusation of hoax
The LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Morning Chronicle
Morning Chronicle
The Morning Chronicle was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London, England, and published under various owners until 1862. It was most notable for having been the first employer of Charles Dickens, and for publishing the articles by Henry Mayhew which were collected and published in book format in...
published an accusation that the event as described was a hoax, and challenged the French government to substantiate it. These accusations received limited coverage in the French press; the French government did not apparently respond. One correspondent to a British military journal took issue with the Morning Chronicle reporting, describing an encounter with a French officer who claimed that something resembling the affair took place, but was significantly puffed up. He reported that La Lièvre was embarrassed over the attention and honours he had received (although he did keep them), and eventually requested a transfer out of his regiment. A later French analysis of the affair placed the Arab strength at between five and six hundred.