Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau
Encyclopedia
Pierre Philippe Marie Aristide Denfert-Rochereau, (born Saint-Maixent-l'École
11 January 1823; died Versailles
11 May 1878), was a French
serviceman and politician. He achieved fame by successfully defending besieged Belfort
during the Franco-Prussian War
: this earned him the soubriquet the Lion of Belfort.
family, Pauline Surleau-Goguel.
Denfert-Rochereau graduated from Ecole Polytechnique
in 1842. He distinguished himself during the French expedition in Rome in 1849, and participated in the Crimean War
in 1855, where he was wounded at the taking of Malakoff
. He was then sent to Algeria from 1860 to 1864.
of the city by the German armies under August von Werder. When asked to surrender the fortress, the Colonel responded: "We are aware of our duty towards France and the Republic, and are resolved to respect it". Refusing to permit the evacuation of the civilian population, in December 1870 the Germans started to shell the city.
Denfert-Rochereau then led with his garrison of 15 000 men (of which only 3 500 were actual soldiers) and the city's population a 103 days resistance against the 40 000 soldiers of Werder. The heroic resistance would eventually end only under the order of the Government of National Defense
on the 18 February 1871: Denfert-Rochereau accepted to leave the stronghold with his troops and arms, freely and unconquered, avoiding the humiliation of a defeat.
Refusing the armistice, he urged (de facto) President Thiers
to pardon the young officer Louis-Nathaniel Rossel
—also a Protestant—who had join the Paris Commune
after the French defeat. Rossel was nevertheless executed on the 27 November 1871.
The resistance of Denfert-Rochereau saved the honour of France, otherwise humiliated by MacMahon's defeat at Sedan
and Bazaine
' surrender at Metz
. It also allowed Thiers to negotiate retention of the Belfort region
which thereby was separated from the rest of German annexed-Alsace.
A national hero, Denfer-Rochereau was elected to the National Assembly as a député. Here he supported Léon Gambetta
's policy. He died at Versailles in 1878. He is buried near to his spouse in the Montbéliard Cemetery.
The Place Denfert-Rochereau
in Paris (14th arrondissement of Paris, in the Montparnasse
district) was named after him in 1879.
Saint-Maixent-l'École
Saint-Maixent-l'École is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-Geography:Saint-Maixent-l'École is located in the Haut Val de Sèvre area of western France, about from Niort and from La Rochelle...
11 January 1823; died Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
11 May 1878), was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
serviceman and politician. He achieved fame by successfully defending besieged Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
: this earned him the soubriquet the Lion of Belfort.
Biography
Born in a middle-class Protestant family, he married a daughter of a leading MontbéliardMontbéliard
Montbéliard is a city in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.-History:...
family, Pauline Surleau-Goguel.
Denfert-Rochereau graduated from Ecole Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
in 1842. He distinguished himself during the French expedition in Rome in 1849, and participated in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
in 1855, where he was wounded at the taking of Malakoff
Battle of Malakoff
The Battle of Malakoff, during the Crimean War, was fought between the French and Russian armies on 7 September 1855 as a part of the Siege of Sevastopol and resulted in a French victory under General MacMahon. In one of the war's defining moments, the French zouave Eugène Libaut installed the...
. He was then sent to Algeria from 1860 to 1864.
Siege of Belfort
Appointed commander of Belfort in 1870, Colonel Denfert-Rochereau was confronted from November 1870 with the attack and the subsequent siegeSiege of Belfort
The Siege of Belfort was a 103-day military assault and blockade of the city of Belfort, France by Prussian forces during the Franco-Prussian War...
of the city by the German armies under August von Werder. When asked to surrender the fortress, the Colonel responded: "We are aware of our duty towards France and the Republic, and are resolved to respect it". Refusing to permit the evacuation of the civilian population, in December 1870 the Germans started to shell the city.
Denfert-Rochereau then led with his garrison of 15 000 men (of which only 3 500 were actual soldiers) and the city's population a 103 days resistance against the 40 000 soldiers of Werder. The heroic resistance would eventually end only under the order of the Government of National Defense
Government of National Defense
Le Gouvernement de la Défense Nationale, or The Government of National Defence, was the first Government of the Third Republic of France from September 4, 1870, to February 13, 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, formed after the Emperor Louis Napoleon III was captured by the Prussian army. The...
on the 18 February 1871: Denfert-Rochereau accepted to leave the stronghold with his troops and arms, freely and unconquered, avoiding the humiliation of a defeat.
Refusing the armistice, he urged (de facto) President Thiers
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers was a French politician and historian. was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871...
to pardon the young officer Louis-Nathaniel Rossel
Louis Rossel
Louis-Nathaniel Rossel was a French army officer and politician. On 19 March 1871 he became the only senior French officer to join up with the Paris Commune, and here he played an important rôle as Minister of War....
—also a Protestant—who had join the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
after the French defeat. Rossel was nevertheless executed on the 27 November 1871.
The resistance of Denfert-Rochereau saved the honour of France, otherwise humiliated by MacMahon's defeat at Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
and Bazaine
François Achille Bazaine
François Achille Bazaine was a French General and from 1864, a Marshal of France, who surrendered the last organized French army to the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian war. He was the first Marshal who had started as a legionnaire and like the great Marshals of the First Empire, he had risen...
' surrender at Metz
Siege of Metz
The Siege of Metz lasting from 19 August – 27 October 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a decisive Prussian victory.-History:...
. It also allowed Thiers to negotiate retention of the Belfort region
Territoire de Belfort
The Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
which thereby was separated from the rest of German annexed-Alsace.
A national hero, Denfer-Rochereau was elected to the National Assembly as a député. Here he supported Léon Gambetta
Léon Gambetta
Léon Gambetta was a French statesman prominent after the Franco-Prussian War.-Youth and education:He is said to have inherited his vigour and eloquence from his father, a Genovese grocer who had married a Frenchwoman named Massabie. At the age of fifteen, Gambetta lost the sight of his right eye...
's policy. He died at Versailles in 1878. He is buried near to his spouse in the Montbéliard Cemetery.
The Place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau, previously known as Place d'Enfer, is a public square located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France, in the Montparnasse district, at the intersection of the boulevards Raspail, Arago, and Saint-Jacques, and the avenues René Coty, Général Leclerc, and , as well as the...
in Paris (14th arrondissement of Paris, in the Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
district) was named after him in 1879.
Sources and references
- Adolphe Robert, Gaston Cougny (1889–1891). Dictionnaire des parlementaires français de 1789 à 1889. Edgard Bourloton.
- Biography (in French) of Denfert-Rochereau on the Assemblée Nationale (French Parliament)'s website: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/sycomore/fiche.asp?num_dept=2368