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GALLIFFET, GASTON ALEXANDRE AUGUSTE, ...

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 419 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GALLIFFET, GASTON See also:ALEXANDRE AUGUSTE, See also:MARQUIS DE , See also:Prince de Martignes (1830-1909), See also:French See also:general, was See also:born in See also:Paris on the 23rd of See also:January 183o. He entered the See also:army in 1848, was commissioned as sub-See also:lieutenant in 1853, and served with distinction at the See also:siege of See also:Sevastopol in 1855, in the See also:Italian See also:campaign of 1859, and in See also:Algeria in 186o, after which for a See also:time he served on the See also:personal See also:staff of the See also:emperor See also:Napoleon III. Hedisplayed See also:great gallantry as a See also:captain at the siege and See also:storm of See also:Puebla, in See also:Mexico, in 1863, when he was severely wounded, When he returned to See also:France to recover from his wounds he was entrusted with the task of presenting the captured See also:standards and See also:colours to the emperor, and was promoted chef d'escadrons. He went again to Algeria in 1864, took See also:part in expeditions against the See also:Arabs, returned to Mexico as lieutenant-See also:colonel, and, after winning further distinction, became in 1867 colonel of the 3rd Chasseurs d'Afrique. In the Franco-See also:German See also:War of 187o–71 he commanded this See also:regiment in the army of the See also:Rhine, until promoted to be general of See also:brigade on the 3oth of See also:August. At the See also:battle of See also:Sedan he led the brigade of Chasseurs d'Afrique in the heroic See also:charge of General See also:Margueritte's See also:cavalry See also:division, which extorted the admiration of the old See also:king of See also:Prussia. Made prisoner of war at the See also:capitulation, he returned to France during the siege of Paris by the French army of See also:Versailles, and commanded a brigade against the Communists. In the suppression of the See also:Commune he did his See also:duty rigorously and inflexibly, and on that ground earned a reputation for severity, which, throughout his later career, and in all his efforts to improve the French army, made him the See also:object of unceasing attacks in the See also:press and the chamber of deputies. In 1872 he took command of the Batna subdivision of Algeria, and commanded an expedition against El Golea, surmounting great difficulties in a rapid See also:march across the See also:desert, and inflicting severe chastisement on the revolted tribes. On the general reorganization of the army he commanded the 31st See also:infantry brigade. Promoted general of division in 1875, he successively commanded the 15th infantry division at See also:Dijon, the IX. army See also:corps at See also:Tours, and in 1882 the XII. army corps at See also:Limoges. In 1885 he became a member of the Conseil Sup6rieur de la Guerre.

He conducted the cavalry manoeuvres in successive years, and attained a See also:

European reputation on all cavalry questions, and, indeed, as an army See also:commander. Decorated with the See also:grand See also:cross of the See also:Legion of See also:Honour in 1887, he received the military See also:medal for his able conduct of the autumn manceuvres in 1891, and after again commanding at the manceuvres of 1894 he retired from the active See also:list. Afterwards he took an important part in French politics, as war See also:minister (22nd of See also:June 1899 to 29th of May 'goo) in M. Waldeck-See also:Rousseau's See also:cabinet, and distinguished himself by the firmness with which he dealt with cases of unrest in the army, but he then retired into private See also:life, and died on the 8th of See also:July 1909.

End of Article: GALLIFFET, GASTON ALEXANDRE AUGUSTE, MARQUIS DE

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