- Pierre Bosquet
Infobox Military Person
name=Pierre Bosquet
caption=Pierre Bosquet during the Crimean War
born=8 November 1810
died=5 February 1861
placeofbirth=Mont-de-Marsan ,France
placeofdeath=Pau,France
nickname=
allegiance=France
branch=French Army
serviceyears=1833-1861
rank=General de division
unit=
commands=2nd Infantry Division, Army of the Orient
II Corps, Army of the Orient
battles=Crimean War
*Battle of Alma
*Battle of Balaclava
*Battle of Inkerman
awards=Marshal of France
Grand Cross of the Légion d’HonneurMédaille militaire
GCB
Order of the Medjidieh: 1st Class
relations=
laterwork=SenatorPierre François Joseph Bosquet (
8 November ,1810 -5 February ,1861 ) was a French soldier. He served asGeneral during the conquest ofAlgeria and theCrimean War ; returning from Crimea he was madeMarshal of France and senator.Biography
He entered the artillery in 1833, and a year later went to
Algeria . Here he soon made himself remarkable not only for technical skill but the moral qualities indispensable for high command. Becomingcaptain in 1839, he greatly distinguished himself at the actions ofSidi-Lakhdar andOued-Melah . He was soon given the command of a battalion of nativetirailleur s, and in 1843 was thanked in general orders for his brilliant work against theFlittahs .In 1845 he became
lieutenant-colonel , and in 1847colonel of a French line regiment. In the following year he was in charge of theOran district, where his swift suppression of an insurrection won him further promotion to the grade ofgeneral of brigade , in which rank he went through the campaign ofKabulia , receiving a severe wound. In 1853 he returned to France after nineteen years' absence, ageneral of division .Bosquet was amongst the earliest chosen to serve in the
Crimean War , and at theBattle of Alma his division led the French attack. When the Anglo-French troops formed the siege ofSevastopol , Bosquet's corps of two divisions protected them against interruption. His timely intervention at theBattle of Inkerman (5 November 1854 ) secured the victory for the allies. During 1855 Bosquet's corps occupied the right wing of the besieging armies opposite theMamelon andMalakov . He himself led his corps at the storming of the Mamelon (7 June), and at the grand assault of 8 September he was in command of the whole of the storming troops. In the struggle for the Malakov he received another serious wound.At the age of forty-five Bosquet, now one of the foremost soldiers in Europe, became a senator and a marshal of France, but his health was broken, and he lived only a few years longer. He was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Bath , the Grand Cross of theLégion d'honneur and Order of the Medjidieh: 1st Class.Quotations
Bosquet uttered the memorable line, referring to the
Charge of the Light Brigade , "C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre: c'est de la folie" ("It is magnificent, but it is not war: it is madness").Decorations
*
Légion d'honneur
**Knight (15 May 1838)
**Officer (10 December 1849)
**Commander (7 August 1851)
**Grand Officer (21 October 1854)
**Grand Cross (22 September 1855)
*Médaille militaire (1 November 1855)
*Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Bath (UK)
*Crimea Medal (UK)References
*1911
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