- Étienne Eustache Bruix
Infobox Military Person
name=Étienne Eustache Bruix
caption=Étienne Eustache Bruix, by E. Charpentier,
engraved by Ch. Geoffroy. 1840
born=1759
died=18 March 1805
placeofbirth=Fort Dauphin onSaint-Domingue
placeofdeath=Paris
nickname=
allegiance=French First Republic / First Empire
branch=Navy
serviceyears=1778-1805
rank=Admiral
unit=
commands=
battles=French Revolutionary Wars (invasion of Ireland),Napoleonic Wars
awards=
relations=
laterwork=French Naval Minister Étienne Eustache Bruix (1759,
Fort Dauphin onSaint-Domingue -18 March 1805 ,Paris ) was a French sailor.Life
From a distinguished family originating from
Béarn , he embarked as a volunteer on a merchant vessel. Two years later, in 1778, he was made a "garde de la marine", seeing his first campaign on the frigate "Fox", and his second on board the "Concorde". He served in various French squadrons sent to the aid of theUnited States of America in the American War of Independence, being made "enseigne de vaisseau".Named as commander of the "Pivert", he and
Puységur were charged with cruising round Saint-Domingue and re-mapping its coasts and harbors. "Lieutenant de vaisseau" at the start of theFrench Revolution , and becoming a member of theAcadémie de Marine in 1791, he was made captain on1 January 1793 , but discharged from the service for being a noble in October 1794. Retiring to the outskirts of Brest, he produced his memoirs under the title "Moyens d'approvisionner la marine par les seules productions du territoire français" (Means of Provisioning the Fleet Solely by What Is Produced in French Territory). This advocacy of navalautarky as a means of dealing with British blockades was read and appreciated by Napoleon and so Bruix was recalled to the navy in 1795 under the ministry ofLaurent Truguet , which entrusted the "Éole" to him. He held this command up to the moment he was sent to join Villaret-Joyeuse's squadron as a major general.Eustache Bruix was put in command of a division attached to admiral Justin Bonaventure Morard de Galles during the 1796 French invasion of Ireland.
Lazare Hoche noticed him on that campaign and named him contre-amiral in May 1797. He was made "Ministre de la Marine" from28 April 1798 . "Le bulletin de loi n° 198 du 8 floréal an VI" (7 May 1798 ) stated::By decree number 1814 a decision of the Executive Directory names citizen Bruix to the ministry of the navy and the colonies. The Executive Directory decides that Citizen Bruix, the contre-amiral, is to be named minister of the navy and the colonies, to replace citizenPleville Le Peley on his retirement. This present decision is printed in thebulletin des lois . For confirmation, Merlin, président of the executive directory, signed this. Signed by secretary general Lagarde.On entering office, he rushed to Brest to take personal command of the fleet that was about to sail into the Mediterranean (if it could get past the British blockade) to search in vain for the remnants of the Army of Egypt. A lucky wind came which dispersed the English blockading fleet and allowed Bruix out with 25
ships of the line [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Influence_of_Sea_Power_upon_History/Chapter_XIV] , but en route news was received thatAndré Masséna was besieged inGenoa (then known asGênes ) and needed help, so Bruix rerouted the fleet to theGulf of Genoa to resupply him, rallied Spanish ships to him on his return voyage, and re-entered Brest with them. (Meanwhile, news that a French fleet might be arriving in the Mediterranean had forced the English forces to redeploy, notably abandoning the blockade of Malta, and sending Admiral Keith in pursuit.)After this bold expedition, which became known as the
Cruise of Bruix after him, Bruix returned the navy portfolio on11 July 1799 , and took command of the fleet assembled at theîle d'Aix ready to sail to Spain, but the enemy reinforced their blockade, the admiral fell ill and thepeace of Amiens prevented the fleet from leaving port. A "vice-amiral" from13 March 1799 , he was privy to the secret "coup d'état " that occurred on 18 brumaire, year 8 (9 November 1799).Napoléon Bonaparte named himadmiral in 1801 and "conseiller d'État " the following year.War having broken out again, Napoléon conceived a plan for a new invasion of England, and put Bruix in command of the flotilla based at Boulogne that would carry the invasion troops across the
English Channel . Bruix deployed all his energies towards the preparations but was obliged to return to Paris, where he died of tuberculosis at only 45. The Boulevard de l'Amiral-Bruix in Paris is named after him.ee also
*
Napoleonic Wars ources
*fr icon [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Biographie_des_c%C3%A9l%C3%A9brit%C3%A9s_militaires_des_arm%C3%A9es_de_terre_et_de_mer_de_1789_%C3%A0_1850_%E2%80%94_B_%28suite%29#BRUIX_.28EUSTACHE.29 Étienne Eustache Bruix, in Charles Mullié, Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850, 1852]
External links
* [http://perso.wanadoo.fr/marine-imperiale/amiraux/bruix.htm Bruix]
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