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Gaston D'AndlauFrench military leader, brigadier general and publicist
Date of Birth: 01.01.1824
Country:  France |
Content:
- Gaston Ardant Jouffroy d'Andlau: French General and Publicist
- Franco-Prussian War and Metz Controversy
- Later Career and Legacy
Gaston Ardant Jouffroy d'Andlau: French General and Publicist
Early Life and Military CareerGaston Ardant Jouffroy d'Andlau was born on January 1, 1824, in Nancy, France. He attended the École Militaire de Saint-Cyr, graduating in 1844 and commissioned as a lieutenant. In 1845, he was appointed to the General Staff.
D'Andlau distinguished himself as a captain at the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. After the Austro-Sardinian-French War of 1859, he was sent to Vienna as military attaché and acted as French commissioner in the demarcation of borders between Turkey and Serbia.
Franco-Prussian War and Metz Controversy
In 1870, as a colonel on the General Staff, d'Andlau was attached to the French Army of the Rhine. He participated in the Battle of Metz and was taken prisoner following the surrender of the fortress.
While in captivity, d'Andlau authored two controversial works: "Lettre d'un colonel d'état-major sur la capitulation de Metz" and "Metz, campagne et négociations." These writings blamed the Metz disaster on Marshal François Achille Bazaine, sparking public debate and contributing to Bazaine's eventual trial.
Later Career and Legacy
D'Andlau's writings drew criticism from some senior generals, and he was not promoted to brigadier general until 1879. He retired from active service on January 1, 1886.
Following his retirement, Gaston Ardant Jouffroy d'Andlau emigrated to the United States, where he died in New Orleans in January 1892. His writings and analysis of the Franco-Prussian War have continued to be studied and debated by historians.
