French military engineer of the French army, in the early 19th century

Auguste-Théodore Garnot was a Lieutenant Colonel of the Corps of Engineers in France, creator and first commander of the Fortification and Architecture Corps (i.e. the Corps of Engineers) of the Greek Army in Greece.

He was born on June 29, 1796, in Brest, Brittany, France. His father was named François and he worked as a Commissioner in the French Navy. His mother’s name was Jeanne Claudine Laugée.

Auguste-Théodore Garnot studied at the famous Polytechnic School in Paris.

In October 1827, while Kapodistrias was still in Paris, he asked his friend, and a French Ministry of War official, Count Nicolas Loverdos, to help him send a team of technical experts from France to Greece for the reconstruction of the cities, the creation of a road network and the restoration of ancient monuments. Kapodistrias also requested the deployment of a small number of French officers, who would be used as military advisers.

Kapodistrias’s request was accepted and at the suggestion of the French Minister of War, a team of engineers was sent to Greece. It included Stamatis Voulgaris, who was originally from the Ionian Islands, and the graduates of the Polytechnic School of Paris, Auguste-Théodore Garnot and the geographer Jean-Pierre-Eugéne-Félic Péytier. A little later Jean-Henri Pauzié-Banne, first commander of the Central War School in Nafplio (Military School of Cadets) followed. It is indeed true that training in the field of architecture was at an infantile level in Greece at that time.

French military engineer geographer of the French army, early 19th century

The Map of the Morea of 1832 (by Captain Pierre Peytier), the first map of the Greek territory ever drawn scientifically and according to geodetic principles (collection SHP)

Auguste-Théodore Garnot arrived in Greece in mid-1828, following Stamatis Voulgaris, a French Army officer, former classmate and personal friend of Kapodistrias, who had already arrived in January. The first project undertaken by the then Captain Garnot, together with Voulgaris, was the design of the city of Tripoli. They also began to design together the city of Corinth, but Garnot continued on his own. Bulgaris dealt with the cities of Nafplio and Patras. Kapodistrias instructed Garnot to get involved in the planning of Patras, according to specific instructions that we find today in the Archives of Kapodistrias in Corfu.

In addition, Kapodistrias entrusted Garnot with the formation of the Corps of Engineers, within the Central School of War, which was named Corps of Fortification and Architecture Officers, according to the corresponding French standards. The Corps was instituted on July 28, 1829, with decrees nos. 13559 and 13958, published in the General Gazette on August 17, 1828. According to Maro Kardamitsi-Adami and her research in the Archives of Kapodistrias in Corfu, these decrees were originally drafted in French by Garnot himself. Garnot was later promoted to lieutenant colonel and became the first commander of the Corps, assisted by another French officer. The new Corps was expected to consist of 20 members, 12 of whom would be officers: one Major, four Captains, three Lieutenants, three second Lieutenants and eight project supervisors.

Garnot initially managed to find six persons to staff the Corps (decree no. 13560), five of whom were Greeks who had studied engineering in Europe: Emmanuel Manitakis and Emmanuel Kallergis, who had studied in France. Theodoros Vallianos with studies in Russia, the Swiss De Vaud, and Dimitrios Stavridis with studies in Austria. Some of them were private individuals who were assigned to the ranks of officers at the time of the award. Governor Kapodistrias also appointed Stefanos Isaias, who studied in Italy. These officers were placed in various fortresses of the Peloponnese.

Their mission, under the supervision and guidance of Garnot, was to prepare reports and plans for the construction, maintenance or improvement of fortifications, military and civil buildings, road construction, as well as the supervision of various building projects. The plans drawn up by the officers, were checked for their conformity and endorsed by the head of the Corps, Auguste-Théodore Garnot. Then they were submitted to the Governor for approval. It was a reputable body, the members of which received high salaries.

From this Engineer Corps of the Central War School graduated the first architects – engineers of Greece, who then, for about half a century, worked hard for the urban modernization of the country. The first officer was Lieutenant Spyridon Trikoupis, who was admitted to the school on February 4, 1829 and graduated on August 18, 1832. For a long time one could study architecture in Greece, only at the Central School of War, as the Polytechnic University and the Academy of Arts had not yet been established.

Plan of Patras by Stamatis Voulgaris and Auguste-Théodore Garnot

This informal situation, that is, the execution of urban civil works by the military, ceased to exist officially in 1878, when a Civil Engineers Corps was created, which joined the Public Works Service of the Ministry of Interior. Therefore, until that year, the term engineer covered the specialty of both military and civil architect-engineer. The level of training of engineers at the Central School of War was so high that Telemachos Vlassopoulos, the first to introduce the term “civil engineer” into the Greek language, in a 1859 article presenting the military schools of France, did not hesitate to state that studies provided in Greece were higher than those of the “École centrale des arts et manufactures” of Paris. Moreover, almost all the graduate engineers of the Central School of War, were following post-graduate studies in France.

In 1830 Theodoros Vallianos replaced Colonel Garnot who returned to France. A little later, the commandment was taken over by Count de Schaumbourg, who remained commander of the Corps even after the death of Kapodistrias.

The French influence exerted by the French officers of the Corps of Engineers in the School of Engineering of the Military School of Cadets, was important and timeless. Undoubtedly, the first city plans drawn up by Garnot and Voulgaris, as well as the plans of other engineers who came to strengthen the Expeditionary Corps of General Maison, contributed in this direction. Audoy and Peytier, for example, decisively influenced Greek engineers and laid the foundations of modern urban planning. The work performed by Greek and French engineers, under the supervision of Garnot, was unique for the whole Peloponnese and Aegina. In fact, as it is well known, the Governor wanted to use the French engineers also for the reconstruction of Central Greece.

Auguste-Théodore Garnot continued his career in France and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He died on March 10, 1869 in Bordeaux, at the age of 73.

He was awarded the medal of the Knight of the Legion of Honor in France on April 10, 1832 and the Officer of the Legion of Honor on April 22, 1847. He was also awarded the medal of the Knight of St. Louis on October 30, 1829. In Greece he was awarded the medal of the Knight of Golden Cross of the Order of the Redeemer on May 2, 1836.

SOURCES- BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Annuaire de l’État militaire de France pour l’année 1847, publié par le ministère de la guerre, Paris, Veuve Levrault, 1847.
• Assimacopoulou Fotini – Konstantinos Chatzis – Georgia Mavrogonatou, «Implanter les “Ponts et Chaussées” européens en Grèce – Le rôle des ingénieurs du corps du génie, 1830-1880», Quaderns d’Història de l’Enginyeria, τ. 10 (2009), σσ. 331-350.
• Kardamitsi-Adami Maro, «Les études des architectes grecs en France: modèles, approches, influences», ανακοίνωση σε συμπόσιο του Fondation hellénique de Paris, διαθέσιμη στην ιστοσελίδα http://dev.fh.digital-in.paris/ [πρόσβαση 21 Ιουνίου 2020].
• Malesis Dimitris, “Military policy and infrastructure: the role of the Engineer Corps in the nineteenth century Greece”, The Historical Review/La Revue Historique, no 16, σσ. 235-248, 2020.
• Voulgaris Stamatis, Souvenirs de Stamati Bulgari, Chef de bataillon au Corps Royal d’État-major, en retraite, Paris, A. Pihan de la Forest, 1835.
• Βλασσόπουλος Τηλέμαχος, «Περί των στρατιωτικών σχολείων εν Γαλλία», Απόμαχος – Στρατιωτικόν περιοδικόν σύγγραμμα, 30 Μαρτίου 1859, σσ. 663-676.
• Βυζάντιος Χρήστος, Ιστορία των κατά την Ελλην. Επανάστασιν εκστρατειών και μαχών και των μετά ταύτα συμβάντων, ων συμμετέσχεν ο Τακτικός Στρατός, από του 1821 μέχρι του 1833, χ.ε., Αθήνα 1901.
• ΓΑΚ Κερκύρας, Αρχείο Ι. Καποδίστρια, Φάκελος 118 και 214.
• Γενική Εφημερίς, αρ. φ. 56, 17 Αυγούστου 1828 και αρ. φ. 58, 24 Αυγούστου 1828.
• Γεροζήσης Αθ. Τριαντάφυλλος, Το Σώμα των αξιωματικών και η θέση του στη σύγχρονη ελληνική κοινωνία, 1821-1975, τόμ. Α΄, Αθήνα, Δωδώνη, 1996.
• Ηλεκτρονική βάση απονεμηθέντων παρασήμων της Λεγεώνας της Τιμής http://wwwcoulture.gouv.fr/documentation/leonore/leonore.htm, Dossier LΗ1079/34.
• Θεμελή-Κατηφόρη Δέσποινα, Το γαλλικό ενδιαφέρον για την Ελλάδα στην περίοδο του Καποδίστρια, 1828-1831, Αθήνα, Επικαιρότητα, 1985.
• Ιστορία της οργανώσεως του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821-1954, Αθήνα, ΓΕΣ, 1955.
• Καστάνης Ανδρέας, Η Στρατιωτική Σχολή των Ευελπίδων κατά τα πρώτα χρόνια της λειτουργίας της, 1828-1834, Αθήνα, Ελληνικά Γράμματα, 2000.
• Μάρω Καρδαμίτση-Αδάμη, «Οι πρώτοι Έλληνες μηχανικοί, καινούργια στοιχεία για το Σώμα των Οχυρωματοποιών και τους έξι μηχανικούς που το επάνδρωσαν», Τεχνικά Χρονικά, Τόμος 8΄, τεύχος 4, Αθήνα, 1988, σσ. 63-89.
• Παπαγεωργίου Στέφανος, Η στρατιωτική πολιτική του Καποδίστρια – Δομή, οργάνωση και λειτουργία του Στρατού Ξηράς της Καποδιστριακής περιόδου, Αθήνα, Εστία, 1986.

Camille Alphonse Trézel. Lithography of the 19th century

Camille Alphonse Trézel was a French General born in Paris on January 5, 1780. His father was Pierre Jean Baptiste Antoine Auguste Trézel and his mother was Magdeleine Victoire Payen.

Trézel was the son of a merchant. However, he left the trade business to start a career in the military in 1801, and in fact in the special branch of engineer geographers. In 1803 he was already a second lieutenant. In 1804 he served in the Netherlands and the following year he was named assistant engineer-geographer. In 1806 he took part in the campaign in Poland, and in 1807-1808 he participated, with the rank of lieutenant, in the mission of the General and Ambassador of France, Gardane, to Persia. He returned to France in 1809 and followed General Guilleminot to Illyria as his aide de camp. In 1810 he was promoted to Captain and took part in the war in Catalonia. In 1811 he served in Germany. In 1812 he was sent to Russia and fought in various battles. He returned to France and became Major in 1813. After his successful participation in the battle of Mayence, he was promoted to Colonel. He was then appointed Chief of the Staff of General Vandamme and he was wounded at the Battle of Fleurus in 1815. He was named Brigadier General on July 5, 1815, but the Bourbon regime did not recognize his rank. Finally, in 1820 – 1823 he took part in the Spanish Civil War, where he distinguished himself. Trézel arrived in Greece in 1828, and was appointed deputy commander of the Staff of General Maison’s expeditionary corps in Morea.

As it is well known, General Maison had submitted a proposal to Governor Kapodistrias for the organization of the Greek Regular Army, under the responsibility of the French officers of his Corps and at the expense of the French government. Thus, Colonel Camille Alphonse Trézel, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Regular Troops. Trézel was promoted by Kapodistrias to a General and took up his new duties by decree on July 22, 1829. At that time, the Greek Regular Army counted 2,688 men.

According to the decree published in the General Gazette, General Trézel was also in charge of the duties of Inspector General of the Regular Corps. His mission was to monitor the progress of the organizational work, to propose transfers, promotions, moral rewards and commemorations, to send reports or requests to the Governor, to process orders on behalf of the Governor, to communicate and to cooperate with the French headquarters, to submit the proposed amendments to the administration, etc. For all these efforts, Trézel was informing the French government, which was financing the Greek army.

Immediately after taking office, Trézel selected brilliant officers from General Maison’s army to build his staff. One of them was Pellion, who was appointed Chief of the Staff, Saint Martin, who took over the management of the ammunition and the funds sent from France to cover the operational needs of the Army, Auguste Guérrin, who took over the duties of the Military assistant quartermaster of the Greek Regular Army, and Sauquet, who served as a Military quartermaster.

General Trézel reorganized the Regular Corps which now included the following units:

a. four Infantry Battalions, each consisting of six companies,
b. an Artillery Battalion, consisting of four Artillery companies and a field Artillery company,
c. a Cavalry Corps, consisting of four squadrons (two of lancers and two of riflemen),
d. a Technical Corps (Fortification and Architecture),
e. the Central War School,
f. the arsenal.

Trézel enforced French regulations in all military sectors, as well as the French Army financial management system. Saint Martin even set up a school, in which Greek officers learned the French rules of military administration and logistics. At the same time, Trézel commissioned Lieutenant Pourchet to command the arsenal. In addition, and since French criminal law had been applied to the Greek Army from the beginning, a permanent Military Court was established in December 1828, which continued to apply the French Military Penal Code. Naturally, Trézel introduced entirely French regulations into training. The training took place in a camp in Megara, lasted 40 days for each soldier and was based mainly on the provisions of the French Campaign Regulations. Trézel himself oversaw the manoeuvres of the Regular Army and Corps (Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry).

Trézel intervened also on the subject of the uniform of the Regular Army, and introduced through another order a uniform which was entirely identical to that of the French Army.

Thus, thanks to Trézel’s efforts, “the Greek Regular Army was in no way different from the French…”, as Christos Byzantios characteristically writes. According to Themeli – Katifori, at that time more than 150 French officers were serving in the Greek military corps which had been organized in line with French standards.

In addition, in October 1829, on the personal initiative of Trézel, a compulsory conscription system was imposed in all the provinces of the new Greek state. Until then, recruitment was carried out on a voluntary basis. But Trézel had identified the need to cultivate a climate of trust between the Regular Army and the government, and stressed in all directions that being a small state, Greece would require a strong national army to acquire significant deterrence power.

Following another proposal by Trézel, the religious oath for the military was introduced. Trézel saw it as a means of restoring military order and discipline. As P. Spyropoulos points out, he believed that in this way, due to the deep religious devotion of the Greeks, the soldiers would consciously abstain from any violation of norms and and deviations.

Trézel was the General Director of the Regular Corps and Inspector General, and he also chaired the examination committee of the Central Military School (Military School of Cadets in Nafplio), which had just been formed by another French officer, Henri Pauzié. Thus, the examinations of the first cadets took place in October 1829, before him and in the presence of the consular agent of France. The first graduates, in whom Kapodistrias himself wore the epaulettes, accompanied by General Trézel, were only eight and they all joined the Artillery.

Cadet 1829 (GES archive)

Representation of the first awarding of ranks to the cadets of the Military School of Greece.

In addition to the above, General Trézel was also responsible for evaluating the candidate-officers who wished to join the Regular Army through their service in the Corps of Attachés This Corps was established by decree in the same year and month, with the main purpose of attracting the sons of the captains who refused to send their children to the War School. The Attachés bore the rank, the uniform and received the salary of the non-commissioned officers of the Regular Corps. They were trained within the Regular Corps and, after being evaluated by a committee chaired by Trézel, they joined the Army as Second Lieutenants, just like the cadets of the War School. The Corps of Attachés, however, was not successful and eventually over time the institution was abolished.

Unfortunately, General Trézel’s significant efforts to reorganize the Army in all areas ended in 1830, due to the change of the political climate in France and the enthronement of Louis Philippe. The new French government stopped granting 100,000 francs per month, which covered the expenses of the Greek Army, and recalled the majority of French officers serving in Greece. General Trézel himself, according to an article in the General Gazette, was then appointed Chief of Staff of the Morea Expeditionary Corps, and in August 1830, on the orders of the Corps Commander, Schneider, he resigned from his post of Director-General of the Regular Corps. He was replaced at the command of the Regular Corps by the French General Gérard.

Camille Alphonse Trézel. Lithography of the 19th century.

Trézel then returned to France in 1831 and later left for Africa as Chief of Staff of Duke De Rovigo. He fought in the Algerian campaign and distinguished himself in all the battles in which he participated until 1835, with the exception of the Battle of Makta. In fact, he was injured in some of them. He returned to France, but in 1836 he was recalled to Algeria, where this time he was seriously injured, and left for France again.

He became a lieutenant General on November 11, 1837 and was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff of the Ministry of War on 15 May 1839. On July 21, 1846 he was elected to the French Parliament as Pair de France and on May 9, 1847 he became Minister of War, a position he held until February 24, 1848. With the revolution in France the same year, he was retired. Finally, in 1853 he was called up for military service as a Count Commander of the Count of Paris, a position he held until 1856. He died on April 11, 1860.

During his career, Trézel was awarded the medal of the Legion of Honour on February 12, 1813, and the medal of the senior officer of the Legion of Honor on January 13, 1837.

He was also honoured with the Order of the Sun. In Greece he was honoured with the medal of the Order of Grand Officer of the Order of the Redeemer. He was also the author of memoirs related to his war missions. His efforts in Greece undoubtedly had a great impact on the establishment of the Greek Regular Army, as they introduced the French military education and training system, the French way of thinking and the French military spirit that was maintained for many years and influenced the military tradition in Greece.

SOURCES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Biographie Universelle, Ancienne et Moderne, Tome 42, Paris, C. Desplaces, χ.η.
• Correspondance du Comte Capodistrias, Président de la Grèce, Pupliée par E. A. Bétant, Tome 3, Genève-Paris, 1839.
• Norman Tobias, The International Military Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Academic International Press, 1992.
• Αρχεία της Ελληνικής Παλιγγενεσίας, 1821-1832, τ. 4: Δ΄ εν Άργει Εθνική Συνέλευση, 1828-1829, [τ. 2 των Εθνοσυνελεύσεων], εκδ. Βιβλιοθήκη της Βουλής των Ελλήνων, Αθήνα 1973.
• Βακαλόπουλος Απόστολος, Ιστορία της Ελληνικής Επαναστάσεως του 1821, εκδ. ΟΕΔΒ, Αθήνα 1971.
• Βυζάντιος Χρήστος, Ιστορία των κατά την Ελλην. Επανάστασιν εκστρατειών και μαχών και των μετά ταύτα συμβάντων, ων συμμετέσχεν ο Τακτικός Στρατός, από του 1821 μέχρι του 1833, χ.ε., Αθήνα 1901.
• Γενική Εφημερίς της Ελλάδος, αρ. φ. 53, 31 Ιουλίου 1829 (Παράρτημα), αρ. φ. 56, 17 Αυγούστου 1829, αρ. φ. 61, 11 Σεπτεμβρίου 1829, αρ. φ. 82, 4 Δεκεμβρίου 1829, αρ. φ. 76, 9 Νοεμβρίου 1829 και αρ. 73, 10 Σεπτεμβρίου 1830.
• Ελληνική Πολιτεία, αρ. φ. 89, 25 Αυγούστου 1830.
• Ηλεκτρονική βάση απονεμηθέντων παρασήμων της Λεγεώνας της Τιμής http://wwwcoulture.gouv.fr/documentation/leonore/leonore.htm, Dossier LH/2628/32.
• Θεμελή-Κατηφόρη Δέσποινα, Το γαλλικό ενδιαφέρον για την Ελλάδα στην περίοδο του Καποδίστρια, 1828-1831, εκδ. Επικαιρότητα, Αθήνα 1985.
• Ιστορία της οργανώσεως του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821-1954, εκδ. ΓΕΣ, Αθήνα 1955.
• Καστάνης Ανδρέας, Η Στρατιωτική Σχολή των Ευελπίδων κατά τα πρώτα χρόνια της λειτουργίας της, 1828-1834, εκδ. Ελληνικά Γράμματα, Αθήνα 2000.
• Κρεμμυδάς Βασίλης, «Ο Γαλλικός Στρατός στην Πελοπόννησο. Συμβολή στην ιστορία της Καποδιστριακής περιόδου», Πελοποννησιακά, τ. ΙΒ΄ (1976-1977), σσ. 75-102.
• Λαλούσης Χαράλαμπος, «O Ελληνικός Στρατός την περίοδο του πρώτου Κυβερνήτη της Ελλάδος Ιωάννη Καποδίστρια (1828-1831)», Στρατιωτική Επιθεώρηση, τ. 2 (2000), σσ. 31-41.
• Σπυρόπουλος Παναγιώτης., «Η επίδραση της γαλλικής εξωτερικής πολιτικής στη διαμόρφωση της ελληνικής στρατηγικής σκέψης (1830-1939)», ΓΕΣ/ΔΙΣ, Οι πολιτικοστρατιωτικές σχέσεις Ελλάδας-Γαλλίας (19^ος-20^ος αι), Αθήνα, ΔΙΣ, σσ. 167-193.

Soldier of the Legion of Meuse

François Robert is one of the most famous French philhellenes, who played an important role and showed exemplary heroism during the siege of the Acropolis, under the command of Charles Fabvier.

François Robert originated from Nancy, France. He had enlisted in the French army and joined the Meuse Legion. In Greece he was given the rank of Major to the Regular Corps. He was very young and especially appreciated by Fabvier, the leader of the Regular Corps, who also came from Nancy. In fact, the latter treated him as his own child.

The young Robert is usually referred in the Greek history for his heroic fight in a trench, under the Acropolis, which caused numerous wounds, and his exemplary bravery before he died. It is a pity that very little is found in the French archives, about this brave French Philhellene or “the brave Robert”, as he was often called.

Henri Fornèsy, the biographer of the Philhellenes, is one of the few who mentioned François Robert. In his catalogue of the Philhellenes, he writes about him the following: “He was from Nancy. He died in Athens, due to injuries, on December 28, 1827. Former officer of the Meuse Legion. An infantry instructor in Greece, he commanded in Chaidari the 1st Battalion of the Regular Army, which showed great bravery, and being the leader he was wounded, which forced him to leave the battlefield, and be replaced by Captain Maillet”.

However, the one who provides the most information about this brave warrior, is undoubtedly Christos Byzantios, in the History of the Regular Army. Byzantios also mentions that Robert was originally an instructor of the Regular Army, who was training the soldiers applying the French infantry programme (manoeuvres), in collaboration with another French instructor, Maillet, who taught theory. Robert was then a Captain and the aid of camp of the 1^st Battalion. Later, Robert took command of the 1^st Battalion to replace Major Stefanos, who had been assassinated in Tinos in 1826.

Christos Byzantios informs us that in the battle of Chaidari, the then “Major of the 1st Battalion, Robert, marched in the form of a phalanx and reached the position of the uvanguard; he formed a square and waited for the enemy“. A little later, “the Major immediately, without wasting time, ordered the firing to start, to be carried out maintaining the square, prepare – fire, and before giving another order, he was wounded in the abdomen without any of the captains noticing this to take the command of the square“. Major Robert was forced to abandon the battle due to his injuries, but the First Battalion in this battle, although it lost 38 men, forced Kioutachis Pascha to retreat, gaining a great victory.

The Greek newspaper “The Friend of the Law”, published by the Italian Philhellene  Joseph Chiappe, refers in August 1826, to Robert’s bravery, glorious victory and injury in this battle, calling Robert “brave Philhellene Major Mr. Robert”.

Fornèsy goes on to say that a little later, Robert “took command of the marching battalion that supplied the fortress of Athens, under the command of Fabvier. His legs were amputated from the explosion of a canon missile, he fell into a moat between the fortress and the Turkish trenches and his absence was not noticed until everyone had entered in the fortress. Driven by his groans, four of his companions, M.M. Mollière, Pignaud, Bernard and Cartier, with the help of two soldiers of General Griziotis, whose names unfortunately remain unknown, after locating him, left the Acropolis and ran to the place where the unfortunate Robert was fighting with his furious enemies, chasing them away. After he was taken to the fortress, it was found that he had twenty-four wounds on his body, which were bleeding and came from fragments of cannon bullets, hits from swords, yatagans, etc. He managed to survive for four days with these terrible wounds and died, with the bravest self-denial and after horrible pains, causing the deep sorrow and tears of the brave Fabvier, who loved him as his child, as well as of the whole guard, who had admired his merit and the energy of his character”..

Antoine Pignaud was a French Philhellene who remained permanently in Greece after the Greek Revolution. He was appointed Head of the Guard of Pylos. Painting from the collection of SHP.

The same information about Robert is reproduced by Babis Anninos in his work “The Philhellenes of 1821″, in 1925, as well as by Michelle Averoff in her article on the Philhellenes in 1967.

On these events, Christos Byzantios provides a different, more eloquent and vivid description. The historian of the Regular army writes the following on Robert’s tragic death: “This Philhellene, after being wounded by small bullets on his feet, he fell between the Greek trenches and the moat. After the whole army entered in the Acropolis, the enemies returned to their positions, and finding him lying on the ground, they began to hit him with their swords; however, this unlucky man fought back for a long time with his sword, until certain soldiers of Griziotis heard the noise of the swords, and run in that direction to rescue him; they chased the enemies and carried him in the Acropolis. He had on his body twenty-six wounds from swords and two from bullets. The surgeon of the guard, Kourdalis, treated them all, except those of his legs, which he was unable to cut due to lack of the necessary medical instruments, so that after eight days of severe pains, he died. His death saddened everyone and especially Fabvier who loved him as his son”.

The above information of Byzantios and that of Fornèsy, are identical for the most part, which makes them completely reliable. Especially when Christos Byzantios was an eyewitness to the events. Spyridon Trikoupis gives similar information. Soumerlis indicates the name of one of Griziotis’s soldiers, saying that it was the brave Ioannis Kountouriotis who transported Robert inside the fortress, as he had fallen into the hands of ten enemies who were hitting him with their swords. According to the bibliography, the Turks had even cut off his ears, among others, so his body was completely deformed.

There is some confusion, however, around the exact date of the death of this great fighter. For example, Konstantinos Paparigopoulos, in the History of the Greek Nation, mentions as the date of Robert’s death December 6, 1827, a date with which Ioannis Vlachogiannis agrees. Similarly, Thomas Gordon in his memoirs agrees with Fornèsy, as to the date of Robert’s death and states that he died shortly after mid-December. Karl Heideck, on the other hand, mentions in his memoirs that the date of Robert’s death was February 1827. This fact is probably incorrect because according to documents published by the Philhellenic Commission of Paris, and specifically according to letters from doctors Bailly and Gosse to the Commission, Robert in January 1827 had already passed away. In any case, his heroic sacrifice remains memorable, though almost unknown.

The heroic death of this great Philhellene was admired by the Greeks and inspired the creation of a folk song in Roumeli (mainland of Greece) mourning for Robert’s death.

Finally, to remind the Greeks of the contribution and sacrifice of the brave Robert, the Greek state placed a memorial column in the Conservatory of Herodes Atticus, in the courtyard. On the left side of the column are engraved the words: “TO, FAVIERO, PROMACHO, OF THE ACROPOLIS GREECE 1826 – 1926”. On the left side of the column: “TO THE HEROIC MAJOR FRANG. ROBERTON AND THE PHILHELLENES WHO DIED WITH HIM GREECE 1826 – 1926”.

Commemorative column in Herodes Atticus for the Philhellenes who fell in Athens during the Revolution of 1821

Greece and the Greeks will forever honour this great Philhellene fighter, who fought heroically and died as a martyr for the liberation of Athens and the Acropolis, which constitutes the eternal symbol of the Western civilization.

SOURCES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

• [Comité Philhellénique de Paris], Documents relatifs à l’État présent de la Grèce, février-mars 1827, Paris, Firmin Didot, 1827.
• Barth Wilhelm – Max Kehrig-Korn, Die Philhellenenzeit, von der Mitte des 18 Jahrhunderts bis zur Ermordung Kapodistrias am 9 Oktober 1831, εκδ. Hueber, Μόναχο
• Fornèsy Henry, Le monument des philhellènes, 1860, χειρόγραφο υπ’ αριθ. 1697, Τμήμα Χειρογράφων και Ομοιοτύπων, Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδος.
• Gordon Thomas, History of the Greek Revolution, 1, London, William Blackwood, Edinburg & T. Cadell, Strand, 1844.
• Άιδεκ Κάρολος, «Τα των Βαυαρών Φιλελλήνων εν Ελλάδι κατά τα έτη 1826-1829», Αρμονία, τ. 1 (1900) και τ. 2 (1901).
• Άννινος Μπάμπης, Ιστορικά σημειώματα, εκδ. Εστία, Αθήνα
• Βλαχογιάννης Ιωάννης, Αθηναϊκόν Αρχείον, Αθήνα, Εκ του Τυπογραφείου Γ.Σ. Βλαστού, 1901.
• Βυζάντιος Χρήστος, Ιστορία των κατά την Ελλην. Επανάστασιν εκστρατειών και μαχών και των μετά ταύτα συμβάντων, ων συμμετέσχεν ο Τακτικός Στρατός, από του 1821 μέχρι του 1833, χ.ε., Αθήνα 1901.
• Εφημερίδα ο Φίλος του Νόμου, αρ. φ. 234, 13 Αυγούστου 1826.
• Παπαρηγόπουλος Κωνσταντίνος, Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, Αθήνα, Εκ της Τυπογραφίας Ανδρέου Κορομηλά, 1853.
• Σουμερλής Διονύσιος, Ιστορία των Αθηνών, Αίγινα, Εκ της Τυπογραφίας Ανδρέου Κορομηλά, 1834.
• Τρικούπης Σπυρίδων, Ιστορία της Ελληνικής Επαναστάσεως, τόμος Δ΄, Λονδίνο, 1857.

Marshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison

Nicolas-Joseph Maison was born in Epinay-Sur-Seine, France on December 19, 1771. He was Earl as of 1813 and Marquis as of 1818. His father was Joseph Maison and his mother Marie Genevieve Guiard. His wife was named Marie-Madeleine-Françoise Weigold.

He came from a very poor family and his father, who was a grocer, wanted him to become a merchant. However, at the age of 21, he enlisted as a volunteer in the French army on August 15, 1791, and took part in the war against Prussia. In 1792, he became a captain. He served with this rank until October 1795, according to his personal record, and took part in many campaigns and battles where he was wounded many times. He then served for a while in Italy, then in the Rhine Army, and afterwards in the Netherlands. Then in Hanover and Germany. He gained progressively and slowly his ranks, reaching in 1805 the rank of Brigadier General. With this rank he fought with the Great Army in Prussia, Spain and Germany, from 1809 to 1812, and took part in the great campaign against Russia. He was named Lieutenant General on the battlefield in 1812 by Napoleon and in 1813 he participated in the campaign in Saxony, where he was wounded in the battle of Leipzig. He was Governor of Paris during the years 1814, 1815 and 1816, and did everything he could to maintain order, while at the same time he adhered to constitutional ideals.

Nicolas-Joseph Maison. 19th century lithography (SHP collection).

During the wars of Napoleonic France that followed, Maison defended successfully Belgium four times, which was considered his greatest military achievement.

During his lifetime he took part in a total of about 50 battles and was wounded more than 30 times. Maison’s bravery was also recognized by Napoleon Bonaparte, who by his own decision awarded him a sword, as can be seen from French records.

On August 28, 1828, he arrived in Methoni in charge of the French Expeditionary Force, following a joint decision of the three Great Powers and in execution of the London Protocol of July 19, 1828, which provided for the withdrawal of the Egyptian Army from the Peloponnese. The purpose of the Corps of Maison was to evacuate the Peloponnese from Ibrahim’s enemy troops.

Nicolas-Joseph Maison. 19th century lithography (SHP collection).

Indicative of the prevailing situation is a letter from the Governor of Greece, I. Kapodistrias. The document bears his signature (“Io. A. Kapodistrias”) and it is addressed to the “Panhellenic, to the Extraordinary Commissioners throughout the State and to the Leaders of the land and sea forces”, by which he announces France’s decision to organize a campaign under Lieutenant General Maison. The letter is sent from Aegina, on August 13, 1828.

The letter bears a printed headline (“HELLENIC STATE / THE GOVERNOR OF GREECE”), and it is endorsed by the Secretary of State, Sp. Trikoupis.

“… Because the position of the Courts of England and Russia did not allow them to grant their part of the campaign, the King of France accepted it on his own, and it is now up to the French forces to undertake the task of Peace, which was promised to Greece and Europe by the Treaty of London. Lieutenant General Marquis DeMaison, was placed at the head of this campaign, which is formed by warriors who will arrive in a few days to the place which was deserted without mercy, by the presence of Ibrahim Pasca. If they arrive, this place will get rid of this scourge, and its fertility will soon alleviate some of our miseries … ».

Letter from the Governor of Greece, I. Kapodistrias to the “Panhellenic” announcing the decision of France to organize a campaign under Lieutenant General Maison. Aegina, August 13, 1828. Printed headline (“GREEK STATE / THE GOVERNOR OF GREECE”), endorsed by the Secretary of State Sp. Trikoupis (SHP collection).

The army consisted of 15,000 men and distinguished officers. Apart from the military, the French mission included many important personalities of various scientific disciplines, to which Greece owes a large number of important studies, such as for example the first topographic maps of the new state, the first records of archaeological sites, and even reports of fauna and flora.

Bory de Saint-Vincent, Jean-Baptiste, and others. SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION OF MOREA, PARIS AND STRASBOURG: F.G. LEVRAULT, 1834-1835-1836 (SHP collection).

Expédition scientifique de Morée. Architecture, sculptures, inscriptions et vues du Péloponnèse, the Cyclades et de l’Attique, publiées par (G) A. Blouet. 3 vols. Paris, Didot, 1831-38 (SHP collection).

The jackal of the Morea (Canis aureus moreoticus) described for the first time by the Morea Expedition (Lithographs by Jean-Gabriel Prêtre, published by Bory de Saint-Vincent) (SHP collection).

Example of a plate devoted to botany in Expédition de Morée by Bory de Saint-Vincent (Nepeta argolica Bory & Chaub) (SHP collection).

It is worth noting that many Greeks participated also in the French mission in various positions. Indicatively, we refer to a letter of recommendation of July 31, 1828, written by the French author and diplomat CHATEAUBRIAND (François-René de), concerning the Greek official Konstantinos Schinas. The letter recommends him to participate in the French mission in Greece.

«Je crois (…) avoir l’honneur de vous proposer une chose utile au service du Roi, en vous demandant vos bontés pour le spathar Constantin Schinas, beau-frère du Prince Ypsilanti; il désire être employé dans l’expédition du Gal Maison. Vous connaissez déjà son affaire, et il vous l’expliquera encore mieux que moi (…)».

Konstantinos Schinas later took over the duties of judge, minister of justice, in Greece and he was the first rector of the University of Athens.

Konstantinos Schinas. 19th century lithography.

Another member of the same family, Michael Schinas, also took part in the Morea Campaign, and even participated in the scientific section (Department of Archaeology) of the French expeditionary corps. Michael Schinas lived in Paris until 1827, and had contributed to the delivery to Greece, of the sculpture “Ellinopoula”, the tomb statue erected in memory of Marcos Botsaris by the French sculptor Pierre-Jean David d’Angers.

Michael Schinas. 19th century lithography.

Letter of recommendation dated July 31, 1828, written by the author and diplomat CHATEAUBRIAND (François-René de), concerning the Greek official Konstantinos Schinas. The letter recommends him to participate in the French mission in Greece (SHP collection).

Although the evacuation of the Peloponnese was completed in October 1828, the French  Corps did not withdraw immediately. The aim of Governor I. Kapodistrias was the participation of General Maison’s army in the liberation of Western Greece and Evia, a goal that was in accordance with the instructions of the French Minister of War to Maison (August 27, 1828).

The handover of the castle of Morea in Patras, to General Nicolas Joseph Maison. Painting by the French painter Jean-Charles Langlois.

At the same time, the French Government made, through General Maison, a proposal to the Governor of Greece for the organization of a Regular Army by French officers. France would bear the costs of maintaining the Army by paying monthly grants, and an additional 100 or so French officers would be seconded to the Greek Army to train Greek officers. The commander would also be a person nominated by the Marshal. Indeed, Colonel Camille Alphonse Trézel, later Minister of War in France, was appointed General Director of the Regular Corps in July 1829. In addition, Maison determined that France would pay 100,000 French francs each month on the condition that the amount would be paid solely to the Greek army. The payment of these instalments, however, was abruptly stopped in July 1830, due to the change in the political situation in France.

The French expedition to Morea in 1828. Oil on canvas. Attributed to Noel-Dieudonne Finart (1797 – 1852) (SHP collection).

Nevertheless, in February 1829, the French Government obtained the consent of its allies to maintain in the Peloponnese, after the end of the military operations, part of the expeditionary corps, consisting of 5,000 men. The remaining French troops left four years later. Unfortunately, Kapodistrias’ attempt to use the French armed forces to liberate Attica, failed, as it faced resistance from other great powers, who did not want to further weaken the Ottoman Empire (which was facing a threat from Russia) and they insisted for the immediate departure of the French troops.

The personal seals of Marshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison. The coat of arms mentions “Aperte et Honeste” (SHP collection).

Thus, after completing his mission, General Maison left the Greek territory on May 22, 1829, receiving as a gift from Kapodistrias two swords, one belonging to Karaiskakis and a Byzantine one, for him and his lieutenant, Durriu, as witnessed by the General Gazette of Greece on the same day. Charles Fabvier also left Greece on the same ship.

The correspondence of the General with the Governor, after the departure of Maison, is enlightening for the appreciation that the General received from Kapodistrias, but also for Maison’s gratitude to the Governor and his devotion to the noble cause of the liberation of Greece.

General Maison’s campaign, in any case, facilitated the work of Kapodistrias and, above all, prepared the Greek territory for the forthcoming independence. According to the newspaper Aion, General Maison’s mission “set the last stone of Greek independence“, contributing together with the naval battle of Navarino to diplomatic decisions favourable to Greece on behalf of the Three Powers.

After the campaign in the Peloponnese, Maison retired and lived a private life in France. He took part in the opposition in the House of Peers. Liberal in his views, he supported the July Revolution in 1830. In the same year, he served as Foreign Minister of his country. He then served as ambassador to Vienna and St. Petersburg (1833). In addition, on April 30, 1835, according to his personal register, he was appointed Minister of War and served in that position until September 6, 1836.

He received the rank of Marshal under King Charles IX. The liberation of Greece, which was a demand of the public in France, contributed to the granting of this rank, on February 22, 1829.

Marshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison. 19th century lithography (SHP collection).

Nicolas-Joseph Maison died on February 13, 1840 in Paris, at the age of seventy-one, after a short and sudden illness.

During his career he was honoured with many medals. Among them we distinguish the medal of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour awarded on July 23, 1814, the medal of the Order of St. Louis in 1818, the medal of the Order of Charles III of Spain in 1835, the medal of the Order of Leopold of Belgium in 1836, etc. In Greece he was honoured with the Order of the Grand Cross of the Redeemer on November 26, 1834. In addition, his name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, along with the names of other great generals of France. In Greece, streets in Athens, Patras and Kalamata are named after him, to remind to the people  of his kind contribution to the liberation and restoration of the Peloponnese and Greece.

Maison street in the centre of Athens

The signature of Marshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison.

Commemorative medal of the presence of General Maison and the Expeditionary Corps in the Peloponnese (SHP collection).

SOURCES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Driault Édouard – Michel Lhéritier, Histoire diplomatique de la Grèce, de 1821 à nos jours, Vol. 1, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1925.
• Gavard Ch., Gallérie des maréchaux de France, Paris, Galléries historiques de Versailles, 1839
• Pascallet Étienne, Notice historique sur M. le maréchal Marquis Maison – Extrait de la Revue générale biographique et nécrologique, Paris, Breteau – Pichery, 1845.
• Γενική Εφημερίς της Ελλάδος,
  • αρ. φ. 31, 24 Απριλίου 1829,
  • αρ. φ. 34, 4 Μαΐου 1829 (λόγος ευχαριστήριος προς τον Στρατάρχη),
  • αρ. φ. 38-39, 22 Μαΐου 1829,
  • αρ. φ. 78, 20 Νοεμβρίου 1829.
• Εφημερίδα Αθηνά, αρ. φ. 907, 8 Απριλίου 1842 έως αρ. φ. 909, 15 Απριλίου 1842.
• Εφημερίδα Αιών, αρ. φ. 6Μαρτίου 1840.
• Ηλεκτρονική βάση απονεμηθέντων παρασήμων της Λεγεώνας της Τιμής http://wwwcoulture.gouv.fr/documentation/leonore/leonore.htm, Dossier LΗ1698/41.
• Θεμελή-Κατηφόρη Δέσποινα, Το γαλλικό ενδιαφέρον για την Ελλάδα στην περίοδο του Καποδίστρια, 1828-1831, Αθήνα, Επικαιρότητα, 1985.
• Κρεμμυδάς Βασίλης, «Ο Γαλλικός Στρατός στην Πελοπόννησο. Συμβολή στην ιστορία της Καποδιστριακής περιόδου», Πελοποννησιακά, τόμος ΙΒ΄ (1976-1977), σσ. 75-102.
• Μπαλωτή Ξένη, Μαιζών, ένας μεγάλος Φιλέλληνας – Η εκστρατεία του στην Πελοπόννησο, Αθήνα, Ελληνική Ευρωεκδοτική, 1993.
• Παπαγεωργίου Στέφανος, Η στρατιωτική πολιτική του Καποδίστρια – Δομή, οργάνωση και λειτουργία του Στρατού Ξηράς της Καποδιστριακής περιόδου, Αθήνα, Εστία, 1986.