Background
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy was born in Nouart in the department of Ardennes, France, the son of a cavalry officer, Chanzy .
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy was born in Nouart in the department of Ardennes, France, the son of a cavalry officer, Chanzy .
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy was educated at the naval school at Brest, but enlisted in the artillery, and, subsequently passing through St Cyr, was commissioned in the Zouaves in 1843.
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy returned to Algeria as general of brigade, assisted to quell the Arab insurrection, and commanded the subdivisions of Bel Abbes and Tlemfen in 1868.
The Loire army won the greatest success of the French during the whole war at Coulmiers, and followed this up with another victorious action at Patay; in both engagements. General Chanzy's corps took the most brilliant part.
After the second battle of Orleans and the separation of the two wings of the French army, Chanzy was appointed to command that in the west, designated the second army of the Loire.
As Gambetta was the soul, Chanzy was the strong right arm of French resistance to the invader.
He was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honour, and was elected to the National Assembly.
At the outbreak of the Commune, Chanzy, then at Paris, fell into the hands of the insurgents, by whom he was forced to give his parole not to serve against them.
It was said that he would otherwise have been appointed instead of MacMahon to command the army of Versailles.
A ransom of £40, 000 was also paid by the government for him.
For two years he was ambassador at St Petersburg, during which time he received many tokens of respect, not only from the Russians, but also from the German emperor, William I, and Prince Bismarck.
He died suddenly, while commanding the VI army corps (stationed nearest to the German frontier), at Chalons-sur- Marne, on the 4th of January 1883, only a few days after Gambetta, and his remains received a state funeral.
Statues of General Chanzy have been erected at Nouart and Le Mans.
Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy is famous for his successes during the Franco-Prussian War and as a governor of Algeria. And For two years he was ambassador at St Petersburg, during which time he received many tokens of respect, not only from the Russians, but also from the German emperor, William I, and Prince Bismarck.
