Un officier du corps d'etat-major : le general de cissey (1810-1882) reorganisateur de l'armee francaise
Institution:
Montpellier 3Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Son and grand son of officiers from the royal army, coming from burgundy, the nephew of marshal davout, ernest de cissey, entered upon the army only by tradition and social revenge in order to restore the rank of a family reduced by the revolution. Coming out from the ranks of the staff corps, greatly helped by the support of the davout family, he had the opportunity to srve in algeria without interruption, in the staff and close to the most important leaders of the french army. He acquired, thanks to these favoured appointments a great mastery in the leading of armies that he improved during the crimea war where he distinguished himself. He got a first experience of ministry cabinets being at the head of military affairs in the algerian ministry from 1959 to 1860. In 1870, when leading the 1st division of the 4th corp of the rhine army, he showed his mastery in thescience of war by driving many times from the field the ennemy and destroying a german brigade in rezonville. In saint privat, he showed his clear sight of operations and his advices which were not followed might have obtain the victory. In 1871, he leads the iind corp of the army of versailles that played a major part in the repression of the commune. War minister by june 5 1871, he coutiously reorganized the army, innovating several times, in particular while the creation of the superior counsil of the war and the defense committee, as well as by the development given to the study of foreign armies and to the research of intelligence. Aq du barail took over his place from him in 1873, he became again minister of the war in 1874 and vice-president of the cabinet. He quietly took on the final setllement of the republic he rallied to in 1871 while preventing the army from any kind of political penetration. Until 1876, he carried out is task of realist visonary, especially by creating the calling ups of reserves and setting up the foundations of the territorial army. The last years of his life were marked by the cisseykaulla affair in which he was implied and wrongly suspected of having given military secrets to germany, this announcing the furious suspicions of the dreyfys affair.
Abstract FR:
Fils et petit-fils d'officiers de l'armee royale, originaires de bourgogne, neveu du marechal davout, ernest courtot de cissey embrasse la carriere des armes essentiellement par souci de tradition et de revanche sociale, afin de relever le rang d'une famille abaissee par la revolution. Sorti des rangs du corps d'etat-major, puissamment aide par la protection de la famille davout, il a la chance de beneficier d'un avancement rapide, grace a sa volonte de servir en algerie, sans interruption, dans l'etat-major et aupres des grands chefs de l'armee francaise. Ayant acquis, en raison de ces affectations privilegiees, une grande maitrise dans la conduite des armees, qu'il perfectionne lors de la guerre de crimee ou il se distingue, il connait une premiere experience des cabinets ministeriels, a la direction des affaires militaires du ministere de l'algerie, de 1859 a 1860. En 1870, place a la tete de la 1e division du 4e corps d'armee de l'armee du rhin, il demontre sa science du combat en bousculant l'ennemi a plusieurs reprises et en detruisant une brigade allemande a rezonville. A saint-privat, il demontre sa claire vision des operations et ses conseils non suivis auraient pu valoir la victoire. En 1871, il prend la tete du 11e corps d'armee de l'armee de versailles, qui joue un role majeur dans la repression de la commune. Ministre de la guerre, le 5 juin 1871, il conduit avec prudence la reorganisation de l'armee, innovant a plusieurs reprises, notamment lors de la creation du conseil superieur de la guerre et du comite de defence, ainsi que par le developpement donne a l'etude des armees etrangeres et a la recherche du renseignement. Remplace en 1873 par du barail, il redevient ministre de la guerre en 1874, en meme temps que vice-president du conseil. Avec calme, il assume en fait l'instauration definitive de la republique a laquelle il s'est rallie depuis 1871, tout en preservant l'armee de toute penetration politique. Jusqu'en 1876, il poursuit sa tache de visionnaire realiste, notamment en mettant en place les appels des reserves et en instaurant les fondements de l'armee territoriale. Les dernieres annees de sa vie sont marquees par l'affaire cissey-kaulla dans laquelle il est implique et soupconne a tort d'avoir livre a l'allemagne des secrets militaires, annoncant ainsi la fureur de soupcons de l'affaire dreyfus.