Général Trochu

Général Trochu


A carte-de-visite portrait of General Louis-Jules Trochu (1815-1896), military governor of Paris during the siege of 1870.

In the course of the Franco-Prussian war, General Trochu was appointed military governor of Paris on 17 August 1870. The following month, politicians seeking the support of the Army invited him to join the government. At the first meeting of the new government on the night of 4 September 1870, Trochu was proclaimed president without portfolio.

Invested with almost dictatorial power during the siege of Paris, Trochu remained irresolute and passive. He was primarily occupied with defence and attempted only occasional counter-attacks against the Prussians. Public opinion soon turned against his ineffective measures and as Paris slowly starved, Trochu became the focus of ever increasing unpopularity. On 22 January 1871, Trochu stepped down as Paris military governor in favour of General Vinoy, but retained the position of the president of the Government of National Defence until it handed over full authority to the National Assembly on 13 February 1871. Trochu died at Tours on 7 October 1896.

Photographed by Disdéri of Paris.


 


Code: 124201
© Paul Frecker 2024