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_Name: Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet
Date of Birth: 23 January 1830
Place of Birth: Paris, France

Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet was a French general who was born on 23 January 1830 in Paris, France.

In 1848, Gaston Galliffet went into the army, and was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1853. He had served with distinction during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855, the Austro-Sardinian War in 1859, and in Algeria in 1860. He later served on emperor Napoleon III’s personal staff for some time.

During the siege of Puebla in Mexico in 1863, he showed great courage but was wounded severely. He went back to France to recuperate from his wounds and was assigned the task of handing the captured colours and standards to the emperor. In 1864, he returned to Algeria and participated in the expeditions against the Arabs. He then went back to Mexico as a lieutenant-colonel and became a colonel of the third Chasseurs d’Afrique in 1867.

Galliffet led the Army of the Rhine during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871, until he was also promoted to brigadier general on 30 August. During the battle of Sedan, he commanded the brigade of Chausseirs d’Afrique in attacking the cavalry division of General Margueritte. Later, he went back to France when Paris was being sieged by the French Army of Versailles. He led a brigade at the time of the repression of the Paris Commune in 1871, making him among the most criticised figures in France.



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