Jean-Baptiste Marchand facts for kids
General Jean-Baptiste Marchand (born November 22, 1863 – died January 14, 1934) was a brave French soldier and explorer. He is most famous for leading a French group during an important event called the Fashoda Incident in Africa.
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Early Life and Military Start
Jean-Baptiste Marchand was born in a town called Thoissey, France, on November 22, 1863. When he was 20 years old, in 1883, he joined the French army as a volunteer private soldier. His unit was the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment.
In 1886, he went to a special military school to become an officer. He became a sous-lieutenant (a junior officer, like a second lieutenant) in 1887. After serving in another infantry regiment, Marchand joined the tirailleurs sénégalais. These were West African colonial soldiers led by French officers.
Adventures in Africa
Marchand took part in the French conquest of Senegal, where France was taking control of land in West Africa. In 1889, he was badly hurt during a battle to capture a place called Diena. The next year, in 1890, he helped France conquer more land in what was then called French Sudan.
In 1896, Marchand was given a big mission. He was sent to claim an area in Sudan for France. This area was near a place called Fashoda, which is now known as Kodok.
The Long Journey to Fashoda
Marchand and his team started their journey from the mouth of the Congo River. They traveled for 24 months, walking and using boats. His group included 20 French officers and non-commissioned officers (like sergeants) and 130 Senegalese soldiers.
On July 10, 1898, they finally reached Fashoda. It was an old, empty fort on the Nile River. Marchand's team rebuilt the fort. They hoped other French groups and help from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) would join them, but no one arrived.
The Fashoda Incident
On September 18, 1898, another army arrived at Fashoda. This was a British-Egyptian army led by Sir Herbert Kitchener. His army had just won a big battle against the forces of the Mahdi (a religious leader) at Omdurman.
After his victory, Kitchener received secret orders to check on the French group about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south. Both Marchand and Kitchener believed their own country should control Fashoda. However, both leaders were very polite and handled the meeting carefully.
This meeting led to serious talks between the French and British governments in Paris and London. In the end, the French government told Marchand's forces to leave Fashoda. Marchand was called back to France. He chose to travel through Abyssinia instead of going down the Nile, which was controlled by the British. He reached Djibouti on May 16, 1899. His mission had lasted almost four years. Today, a monument in Paris remembers this important journey.
Later Military Service
Marchand continued his military career. In 1900, he fought with French forces in China during the Boxer Rebellion. This was a conflict where Chinese people rebelled against foreign influence.
During World War I, Marchand was promoted to the rank of General in 1915. He was wounded twice in the war. First, in 1915, during the Battle of Champagne, and again in 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. He retired from the army in 1919.
In 1920, he received a very high honor, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. Jean-Baptiste Marchand passed away at his home in Paris on January 14, 1934. He had suffered from pain in his joints and problems from the wounds he got in World War I.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste Marchand para niños
