Bazaine, Achille-François

Bazaine, Achille-François (1811-1888), French military leader, born in Versailles. He joined the army in 1831 and, after serving in Algeria, Spain, the Crimea, and Italy, was appointed to the command of the French army in Mexico in 1863. He was accused of plotting to place himself at the head of a Mexican empire and, after quarrelling with Emperor Maximilian, returned with his army to France in 1867.

In the Franco-Prussian War, Bazaine commanded the Third Army Corps. He was defeated at Vionville, Mars-la-Tour, and Gravelotte, and was later beseiged in Metz from August 18 to October 27, 1870. While at Metz, and following the French defeat of Sedan, Bazaine began negotiations with the Prussian prime minister Prince Otto von Bismarck, and on October 27 he capitulated to the Germans, surrendering the city with 173,000 men, including 6,000 officers. Bazaine was found guilty of treason because of his conduct of the campaign and received a death sentence; the sentence was subsequently commuted to 20 years' imprisonment. In 1874 he escaped from the fortress of Île-Sainte-Marguerite and took refuge in Madrid, where he later died. Bazaine wrote a defence of his leadership called Episodes de la guerre de 1870 et le blocus de Metz (Episodes of the War of 1870 and the Siege of Metz, 1883).