Boulanger, GEORGE ERNEST JEAN MARIE

Boulanger, GEORGE ERNEST JEAN MARIE, a French general, was born at Rennes in 1837, and was educated at St Cyr. He served in Algeria, Italy, and Cochin-China; was with Bazaine at Metz, but escaped to Paris, and held a lieutenant-colonelcy under the Government of National Defence; in 1876 headed the deputation of French officers at the celebration of the centenary of American Independence; became brigadier-general in 1880, by the influence of the Duc d'Aumale; and in 1884-85 commanded the army of occupation in Tunis, till an arbitrary attempt to exalt the military over the civil authority led to his recall. He was wounded in action in Italy and during the Commune. He was minister of war from January 1886 to May 1887, urged forward the expulsion of the Duc d'Aumale and the other princes from France, and through the introduction of some desirable army reforms and the appearance of a fortunate music-hall song in his praise, was adopted as the embodiment of the 'revenge' policy by the Parisians, who for some months suffered from what was termed the Boulanger fever. In 1887, while commanding an army corps at Clermont-Ferrand, he was, for his remarks on the then war minister, ordered under arrest for thirty days. In March 1888, for disobedience to orders, he was deprived of his command; but was immediately elected deputy for Dordogne, and shortly thereafter for Nord. He was wounded in a duel with M. Floquet, the minister-president, in the same year. Boulangerism became still more formidable in 1889, and was supported with large sums of money by leading Royalists for their own ends. But when the government prosecuted Boulanger for intrigues against the republic and malversation of funds, he fled (1889) the country. He was condemned in absence; his schemes wholly collapsed, and on 30th September 1891 he shot himself on his mistress's grave in a cemetery in Brussels.