Octave Frederic Francois Meunier ( fr. Octave Frédéric François Meynier , February 22, 1874 - May 31, 1961) - French military, colonial administrator.
| Octave Frederic Francois Meunier | |
|---|---|
| fr Octave Frédéric François Meynier | |
| Date of Birth | February 22, 1874 |
| Place of Birth | the commune of Saint-Ivre-la-Pershe in the Department of Haute-Vienne |
| Date of death | May 31, 1961 (87 years) |
| Place of death | Algeria city |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles / Wars | |
| Awards and prizes | |
Biography
Octave Meunier was born in 1874 in the commune of Saint-Ivre-la-Persch of the Haute-Vienne department in the family of Lieutenant Colonel Francois Meunier. In 1895 he graduated from the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr and was assigned to the French Sudan .
When in 1899, Governor Timbuktu, Lieutenant Colonel Clobbe, received an order to replace Paul Voule at the head of the Central African Expedition , Clobbe, along with Lieutenant Meunier as his deputy, left Timbuktu immediately, taking with him 50 . When, after 2000 km, Klobbu managed to catch up with the Voule expedition, Paul Voule refused to obey orders from France, shot Klobba and tried to revolt his soldiers, but he himself was shot by subordinates. Paul-Jules Joallan became the new head of the Central African expedition, and Octave Meunier, joining the expedition with the forces that had come from Timbuktu, became his deputy. Together with the expedition, Meunier reached Lake Chad and participated in the Battle of Cusseri , which laid the foundations of French domination in Central Africa.
In 1913, Meunier became commandant of the French post in the Ouarglas oasis. While in this position, he developed a program to modernize Africa by building roads.
During the First World War, Octave Meunier fought on the Western Front, in the battle of Verdun commanded the 1st regiment of Algerian riflemen. April 5, 1918 due to the explosion of the projectile lost his left hand.
After the war, Meunier returned to Africa, becoming the head of the military headquarters of Algerian Governor-General . From 1926 to 1934, he was the director of the Territories (that is, the Algerian Sahara) and was able to implement his plan for the construction of trans-Saharan roads. In 1930, as a symbol of the modernization of Africa, he organized the rally Mediterranean - Niger. In 1935, Octave Meunier was demobilized with the rank of brigadier general.
In 1950, Meunier organized the first trans-African motor race, the Mediterranean Sea - Cape Town.
Publications
- Octave Meynier, L'Afrique Noire , Flammarion, Paris, 1911, 335 p.
- Octave Meynier, Les conquérants du Tchad , Flammarion, Paris, 1923, 308 p.
- Octave Meynier, aux du chemin transsaharien, tactique saharienne et engins modernes , Berger-Levrault, Paris, 1924, 40 p.
- Octave Meynier, Guide pratique du Tourisme au Sahara , Société d'éditions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales, Paris, 1931, 112 p.
- Octave Meynier, "La guerre sainte de la Senoussya dans l'Afrique française (1915-1918)", dans Revue Africaine , No. 83 (1939)
- Octave Meynier, Mission Joalland-Meynier , Éditions de l'Empire français, Paris, 1947, 191 p.
- Octave Meynier, "Note le réle des rallyes de la Méditerranée au Cap dans l'histoire des communications inter-africaines", dans Revue Africaine , No. 99 (1955)