Abel Douay
| Abel Douay | |
|---|---|
General Abel Douay
|
|
| Born |
2 March 1809 Draguignan, France |
| Died | 4 August 1870 (aged 61) Wissembourg |
| Allegiance |
 Bourbon Restoration July Monarchy French Second Republic Second French Empire
|
| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1827–1870 |
| Rank | Général de Division |
| Battles/wars |
Conquest of Algeria Crimean War Franco-Austrian War Franco-Prussian War |
| Awards | Legion of Honour (Grand Officier) |
Charles Abel Douay (2 March 1809 – 4 August 1870) was a general in the French army during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon III. He commanded troops in numerous French campaigns in Europe and overseas. He was killed in battle at the age of sixty-one, near Wissembourg during the Franco-Prussian War.
Charles Abel Douay was born in the city of Draguignan on 2 March 1809. He became a well-known and well-respected military officer, described roundly as an "able" and "intrepid" soldier. He served in Algeria, in the Crimean War, and in Italy in 1859.
He was the elder brother of General Félix Charles Douay (1816–1879), who was also a distinguished career officer. (Because of their similar names and overlapping careers, the elder Douay is most frequently referred to as "Abel Douay".) At the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, Abel Douay had already settled into his position as president of the military academy at Saint-Cyr.
Recalled to active duty at the outbreak of war in 1870, the academy president was given command of a division under Marshal Patrice de Mac-Mahon at the frontline, and on the first day of the first battle of the war, Abel Douay was killed in combat, hit by an artillery explosion. The subsequent Battle of Wissembourg (4 August 1870) proved a disaster for the French. Demoralized by the loss of their commander, Douay's outnumbered division fell back. By the end of the month, a crushing loss at the Battle of Sedan eliminated Mac-Mahon's entire army and, with it, the Second French Empire.
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