Antoine Chanzy Antoine Eugène Alfred Chanzy ( 18 March 1823 – 4 January 1883 ) was a French general , notable for his successes during the Franco - Prussian War and as a governor of Algeria . Biography . Born in Nouart in the department of ( Ardennes ) , France , the son of a cavalry officer , Chanzy was educated at the naval school at Brest , but enlisted in the artillery , and , subsequently attending the military academy Saint Cyr , was commissioned in the " Zouaves " during 1843 . He participated with a good deal of fighting in Algeria , and was promoted lieutenant in 1848 , and to captain in 1851 . He became " chef de bataillon " in 1856 , and served in the Second Italian War of Independence , being present at the battles of Magenta and Solferino . He participated with the Syrian campaign of 1860 - 61 as a lieutenant - colonel ; and as colonel commanded the 45th Regiment at Rome in 1864 . He returned to Algeria as general of brigade , assisted to quell the Arab insurrection , and commanded the subdivisions of Bel Abbes and Tlemçen in 1868 . Although Chanzy had acquired a good professional reputation , he was disfavor at the war office because of suspected contributions to the press , and at the beginning of the war with Prussia , he was refused a brigade command . After the revolution , however , the government of national defence recalled him from Algeria , made him a general of division , and gave him command of the XVI Corps of the Army of the Loire . The Loire army won the greatest success of the French during the entire war at Coulmiers , and followed this with another victorious action at Patay ; in both engagements General Chanzy ' s corps performed the best . After the Second Battle of Orléans ( 1870 ) and the separation of the two wings of the French army , Chanzy was appointed to command that of the west , designated the second army of the Loire . His enemies , Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg - Schwerin , Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia , and General von der Tann , all regarded Chanzy as their most formidable opponent . Chanzy displayed conspicuous moral courage and constancy , not less than technical skill , in the fighting from the Battle of Beaugency ( 1870 ) to the Loire . Nevertheless his army of badly armed conscripts suffered a great defeat at the Battle of Le Mans in January 1871 . Chanzy successfully retired to Laval behind the Mayenne but his forces had been depleted severely . He was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honour , and was elected to the National Assembly . At the beginning of the Commune rebellion , Chanzy , then in Paris , was captured by the insurgents , by whom he was forced to give his parole not to serve against them . It was said that he would otherwise have been appointed instead of Patrice MacMahon to command the army of Versailles . A ransom of £40 , 000 was also paid by the government for him . In 1872 , Chanzy became a member of the committee of defence and commander of the VII Corps , and in 1873 was appointed governor of Algeria and commander of XIX Corps , where he remained for six years . In 1875 , he was elected a life senator , in 1878 received the grand cross of the Legion of Honour , and in 1879 , without his consent , was nominated for the presidency of the republic , receiving a third of the total votes . From 1879 to 1882 Chanzy was ambassador to Russia , during which time he received many tokens of respect , not only from the Russians , but also from the German emperor , William I , and Prince Bismarck . He died suddenly , while commanding the VI Corps ( stationed nearest to the German frontier ) , at Châlons - sur - Marne now Châlons - en - Champagne , only a few days after Leon Gambetta , and his remains received a state funeral . Chanzy was the author of " La Deuxième Armée de la Loire " ( 1872 ) . Statues of General Chanzy have been erected at Nouart and Le Mans .