Battles/wars Battle of the Yser Name Alphonse de | Rank Lieutenant general | |
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Birth name Jules Marie Alphonse Jacques Born 24 February 1858
Stavelot, Belgium ( 1858-02-24 ) Allegiance Belgium
Congo Free State Commands held 12th Regiment of the Line Died November 24, 1928, Ixelles, Belgium | ||
Battles and wars Battle of the Yser | ||
Jules Marie Alphonse Jacques, 1st Baron Jacques de Dixmude (24 February 1858 in Stavelot – 24 November 1928 in Ixelles), often known as General Jacques, was a Belgian soldier, general and colonial advocate.
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Congo Free State
He founded Albertville in Congo in 1892.
Congo Arab war
From 1886-1892, the Society of Missionaries of Africa had founded catholic missions at the north and south ends of Lake Tanganyika. Léopold Louis Joubert, a French soldier and armed auxiliary, was dispatched by Archbishop Charles Lavigerie's Society of Missionaries of Africa to protect the missionaries. The missionaries abandoned three of the new stations due to attacks by Tippu Tip and Rumaliza. By 1891 the Zanzibari slavers had control of the entire western shore of the lake, apart from the region defended by Joubert around Mpala and St Louis de Mrumbi. The anti-slavery expedition under Captain Alphonse Jacques—financed by the Belgian Anti-Slavery Society—came to the relief of Joubert on 30 Oktober 1892. When the Jacques expedition arrived Joubert's garrison was down to about two hundred men, poorly armed with "a most miscellaneous assortment of chassepots, Remingtons and muzzle-loaders, without suitable cartridges". He also had hardly any medicine left. Captain Jacques asked Joubert to remain on the defensive while his expedition moved north.On the 3rd of Januari 1892, Captain Alphonse Jacques' anti-slavery expedition founded the fortress of Albertville on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and tried to put an end to the slave trade in the region. Rumaliza's troops surrounded Albertville on the 5th of April and besieged the outpost for 9 months. Eventually Rumaliza's forces had to retreat because of the arrival of the Long-Duvivier-Demol Anti-Slavery expedition, a relief column sent from Brussels at captain Alphonse Jacques's aide. Captain Jacques was soon sent back to Belgium and was promoted to colonel.
World War I
His greatest service was to come during World War I when he was mobilized and later took command of the 12th Regiment of the Line. He led his soldiers with great skill and extreme bravery, becoming a hero of the Belgian army in the first days of the invasion of the powerful German forces. In 1914, his troops successfully repelled two heavy German attacks near Antwerp that was crucial in giving the Belgian forces time to withdraw to the Yser. Later, on Belgian soil, he commanded the 3rd Belgian army division from 5 February 1917 to 4 October 1919. His troops prevented Diksmuide falling into the hands of the German army. This military achievement led to his elevation to the Nobility of Belgium as Baron Jacques de Dixmude in 1919.
Commemoration
"General Jacques" is commemorated by several statues and monuments around Belgium, including the "Boulevard Général Jacques" in Brussels as well as others in Nivelles, Chaudfontaine and Verviers and numerous statues. A bas-relief of Baron Jacques is included as part of the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City.