Amédée Courbet

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Amédée Courbet (1828–1885) was a French Admiral during the 19th century, who was particularly active in Asia. He was a Polytechnician.

Courbet was born in Abbeville in 1828 as the youngest of three children. His father died when he was nine years old. He was appointed governor of New Caledonia from 1880 to 1882, then commander of the Naval Division of Tonkin in 1883. He established the Protectorate of Annam after shelling the Annamite imperial capital at Hué during a succession crisis and compelling the new Emperor to submit to French authority.

He was put in charge of all French armed forces in China in 1884, and led the Sino-French War. He destroyed the newly-built Chinese Fukien fleet and Foochow Arsenal in the 1884 Battle of Foochow and organized the invasion and blockade of Formosa (Taiwan) capturing the Pescadores and occupying Keelung from 1st October 1884 to July 1885. He died two days after having obtained peace with China and its famous Black Flags on the ship Bayard anchored outside the port of Makung on 11th June 1885.

Pierre Loti was an officer ("Enseigne de Vaisseau") under Courbet. He wrote:

Courbet led the operations of the Sino-French War (1884-1885).

“

He was very careful not to shed French blood. His battles were highly organized, worked in advance with so rare a precision that the result, often decisive, was always obtained by losing very little of ours; and then, after the action which he had undertaken with total absolutism, he became again another man, very soft, making the visit of the ambulances with a generous and sad smile. He wanted to see all the casualties, even the humblest, to hold their hand, and they died more content, more comforted by his visit.

”

Three ships of the French Navy have been named in his honour.