Jules Brunet

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Jules Brunet
General of division
Battles/wars
Awards

Jules Brunet (2 January 1838 – 12 August 1911) was a French military officer who served the

general of division and worked for the Ministry of War
.

Early life and career

Brunet was born in

École Polytechnique. Graduating 68th of 120 in his class Brunet joined the artillery, and finished his education at the school of artillery of Metz, where he excelled in his studies and graduated in fourth place in his course, in 1861.[1]

Shortly after graduating, Brunet was sent to serve in the

Légion d'honneur.[1] He was promoted to captain of the artillery in 1867, and was then Knight of the Légion d'honneur.[2] During his time in Mexico, Brunet was able to create a number of quickly-drawn croquis, many of which were then published by French newspapers to illustrate the war.[2]

Mission to Japan

See also: French military mission to Japan (1867–1868)

In 1866, the French government decided to send a

group of military advisors to Japan to help modernize the Shogun's army. For his distinguinshed performance in the artillery school and in the war in Mexico, Brunet was a main choice for the artillery corps of the mission. He was notably recommended to Napoleon III by government official Émilien de Nieuwerkerke, who also noted Brunet's drawing skills and his "most great desire to be in charge of a military mission to Japan". At 28 years old, Brunet was one of the youngest officers selected to the Mission.[1]

The mission was composed of fifteen members, including five officers, and was led by Captain Charles Chanoine.[1] All preparations were completed on 3 November 1866, and days later the mission departed to Japan aboard the Péluse. They arrived in January 1867,[1] and trained the Shogun's troops for about a year. While in Japan, Brunet was promoted to captain (August 1867). Then the Shogun, in 1868, was overthrown in the Boshin War and Emperor Meiji was nominally restored to full power.

The French military mission before its departure to Japan (1867). Brunet is seated in the front row, second from right

In late September 1868, the French military mission was ordered by its government to leave Japan. Captain Chanoine arranged for the mission to leave Japan aboard two ships, which would sail on 15 and 28 October. Brunet, however, chose to stay in Japan and remain loyal to Shogun's side of the war. He decided to assist the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei, known as the "Northern Alliance", in their resistance against the Imperial faction. He resigned from the French army on 4 October, informing Minister of War Adolphe Niel of his decision in a letter:[1]

"I have the honor of presenting to you my resignation from the rank of captain; I declare that from this 4 October 1868, I renounce the prerogatives of the position of artillery officer in the French army".

In another letter, to Napoleon III himself, Brunet explained the plan of the alliance, as well as his role in it:[3]

"A revolution is forcing the Military Mission to return to France. Alone I stay, alone I wish to continue, under new conditions: the results obtained by the Mission, together with the Party of the North, which is the party favorable to France in Japan. Soon a reaction will take place, and the Daimyos of the North have offered me to be its soul. I have accepted, because with the help of one thousand Japanese officers and non-commissioned officers, our students, I can direct the 50,000 men of the Confederation [...]".

On 4 October, the day of his resignation, Brunet left the French headquarters in Yokohama under the pretext of going to visit the Franco-Japanese arsenal in Yokosuka. Instead, he went to the Shogunate's fleet anchored off Shinagawa, in Tokyo Bay, where he joined André Cazeneuve, a fellow countryman who remained loyal to the Shogun.[1]

Boshin War

Main article: Boshin War
The French military advisers and their Japanese allies, c. 1868. Brunet is seated in front, second from left, turning towards shogunate officer Matsudaira Tarō

Brunet took an active role in the Boshin War. He and Cazeneuve were present at the

Fujisan
.

When Edo also fell to Imperial forces Enomoto and Brunet escaped, first going to

international recognition, and was responsible for drafting French-language announcements to his fellow officers fighting in the rebellion.[4]

Brunet also helped to organize the Ezo army, under hybrid Franco-Japanese leadership.

Otori Keisuke was Commander-in-chief and Brunet was second-in-command. Each of the four brigades were commanded by a French officer (Fortant, Marlin, Cazeneuve and Bouffier), with Japanese officers commanding each half-brigade. The final stand of the Shogun/Ezo forces was the Battle of Hakodate. The Ezo forces, numbering 3,000, were defeated by 7,000 Imperial troops in June 1869. In an interesting postscript to his involvement in the Boshin War, Brunet spoke highly of Shinsengumi vice-commander Hijikata Toshizō in his memoirs. Praising Hijikata's ability as a leader, he said that if the man had been in Europe, he most certainly would have been a general.[citation needed
]

Return to France and later career

Jules Brunet in 1890

Brunet and the other French advisers were wanted by the Imperial government, but were evacuated from Hokkaidō by the French corvette Coëtlogon, commanded by

Dupleix.[5]
Brunet then returned to France. The new Japanese government requested that Brunet be punished for his activities in the Boshin War, but his actions had won popular support in France and the request was denied.

General Jules Brunet (center, hat in hand), Chief of Staff of the French Minister of War, 1898

After receiving a light sentence in his country

aide de camp to the Minister of War, Ernest Courtot de Cissey
.

In 1879, Brunet received the promotion to

general of division.[8]

In January 1903, Brunet retired into the

army reserve. After a long period of illness he died in Fontenay-sous-Bois, on 13 August 1911.[6]

Rehabilitation in Japan

Brunet's former ally, Admiral Enomoto, joined the Imperial government and became Minister of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Through Enomoto's influence, the Imperial government not only forgave Brunet's actions but awarded him medals in May 1881 and again in March 1885, among those the Order of the Rising Sun. The medals were presented at the Japanese Embassy in Paris.[9] In 1895 Brunet was made a Grand Officer of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.[1]

Cultural references

Brunet's actions served as inspiration for the character of Nathan Algren, the protagonist of the 2003 film The Last Samurai.[10][11]

Brunet also appears as a character in the 2024 video game

Katsu Kaishu
and can fight alongside the player in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi if the player chooses to side with the Shogunate's forces during the conflict.

Drawing and paintings by Brunet

Brunet was a talented painter and sketch artist who left numerous depictions of his travels in Mexico and Japan.

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    doi:10.3917/strat.099.0193
    .
  2. ^ a b c Tōhō Gakkai (Institute of Eastern Culture) (1969). "Jules Brunet, Français qui combattit à Goryōkaku". Acta Asiatica. 16–17: 59.
  3. ^ Soie et Lumières, l'Age d'or des échanges Franco-Japonais, p. 81 (in French and Japanese)
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-065610-2
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 9782811107369
    .
  6. ^ a b c "M. le général Brunet". Bulletin de la Société franco-japonaise de Paris: 220. 1911.
  7. Institution of Royal Engineers (1871). "Visitors to the School of Military Engineering"
    . The Royal Engineer Journal. 1.
  8. ^ "Nécrologie". Le Temps. 20 August 1911.
  9. ^ 函館の幕末・維新 p.9
  10. Last Samurai." Monthly Letter of the French Chamber of Commerce in Japan, p.9 "Diner des sempais en compagnie de M. Christian Polak. "Monthly Letter of the French Chamber of Commerce in Japan, p.9 "Diner des sempais en compagnie de M.Christian Polak" (PDF). Archived from the original on October 29, 2007. Retrieved 2013-09-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link
    )
  11. ^ Le dernier samouraï était un capitaine français ("The Last Samurai was a French captain"), Samedi, 6 mars 2004, p. G8, Le Soleil. Quoting Christian Polak about The Last Samurai movie.

References

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