Brialmont, Henri-Alexis

Brialmont, Henri-Alexis

▪ Belgian engineer
born May 25, 1821, Venlo, Neth.
died June 21, 1903, Brussels, Belg.

      Belgian soldier who was the leading fortifications (fortification) engineer of the late 19th century.

      Educated at the Brussels military school, Brialmont entered the Belgian army in 1843 and rose to the rank of major general (1874) and the post of inspector general of fortifications (1875). Brialmont's innovations developed out of his plans to fortify Antwerp and other Belgian cities against modern long-range artillery. He adopted a system that made use of a perimeter of detached forts situated at an average distance of 4 miles (6 km) from a city, as with the 12 forts that he constructed at Liège. Each fort was built of concrete with some steel reinforcement, and its big guns were mounted in disappearing cupolas and steel turrets in order to protect them from enemy artillery fire. Some of the forts were pentagonal, others triangular, with much of the construction underground. Brialmont designed the ring fortresses around Antwerp, Liège, and Namur in this fashion.

      In constructing defenses along their frontier facing Germany, French engineers emulated Brialmont, with particularly strong clusters of fortresses at Verdun and Belfort. In the opening days of World War I, Brialmont's Belgian forts crumbled within a few days under the pounding of heavy German guns, but the French forts at Verdun, which were of more recent and sturdier construction, later absorbed tremendous punishment and became focal points for some of the war's bloodiest fighting.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Henri-Alexis Brialmont — (* 25. Mai 1821 in Venlo; † 21. Juli 1903 in Brüssel) war ein belgischer General und Militärschriftsteller. Brialmont besuchte die Militärschule in Brüssel und trat 1843 als Secondeleutnant in das Geniekorps ein. 1847 wurde er zum Oberleutnant… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Henri Alexis Brialmont — (* 25. Mai 1821 in Venlo; † 21. Juli 1903 in Brüssel) war ein belgischer General und Militärschriftsteller. Büste Henri Alexis Brialmonts, Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brüssel. Brialmont besuchte die Militärschule in Brüssel …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Henri Alexis Brialmont — (May 25, 1821 ndash; June 21, 1903) was a Dutch born Belgian military engineer. He was one of the leading fortifications engineers in the 19th century.He was born in Dutch Limburg, the son of the French born Laurent Mathieu Brialmont (1789 1885) …   Wikipedia

  • Henri Alexis Brialmont — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Brialmont (homonymie). Henri Alexis Brialmont …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Brialmont — Henri Alexis Brialmont (* 25. Mai 1821 in Venlo; † 21. Juli 1903 in Brüssel) war ein belgischer General und Militärschriftsteller. Brialmont besuchte die Militärschule in Brüssel und trat 1843 als Secondeleutnant in das Geniekorps ein. 1847 wurde …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brialmont — (Henri Alexis) (1821 1903) général belge; auteur d un plan de fortifications, d Anvers à la Meuse …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Brialmont —   [brial mõ ] Henri Alexis, belgischer General und Festungsbaumeister. * Venlo 25. 5. 1821, ✝ Brüssel 21. 6. 1903; 1874 Generalmajor, 1875 Generalinspektor des belgischen Festungswesens. Ausgehend von den Festungsbaulehren Vaubans und des Marquis …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Brialmont — (spr. móng), Henri Alexis, belg. General und Militärschriftsteller, geb. 25. Mai 1821 zu Venloo, seit 1861 im Kriegsministerium, 1875 Generalinspektor des Geniekorps, nahm 1887 seine Entlassung, gest. 21. Juli 1903 in Brüssel, Autorität im Gebiet …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Brialmont — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Patronyme Henri Alexis Brialmont, militaire et architecte belge ainsi que fils de Mathieu Brialmont ; Hubert Brialmont (1807 1885), ingénieur en chef …   Wikipédia en Français

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