3-069-104 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of General François de Rochebrune, 1864. Officer in a regiment of Zouaves in the French army. In 1862 he came to Poland. He settled in Kraków, where he founded a fencing school, which became an informal military school for future insurgents. He also taught French in private homes. After the outbreak of the uprising in January 1863, he volunteered for the insurgent authorities. Following the example of the French troops, he formed a unit called the Zouaves of Death. They had a special esprit de corps shaped by an extremely strict military code and discipline. The Zouaves became a select insurgent formation. At their head, Rochebrune fought a number of battles: at Miechów, Malogoszcz, Chrobrze and Grochowiska. In the latter battle, he actually commanded the entire insurgent forces. The Mieroslaw people chose him as the leader of the main uprising, but the National Government did not approve his candidacy. In the insurgent army, he obtained the rank of general. Kozakiewicz, a participant in the uprising, depicted Rochebrune in the uniform of the Zouaves of Death, a black vest with a white cross on his chest, a black frock coat thrown over his right shoulder and a red fez with a tassel on his head. Waclawa Milewska