Abel-Nicolas Bergasse Dupetit Thouars

Abel-Nicolas Georges Henri Bergasse du Petit-Thouars (March 23, 1832 – March 14, 1890) was a French Navy officer who took part in the Crimean War, the Boshin War, the Franco-Prussian War and the War of the Pacific. He is considered a hero in Peru, and is known there as the Savior of Lima.

Early life Petit-Thouars was born in Bordeaux-en-Gâtinais, Loiret. He was adopted by his maternal uncle Vice Admiral Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars, a member of the Aubert Du Petit-Thouars family, originating from Touraine, and a noble family since 1711. adding the du Petit-Thouars surname to his name.

When he was 15 years old, he entered the École navale, incorporating himself to the French Navy when he was 21 years old.

Military career He took part in the Crimean War, where he was wounded and was made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur. In 1868, he commanded the corvette Dupleix during the Japanese revolution. On 8 March 1868, a skiff sent to Sakai was attacked by samurai retainers of the daimyō of Tosa; 11 sailors and a midshipman were killed. The attack and French demands for punishment of the samurai involved became known as the Sakai incident. In 1870, he commanded a floating battery on the Rhine river during the Franco-Prussian War. Nevertheless, what is known is that Petit-Thouars' role prevented a bombardment of the city.

Because of his role in the war, he became known as the Savior of Lima, and a key south-to-north broad one-way street in Lima, Petit Thouars Avenue, is named after him. It runs through Miraflores, San Isidro, Lince, and downtown Lima.

He was promoted to vice admiral in 1883, and later died in Toulon on 14 March 1890.

Family

Great-grand uncles: Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars (1758–1831), botanist Aristide Aubert du Petit-Thouars (1760–1798), French Navy officer, a hero of the Battle of the Nile Uncle and adoptive father: Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars (1793–1864), French Navy admiral and botanist, took possession of Tahiti for France