The New International Encyclopædia/Montalembert, Marc René, Marquis de

MONTALEMBERT, Marc René, Marquis de (1714-1800). A French general. He was born at Angoulême, entered the army at eighteen, and served in Germany (1733) and in Italy and Bohemia (1742). He wrote much on fortification after his election to the Academy of Sciences, and, in spite of opposition to his novel theories, was intrusted with the fortification of the island of Aix in 1779. He recognized the defects of the bastion system of defense in fortifications, and advocated the employment of casemates for protected gun fire. His theories were first adopted by Prussia, and formed the basis of what afterwards became known as the polygonal system of defense. He is also famous for his works: La fortification perpendiculaire (1776), and L'art défensif supérieur à l'offensif (1796). See Fortification.