Second Lieutenant in 1871. Colonel in 1902. From 1904 until 1914 he served as Commander in Chief of the
Gendarmerie, a military force with
law-enforcement duties. He was Chief Commander of the Belgian army from 25 May until 6 September 1914. During his assignment German troops invaded the Kingdom (4 August 1914) and Belgian mobilization started (31 July 1914). On 6 September he was dismissed by the
King, under the advice of Lieutenant General Baron Louis de Ryckel. The same Decree abolished the function of Chief of Staff. In this way the King secured control of the force. He is buried in the cemetery of
Neder-Over-Heembeek. == Honours ==