Chief of Staff of the French Army
The Chief of Staff of the French Army (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de Terre, CEMAT) is a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Armed Forces (Chef d'État-Major des Armées,C.E.M.A) and the professional head of the French Army. The current Chief of Staff of the French Army has been General Jean-Pierre Bosser since 1 September 2014. The CEMAT title has been in use since 1962; prior to that the position for the general in charge of France's land forces was referred to as Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée.[1] The modern form of a general staff for the French Army emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with Louis Alexandre Berthier being Chief-of-Staff for the Grand État-Major Général (Army General Headquarters) of Napoleon's Grand Armée.
French Army Chiefs of Staff
Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée
- 1874–1914
- Jean-Louis Borel (1874–1875)
- Henri Gresley (1875–1877)
- Marie-Joseph François de Miribel (1878–1879)
- Léopold Davout d'Auerstaedt (1879–1880)
- Omer Arsène André Blot (1880–1881)
- Achille Ernest Vuillemot (1882–1883)
- de Cools (1884–1885)
- Savin de Larclause (1886–1887)
- Haillot (1888–1890)
- Marie-Joseph François de Miribel (1891–1893)[2]
- Raoul Le Mouton de Boisdeffre (1894–1898)[2]
- Paul Marie Brault (1899–1901)[2]
- Jean Marie Pendezec (1901–1905)[2]
- Jean Jules Brun (1905–1909)[2]
- Édouard Laffon de Ladebat (1909–1911)[2]
- Auguste Dubail (1911)[2]
- Joseph Joffre (28 July 1911 – 2 August 1914)[3]
First World War
In times of war, the army chief of staff took charge of general headquarters (GQG: Grand Quartier Général). During the First World War, the leader of the French armies was variously referred to as supreme general (generalissimo) or commander-in-chief. In the closing years of the war, the establishment of the Supreme War Council in 1917 led to overall command being held by French general Ferdinand Foch, and by mid-1918 French army chief Pétain was subordinate to Foch. Although the war essentially ended with the armistice in November 1918, the war-time organisation persisted until 1920.
- Joseph Joffre (August 1914 – December 1916)[4]
- Robert Nivelle (December 1916 – May 1917)[4]
- Philippe Pétain (May 1917 – 1920)[4]
1918–1939 During the interwar period, command of the French Army was divided between the Vice President of the Superior War Council and the Chief of the Army Staff. Marshal Philippe Pétain was Vice President from 1920 to 1931, when he was replaced by General Weygand. After Weygand retired in 1935 he was succeeded by Maurice Gamelin who held the two positions simultaneously.
- Edmond Buat (1920–1923)[5]
- Marie-Eugène Debeney (1923–1930)
- Maxime Weygand (1930–1931)[6]
- Maurice Gamelin (1931 – September 1939)
Second World War On the outbreak of war the Chief of the Army Staff again became commander-in-chief.
- Maurice Gamelin (September 1939 – 18 March 1940)
- Maxime Weygand (18 March 1940 – June 1941)
- Emile Bethouart (1944)[7]
- Georges Revers (1946–1949)[8]
1945–1962
- Paul Henri Romuald Ely (1954)[9]
Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de Terre
- Louis Le Puloch (18 July 1962 – 2 April 1965)[10]
- Emile Cantarel (3 April 1965 – 31 March 1971)[11]
- Alain de Boissieu (May 1971 – February 1975)[12]
- Jean Lagarde (1975 – 4 September 1980)[13]
- Jean Delaunay (4 September 1980 – 10 March 1983)[14]
- René Imbot (10 March 1983 – 1985)[14]
- Maurice Schmitt (1985–1987)[15]
- Gilbert Forray (1987–1991)[16]
- Amédée-Marc Monchal (1991–1996)[17]
- Philippe Mercier (1996–1999)
- Yves Crene (1999–2002)[18]
- Bernard Thorette (2 September 2002 – 15 July 2006)[19]
- Bruno Cuche (16 July 2006 – 1 July 2008)[20]
- Elrick Irastorza (2 July 2008 – 31 August 2011)[21]
- Bertrand Ract-Madoux (1 September 2011 – 31 August 2014)
- Jean-Pierre Bosser (1 September 2014 – present)
See also
- Chief of the Defence Staff of the Armed Forces (French: Chef d'État-Major des Armées, CEMA)
- Chief of Staff of the French Air Force (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de l'Air, CEMAA)
- Chief of Staff of the French Navy (French: Chef d'État-Major de la Marine, CEMM)
- Direction générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale (French: Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie nationale (DGGN))
- French Special Operations Command (French: Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS))
- Honneur et Fidélité
References
- ↑ Zeller, André (1974). Dialogues avec un général. Presses de la Cité. p. 14.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "L'armée française (1871–1914): Les chef de l'Etat major général". Military photos.com. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ↑ Tucker, Spencer; Mary Roberts, Priscilla (2005). World War I: encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. pp. 616–617. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- 1 2 3 Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (2001). The World War I Databook. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-766-6.
- ↑ "French Members of Arms Parley Are Now on Scene". The Atlanta Constitution. 8 November 1921. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ↑ "MACARTHUR RECEIVES HIGH FRENCH HONOR; Chief of Staff of Our Army Is Made Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor". The New York Times. 17 September 1931. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ↑ Paul W. Ward (5 July 1944). "De Gaulle Visit To Cover 5 Days". The Sun. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ M. Johnston, Andrew (2005). Hegemony and culture in the origins of NATO nuclear first-use, 1945–1955. Macmillan Publishers. p. 73. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ Bruce Frankum, Ronald (2007). Operation Passage to Freedom: the United States Navy in Vietnam, 1954–1955. Texas Tech University Press. p. 7. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ A. Beer, Francis (1969). Integration and disintegration in NATO: processes of alliance cohesion and prospects for Atlantic community. Mershon Center for Education in National Security, Ohio State University Press. p. 91. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ "Parliamentary approval of Defence Programme". Keesing's Record of World Events. Keesing's Worldwide, LLC. 11: 20921. August 1965. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ↑ Institute for the Study of Conflict (1974). Annual of power and conflict. p. 14. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ "French General Chief of Staff". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 4 September 1980. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- 1 2 John Vinocur (10 March 1983). "French general ousted for disputing cutback". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ "France and Vietnam: Turning a page in history". Orlando Sentinel. 11 February 1993. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ Wetterqvist, Fredrik (1990). French security and defence policy: current developments and future prospects. DIANE Publishing. p. 45. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ "French officials collect compatriots". Beacon Journal. 24 April 1995. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ Neil Baumgardner (20 March 2000). "Britain, France, Germany, Italy respond to Army vehicle request". Defense Daily. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ "French army chief of staff visits Morocco for exchange of expertise". BBC News. 5 March 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ Katrin Bennhold (1 July 2008). "French Army chief resigns over shooting accident". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ↑ Rocco DeFilippis (4 December 2009). "Commandant of the Marine Corps awarded French Legion of Honour by French Army Chief of Staff". United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 10 July 2011.