Robert Nivelle
Encyclopedia
Robert Georges Nivelle was a French
artillery
officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion
, and the First World War. In May 1916, he was given command of the French Third Army in the Battle of Verdun
, leading counter-offensives that rolled back the German forces in late 1916. However he and General Charles Mangin
were already accused of wasting French lives at Verdun. Following his successes at Verdun, he was promoted to commander-in-chief of the French armies on the Western Front in December 1916. He was responsible for the Nivelle Offensive
at the Chemin des Dames
, which faced a large degree of opposition during its planning stages, notably so from General Petain. When the offensive failed to achieve a breakthrough on the Western Front, Nivelle was replaced as commander-in-chief in May 1917. Nivelle was a very capable commander and organizer in the use of field artillery at the regimental and divisional levels. His promotion to the highest command level in the French Army came about in large part from his talents of persuasion with French and British political leaders, aided by his pronounced fluency in the English language.
in Corrèze
, had a French father and an English Protestant mother. He began his service in the French Army in 1878 upon graduating from the École Polytechnique
. Starting as a sub-lieutenant with French artillery, Nivelle became a colonel-of-artillery in December 1913. During that period, Nivelle served with distinction in Algeria, Tunisia and in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1898-1901.
, and the First Battle of the Aisne
, as a result of the intense artillery fire he organised against them. Consequently, he was promoted to become a general in October 1914. In 1916 the Battle of Verdun
occurred (21 February – 18 December), during which Nivelle was a subordinate to Philippe Pétain
. When Pétain was promoted to the command of the French Central Army Group, Nivelle was promoted to Pétain's previous command of the French Second Army, which was fighting against the Germans at Verdun
, and he took direct control of the army on 1 May 1916.
Nivelle is considered to have squandered the lives of some of his soldiers in wasteful counter-attacks during the Battle of Verdun; only one fresh reserve brigade was left with Second Army by 12 June. After Fleury
was captured by the Germans on 23 June, Nivelle issued an Order of the Day which ended with the now-famous line: Ils ne passeront pas! (They shall not pass!). Nivelle ordered the employment of a creeping barrage when the French made their initial counter-stroke on 24 October. The artillery supporting the infantry focused more on suppressing German troops as opposed to destroying specific objects. These tactics proved to be effective as Fleury was captured on 24 October, as well as Fort Douaumont
, a building whose capture by the Germans on 25 February 1916 was highly celebrated in Germany. Nivelle's successful counter-strokes were an important factor behind the decision to appoint him to become the commander-in-chief of the French armies on 12 December 1916.
Nivelle believed that a large saturation bombardment, followed by an extensive creeping barrage and by aggressive infantry assaults, would be able to break the enemy's front defences and help his troops reach the German gun line during a single attack, which would be followed by a breakthrough within two days. In 1917, Nivelle proposed that French forces should attack the Germans on the Aisne, keeping 27 divisions in reserve to exploit the rupture of the German defences that was expected to occur as a result, after British and other French forces had launched preliminary attacks between Arras and the Oise to keep German reserve troops occupied. Haig
, the British
commander, had reservations about Nivelle's plan, and supported it only in general terms and only as long as planned British operations in Belgium
were not curtailed. Looking for an alternative to more months of attrition warfare
, British and French political leaders supported Nivelle's proposal. For this offensive, Haig would be subordinate to Nivelle.
Between 16 March and 20 March 1917, the Germans withdrew from the Noyon salient and a smaller salient near Bapaume
. French General Franchet d'Esperey, commander of the Northern Army Group, asked Nivelle if he could attack the Germans as they withdrew. Nivelle believed that that action would disrupt his operational plan, and refused d'Esperey's request as a result. Nivelle has since been deemed to have missed his only real opportunity to disrupt the German withdrawal. Haig's confidence in Nivelle's planned offensive did not improve when Paul Painlevé
was appointed to become the French Minister of War in March 1917, as Painlevé had little faith in Nivelle's concepts. Philippe Pétain
, over whose head Nivelle had been promoted to become commander-in-chief, wanted to launch a major attack against the Germans near Reims
. The proposal is considered to have likely resulted in considerable difficulties for the Germans, but Nivelle refused because Petain's offensive would delay Nivelle's offensive for two weeks. General Micheler, commander of the French Reserve Army Group, which was to exploit the expected breakthrough on the Aisne, had serious misgivings about the upcoming battle. In a letter to Nivelle on 22 March, Micheler argued that the French might not break through as quickly as Nivelle wanted, as the Germans had reserves available, and had strengthened their defenses along a key sector of the Aisne. The other commanders of the French army groups also had concerns, but Nivelle did not make any major adjustments to his plan.
Assisted by Colonel (and former Minister of War
) Messimy, Micheler communicated his worries to Prime Minister Alexandre Ribot
. On 6 April, Nivelle met with Micheler, Pétain and several politicians, including President Poincaré
and Minister of War Painlevé
at Compiegne
.
Painlevé argued that the Russian Revolution meant that France shouldn't expect any major help from Russia, and that the offensive should be delayed until American
forces were available and could get involved. Micheler and Petain said that they doubted the French force allocated to the attack could penetrate beyond the second line of the German defences, and suggested a more limited operation. Poincaré, summing up the discussions, said that the offensive should proceed, but that it should be halted if it failed to rupture the German front. At this point, Nivelle offered to resign if his plan was not accepted but the politicians declared their complete confidence in him.
Thus Nivelle's plan went unchanged despite the doubts expressed by the other generals and he was under greater pressure to achieve decisive results.
On 4 April, during a German attack south of the Aisne, the secret plans of the French assault were captured but Nivelle did not alter his course.
began on 16 April 1917. It started a week after British forces had attacked near Arras. Nivelle made several declarations which improved the morale of the French troops involved in the Nivelle Offensive. Due to the fact that the preliminary bombardment against the Germans was markedly less effective than expected, and the lack of a sufficient number of French howitzers, the desired French breakthrough was not achieved on the first day of the operation, despite the use of 128 tanks. By 20 April, the French had 20,000 prisoners and 147 guns, which is considered to be "impressive results by the standards of previous years." However a decisive breakthrough on the Aisne had not been achieved. The French had suffered 96,125 casualties by 25 April, the offensive had led to a shell shortage in France, the French medical services broke down, and the delay of transporting French wounded from the front-line was demoralising.
By the end of its first week, the attack was stalled, and Nivelle was losing control. Micheler convinced Nivelle to reduce the scope of the offensive, with the goal now only to secure all of the Chemin des Dames and capture Reims. Nivelle became increasingly depressed over the course of the offensive as his orders were under a great degree of scrutiny by the French government. On 29 April, Nivelle's authority was undermined by the appointment of Pétain as Chief of the General Staff, and thus the main military adviser to the government. Although the French captured parts of the Chemin des Dames on 4–5 May, this was not sufficient to "repair Nivelle's crumbling reputation."
, Nivelle had predicted a great success, and the country was bitterly disappointed. Petain replaced Nivelle as Commander-in-Chief on 15 May. In December Nivelle was sent to serve in Africa. He returned to France after the end of the First World War in November 1918, retiring from the military in 1921. He died on 22 March 1924.
contends that Nivelle was "careless of casualties," that he was a "disastrous choice to succeed Joffre as commander-in-chief," and that the planning for the Nivelle Offensive was "slapdash". In the book World War 1: 1914–1918, the execution of the Nivelle Offensive is considered to have been "murderous." David Stevenson says that the attack on the Chemin des Dames was a "disaster."
Nivelle is also considered positively in some ways. In The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War, he is described as "a competent tactician as a regimental colonel in 1914", that his creeping barrage tactics were "innovative", and that he was able to galvanize "increasingly pessimistic public opinion in France" in December 1916." J Rickard believes Nivelle's push for a greater development of the tank contributed to its improvement by 1918, and he also says that Nivelle was a "gifted artilleryman".
The Nivelle Offensive is blamed by some historians for starting the French army mutinies of 1917
. Tim Travers states that "the heavy French casualties of the Nivelle offensive resulted in French army mutinies", and David Stevenson proposes that "the Nivelle offensive-or more precisely the decision to persist with it-precipitated the French mutinies of May and June [1917]."
Mount Nivelle
on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies
was named for him in 1918; summits with the names of other French generals are nearby: Cordonnier
, Foch
, Joffre
, Mangin
, and Pétain
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
, and the First World War. In May 1916, he was given command of the French Third Army in the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
, leading counter-offensives that rolled back the German forces in late 1916. However he and General Charles Mangin
Charles Mangin
Charles Emmanuel Marie Mangin was a French general during World War I.-Early career:...
were already accused of wasting French lives at Verdun. Following his successes at Verdun, he was promoted to commander-in-chief of the French armies on the Western Front in December 1916. He was responsible for the Nivelle Offensive
Nivelle offensive
The Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
at the Chemin des Dames
Chemin des Dames
In France, the Chemin des Dames is part of the D18 and runs east and west in the département of Aisne, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2, and in the east, the D1044 at Corbeny. It is some thirty kilometres long and runs along a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Aisne and Ailette...
, which faced a large degree of opposition during its planning stages, notably so from General Petain. When the offensive failed to achieve a breakthrough on the Western Front, Nivelle was replaced as commander-in-chief in May 1917. Nivelle was a very capable commander and organizer in the use of field artillery at the regimental and divisional levels. His promotion to the highest command level in the French Army came about in large part from his talents of persuasion with French and British political leaders, aided by his pronounced fluency in the English language.
Early life and career
Robert Georges Nivelle, born on 15 October 1856 in the French provincial town of TulleTulle
Tulle is a commune and capital of the Corrèze department in the Limousin region in central France. It is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulle...
in Corrèze
Corrèze
Corrèze is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River.The inhabitants of the department are called Corréziens or Corréziennes according to gender.-History:...
, had a French father and an English Protestant mother. He began his service in the French Army in 1878 upon graduating from the École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
. Starting as a sub-lieutenant with French artillery, Nivelle became a colonel-of-artillery in December 1913. During that period, Nivelle served with distinction in Algeria, Tunisia and in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1898-1901.
First World War
Described as "an articulate and immensely self-confident gunner", Nivelle played a key role in defeating German attacks during the Alsace Offensive, the First Battle of the MarneFirst Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
, and the First Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
, as a result of the intense artillery fire he organised against them. Consequently, he was promoted to become a general in October 1914. In 1916 the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
occurred (21 February – 18 December), during which Nivelle was a subordinate to Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
. When Pétain was promoted to the command of the French Central Army Group, Nivelle was promoted to Pétain's previous command of the French Second Army, which was fighting against the Germans at Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, and he took direct control of the army on 1 May 1916.
Nivelle is considered to have squandered the lives of some of his soldiers in wasteful counter-attacks during the Battle of Verdun; only one fresh reserve brigade was left with Second Army by 12 June. After Fleury
Fleury
Fleury can refer to:* Abbo of Fleury abbot of the monastery of Fleury* Andrew of Fleury, historian from the monstery of Fleury* Cardinal André-Hercule de Fleury, Bishop of Fréjus , chief minister of Louis XV of France...
was captured by the Germans on 23 June, Nivelle issued an Order of the Day which ended with the now-famous line: Ils ne passeront pas! (They shall not pass!). Nivelle ordered the employment of a creeping barrage when the French made their initial counter-stroke on 24 October. The artillery supporting the infantry focused more on suppressing German troops as opposed to destroying specific objects. These tactics proved to be effective as Fleury was captured on 24 October, as well as Fort Douaumont
Fort Douaumont
Fort Douaumont was the largest and highest fort on the ring of 19 large defensive forts protecting the city of Verdun, France since the 1890s. However, by 1915 the French General Staff had concluded that even the best protected forts of Verdun could not resist bombardments from the German 420mm ...
, a building whose capture by the Germans on 25 February 1916 was highly celebrated in Germany. Nivelle's successful counter-strokes were an important factor behind the decision to appoint him to become the commander-in-chief of the French armies on 12 December 1916.
Nivelle believed that a large saturation bombardment, followed by an extensive creeping barrage and by aggressive infantry assaults, would be able to break the enemy's front defences and help his troops reach the German gun line during a single attack, which would be followed by a breakthrough within two days. In 1917, Nivelle proposed that French forces should attack the Germans on the Aisne, keeping 27 divisions in reserve to exploit the rupture of the German defences that was expected to occur as a result, after British and other French forces had launched preliminary attacks between Arras and the Oise to keep German reserve troops occupied. Haig
Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I.Douglas Haig may also refer to:* Club Atlético Douglas Haig, a football club from Argentina* Douglas Haig , American actor...
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commander, had reservations about Nivelle's plan, and supported it only in general terms and only as long as planned British operations in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
were not curtailed. Looking for an alternative to more months of attrition warfare
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
, British and French political leaders supported Nivelle's proposal. For this offensive, Haig would be subordinate to Nivelle.
Between 16 March and 20 March 1917, the Germans withdrew from the Noyon salient and a smaller salient near Bapaume
Bapaume
Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...
. French General Franchet d'Esperey, commander of the Northern Army Group, asked Nivelle if he could attack the Germans as they withdrew. Nivelle believed that that action would disrupt his operational plan, and refused d'Esperey's request as a result. Nivelle has since been deemed to have missed his only real opportunity to disrupt the German withdrawal. Haig's confidence in Nivelle's planned offensive did not improve when Paul Painlevé
Paul Painlevé
Paul Painlevé was a French mathematician and politician. He served twice as Prime Minister of the Third Republic: 12 September – 13 November 1917 and 17 April – 22 November 1925.-Early life:Painlevé was born in Paris....
was appointed to become the French Minister of War in March 1917, as Painlevé had little faith in Nivelle's concepts. Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
, over whose head Nivelle had been promoted to become commander-in-chief, wanted to launch a major attack against the Germans near Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. The proposal is considered to have likely resulted in considerable difficulties for the Germans, but Nivelle refused because Petain's offensive would delay Nivelle's offensive for two weeks. General Micheler, commander of the French Reserve Army Group, which was to exploit the expected breakthrough on the Aisne, had serious misgivings about the upcoming battle. In a letter to Nivelle on 22 March, Micheler argued that the French might not break through as quickly as Nivelle wanted, as the Germans had reserves available, and had strengthened their defenses along a key sector of the Aisne. The other commanders of the French army groups also had concerns, but Nivelle did not make any major adjustments to his plan.
Assisted by Colonel (and former Minister of War
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
) Messimy, Micheler communicated his worries to Prime Minister Alexandre Ribot
Alexandre Ribot
Alexandre-Félix-Joseph Ribot was a French politician, four times Prime Minister.-Biography:He was born in Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais.After a brilliant academic career at the University of Paris, where he was lauréat of the faculty of law, he rapidly made his mark at the bar...
. On 6 April, Nivelle met with Micheler, Pétain and several politicians, including President Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...
and Minister of War Painlevé
Paul Painlevé
Paul Painlevé was a French mathematician and politician. He served twice as Prime Minister of the Third Republic: 12 September – 13 November 1917 and 17 April – 22 November 1925.-Early life:Painlevé was born in Paris....
at Compiegne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
.
Painlevé argued that the Russian Revolution meant that France shouldn't expect any major help from Russia, and that the offensive should be delayed until American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces were available and could get involved. Micheler and Petain said that they doubted the French force allocated to the attack could penetrate beyond the second line of the German defences, and suggested a more limited operation. Poincaré, summing up the discussions, said that the offensive should proceed, but that it should be halted if it failed to rupture the German front. At this point, Nivelle offered to resign if his plan was not accepted but the politicians declared their complete confidence in him.
Thus Nivelle's plan went unchanged despite the doubts expressed by the other generals and he was under greater pressure to achieve decisive results.
On 4 April, during a German attack south of the Aisne, the secret plans of the French assault were captured but Nivelle did not alter his course.
Nivelle Offensive
The Nivelle OffensiveNivelle offensive
The Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
began on 16 April 1917. It started a week after British forces had attacked near Arras. Nivelle made several declarations which improved the morale of the French troops involved in the Nivelle Offensive. Due to the fact that the preliminary bombardment against the Germans was markedly less effective than expected, and the lack of a sufficient number of French howitzers, the desired French breakthrough was not achieved on the first day of the operation, despite the use of 128 tanks. By 20 April, the French had 20,000 prisoners and 147 guns, which is considered to be "impressive results by the standards of previous years." However a decisive breakthrough on the Aisne had not been achieved. The French had suffered 96,125 casualties by 25 April, the offensive had led to a shell shortage in France, the French medical services broke down, and the delay of transporting French wounded from the front-line was demoralising.
By the end of its first week, the attack was stalled, and Nivelle was losing control. Micheler convinced Nivelle to reduce the scope of the offensive, with the goal now only to secure all of the Chemin des Dames and capture Reims. Nivelle became increasingly depressed over the course of the offensive as his orders were under a great degree of scrutiny by the French government. On 29 April, Nivelle's authority was undermined by the appointment of Pétain as Chief of the General Staff, and thus the main military adviser to the government. Although the French captured parts of the Chemin des Dames on 4–5 May, this was not sufficient to "repair Nivelle's crumbling reputation."
After the Nivelle Offensive
When the offensive ended on 9 May, 187,000 French casualties had been sustained. Although this was much less than the casualties in the Battle of VerdunBattle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
, Nivelle had predicted a great success, and the country was bitterly disappointed. Petain replaced Nivelle as Commander-in-Chief on 15 May. In December Nivelle was sent to serve in Africa. He returned to France after the end of the First World War in November 1918, retiring from the military in 1921. He died on 22 March 1924.
Legacy
Nivelle has come under a notable degree of criticism for some of his actions during the First World War. Julian ThompsonJulian Thompson
Major General Julian Howard Atherden Thompson, CB, OBE is a military historian and former Royal Marines officer who, as a brigadier, commanded 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands War.-Military career:...
contends that Nivelle was "careless of casualties," that he was a "disastrous choice to succeed Joffre as commander-in-chief," and that the planning for the Nivelle Offensive was "slapdash". In the book World War 1: 1914–1918, the execution of the Nivelle Offensive is considered to have been "murderous." David Stevenson says that the attack on the Chemin des Dames was a "disaster."
Nivelle is also considered positively in some ways. In The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War, he is described as "a competent tactician as a regimental colonel in 1914", that his creeping barrage tactics were "innovative", and that he was able to galvanize "increasingly pessimistic public opinion in France" in December 1916." J Rickard believes Nivelle's push for a greater development of the tank contributed to its improvement by 1918, and he also says that Nivelle was a "gifted artilleryman".
The Nivelle Offensive is blamed by some historians for starting the French army mutinies of 1917
French Army Mutinies (1917)
The French Army Mutinies of 1917 took place amongst the French troops on the Western Front in Northern France. They started just after the conclusion of the disastrous Second Battle of the Aisne, the main action in the Nivelle Offensive, and involved, to various degrees, nearly half of the French...
. Tim Travers states that "the heavy French casualties of the Nivelle offensive resulted in French army mutinies", and David Stevenson proposes that "the Nivelle offensive-or more precisely the decision to persist with it-precipitated the French mutinies of May and June [1917]."
Mount Nivelle
Mount Nivelle
Mount Nivelle is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after Marshall Robert Nivelle, and is one of the series of mountains there named after French generals.-See also:...
on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
was named for him in 1918; summits with the names of other French generals are nearby: Cordonnier
Mount Cordonnier
Mount Cordonnier is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after General Victor Louis Emilien Cordonnier.-See also:*List of peaks on the British Columbia-Alberta border*Mountains of Alberta...
, Foch
Mount Foch
Mount Foch is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after Marshall Ferdinand Foch.-See also:* List of peaks on the British Columbia-Alberta border* Mountains of Alberta...
, Joffre
Mount Joffre
Mount Joffre is a mountain located on the Continental Divide, in the extreme southern tip of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta. The mountain was named in 1918 by the Interprovincial Boundary Survey after Marshal Joseph Joffre, commander-in-chief of the French Army during World War I.The...
, Mangin
Mount Mangin
Mount Mangin is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after Mangin, Charles Emmanuel.-See also:* List of peaks on the British Columbia-Alberta border* Mountains of Alberta...
, and Pétain
Mount Pétain
Mount Pétain is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide. It was named in 1918 after General Philippe Pétain....
.
Decorations
- Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Knight (9 July 1895)
- Officer (21 December 1912)
- Commander (10 April 1915)
- Grand Officer (13 September 1916)
- Grand Cross (28 December 1920)
- Médaille militaireMédaille militaireThe Médaille militaire is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.-History:The creator of the médaille was the emperor Napoléon III, who may have taken his inspiration in a medal issued by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland...
(30 December 1921) - Croix de guerre 1914–1918Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France)The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 is a French military decoration.-Creation:Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created...
with 3 palms - Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire
- Médaille Commémorative de l'expédition de Chine 1900–1901
- Médaille commémorative du MarocMédaille commémorative du Maroc (1909)The Médaille commémorative du Maroc was a French colonial medal. It was given to the participants of the Second Franco-Moroccan War ....
with "Oudjda" and "Haut-Guir" clasps - Médaille Commémorative de la Grande Guerre
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(Belgium) - Officer of the Nicham Iftikhar (Tunisia)
- Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (Army)The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
(US)
See also
- Battle of VerdunBattle of VerdunThe Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
- Nivelle OffensiveNivelle offensiveThe Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
- Second Battle of the AisneSecond Battle of the AisneThe Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
- Philippe PétainPhilippe PétainHenri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
- Chemin des DamesChemin des DamesIn France, the Chemin des Dames is part of the D18 and runs east and west in the département of Aisne, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2, and in the east, the D1044 at Corbeny. It is some thirty kilometres long and runs along a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Aisne and Ailette...
Sources
- Simkins, Peter; Jukes, Geoffrey & Hickey, Michael, The First World War: The War To End All Wars, Osprey PublishingOsprey PublishingOsprey Publishing is an Oxford-based publishing company specializing in military history. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company produces over a dozen ongoing series, each focusing on a specific aspect of...
, ISBN 1-84176-738-7 - Blake, Robert (editor); The Private Papers of Douglas Haig 1914–1918, London 1952