File:Gamelin_september_1939.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Maurice Gamelin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Maurice Gustave Gamelin
French military officer (1872–1958)
Key facts
- President
- Albert Lebrun
- Prime minister
- Édouard Daladier , Paul Reynaud
- Minister of war
- Édouard Daladier
- Preceded by
- Position established
- Succeeded by
- Maxime Weygand
- Born
- ( 1872-09-20 ) 20 September 1872, Paris , France
- Died
- 18 April 1958 (1958-04-18) (aged 85), Paris, France
- Spouse
- Eugénie "Lucienne" Marchand (m.1927)
- Children
- Jean-René Avondo (b.1913)
- Allegiance
- French Third Republic
- Branch service
- French Army
- Years of service
- 1891–1940
- Rank
- Général d'armée
- Battles wars
- First World War First Battle of the Marne Battle of the Somme German spring offensive Hundred Days Offensive Meuse–Argonne offensive Great Syrian Revolt Second World War Battle of France
- Awards
- Legion of Honour ( Grand-croix ), Médaille militaire , Et al.
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Maurice
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- France
- Place of birth
- Paris
- Place of death
- Paris
- Occupation
- military commander
- Position held
- Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces
- Educated at
- Collège Stanislas de Paris
- Languages spoken
- French
- Field of work
- military affairs
- Conflict
- Phoney War
- Military branch
- French Army
- Military rank
- army general
- Image
- Maurice Gamelin.jpg
Show 10 more facts
- place of burial
- Passy Cemetery
- Commons category
- Maurice Gamelin
- date of birth
- 1872-09-20
- date of death
- 1958-04-18
- relative
- Jean-Jacques Uhrich
- name in native language
- Maurice Gamelin
- place of detention
- Buchenwald concentration camp
- allegiance
- French Third Republic
- start of work period
- 1893-00-00
- archives at
- Defence Historical Service
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Maurice Gustave Gamelin ( French pronunciation: [mɔʁis ɡystav ɡamlɛ̃]; 20 September 1872 – 18 April 1958) was a French general who served as head of the French Army from 1935 and as Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in France from the outbreak of the Second World War to his dismissal during the Battle of France in May 1940. The strategic choices Gamelin made ultimately left France vulnerable to a lightning offensive through the Ardennes and have been extensively criticised by historians.
Gamelin distinguished himself in the First World War. As an advisor to Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre, he played an active role in planning the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. Later, as commander of a division in 1918, he successfully contributed to the halting of the initial push of the German spring offensive despite being vastly outnumbered. Between 1919 and 1924, Gamelin headed the French military mission to Brazil. In September 1925, he was placed in command of French troops in the Levant and led the pacification of the Great Syrian Revolt.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Maurice Gamelin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.