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. 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.

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.

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.

Second World War On the outbreak of war the Chief of the Army Staff again became commander-in-chief.

1945–1962

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