Louis Maurin
| Louis Félix Thomas Maurin | |
|---|---|
Maurin in 1934
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| Minister of War | |
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In office 8 November 1934 – 7 June 1935 |
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| Preceded by | Philippe Pétain |
| Succeeded by | Jean Fabry |
| Minister of War | |
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In office 24 January 1936 – 4 June 1936 |
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| Preceded by | Jean Fabry |
| Succeeded by | Édouard Daladier |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 January 1869 Cherbourg, France |
| Died | 6 June 1956 (aged 87) Paris. France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | General |
Louis Félix Thomas Maurin (5 January 1869 – 6 June 1956) was a French army general who was twice Minister of War in the 1930s. Before and during World War I (1914–18) he was a strong advocate of motorization. In the inter-war period from 1919 to 1939 he advocated a policy of passive defense against the growing German threat. He thought that with all the money that had been spent on the Maginot Line fortifications it would be madness to go on the offensive. He saw little value in tanks as a weapon. He advised against a limited military reaction when Germany reoccupied the Rhineland in March 1936, calling for general mobilization or nothing. He did not consider that the 1936 pact with Russia would help France militarily.
Louis Félix Thomas Maurin was born in Cherbourg on 5 January 1869. He graduated from the École Polytechnique and joined the army, where he made his career in the artillery. In 1899 Maurin and Maurice Gamelin were fellow students at the École de Guerre. Maurin married Anne-Marie Bigault. Their son, Philippe Maurin (born 13 December 1913), would become an Air Force general.
Maurin was involved in motorization for almost twenty years. He was described by one general as "an apostle of motorization." During World War I (1914–18) both Maurin and Gamelin were "special envoys" of Joseph Joffre in 1914. Maurin later served on the staff of General Joseph Gallieni. He was appointed Brigadier General in 1918. In 1918 Maurin was in command of the General Reserve of Artillery. Motor transport was widely used by the Reserve to move artillery units between sectors of front.
Maurin became second in command of the French Army general staff in 1920. Maurin was Inspector General of Artillery from 1922 to 1934. From 1927 he was also Inspector General for Motorization of the Army. In October 1927 Maurin and two other officers advocated that the planned Maginot Line of defenses include a double line of machine gun placements. He was overruled in favor of the palm fort design, which was supported by Philippe Pétain.
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