Maurice Gamelin
| Maurice Gamelin | |
|---|---|
General Maurice Gamelin (1936)
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| Birth name | Maurice Gustave Gamelin |
| Born |
20 September 1872 Paris, France |
| Died | 18 April 1958 (aged 85) Paris, France |
| Allegiance |
 France
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| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1893–1940 |
| Rank | Général d'armée |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
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Maurice Gustave Gamelin (20 September 1872 – 18 April 1958) was a senior French Army officer. Gamelin is remembered for his unsuccessful command (until 17 May 1940) of the French military during the Battle of France (10 May–22 June 1940) in the Second World War and his steadfast defence of republican values.
The Commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces in the Second World War, Gamelin was viewed as a man with significant intellectual ability. He was respected, even in Germany, for his intelligence and "subtle mind", though he was viewed by some German generals as stiff and predictable. Despite this, and his competent service in the First World War, his command of the French armies during the critical days of May 1940 proved to be disastrous. Historian and journalist William L. Shirer presented the view that Gamelin used First World War methods to fight the Second World War, but with less vigor and slower response.
Gamelin served with distinction under Joseph Joffre in the First World War. He is often credited with being responsible for devising the outline of the French counter-attack in 1914 which led to victory during the First Battle of the Marne. In 1933 Gamelin rose to command the French Army and oversaw a modernisation and mechanisation programme, including the completion of the Maginot Line defences.
Édouard Daladier supported Gamelin throughout his career due to his refusal to allow politics to play a part in military planning and promotion, and his commitment to the republican model of government—not a trivial concern at a time when Communists on the left and Royalists and Fascists on the right were openly advocating regime change in France.
Gamelin's father, Zéphyrin, fought in the Battle of Solferino in 1859. From an early age Gamelin showed potential as a soldier, growing up in a generation seeking revenge on Germany for their annexation of Alsace Lorraine at the end of the Franco-Prussian War.
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