Émile Fayolle: Difference between revisions

Marie Émile Fayolle was born on May 14, May 1852, in Puy-en-Velay, at ''9 rue du Chenebouterie'', a road renamed in 1961 ''"rue du Maréchal-Fayolle"''. He is the first of six children born from the marriage of Jean Pierre Auguste Fayolle, lacemaker in Le Puy, and his wife Marie Rosine Badiou.

During his career he served in the artillery. He participated in the [[French conquest of Tunisia|Pacification of Tunisia]] in 1881.<ref name=Tucker /> Promoted to Captain he entered the ''École de Guerre'' in 1889 and graduated with distinction in 1891.<ref name=Tucker /> From 1897 to 1908 he taught artillery at the ''École supérieure de Guerre''. Fayolle was promoted to Brigadier General on 31 December 31, 1910, taking command of the artillery of the 12th Army Corps. Two years later he took command of the 19th Artillery Brigade. He retired on 14 May 14, 1914.

In 1916, Fayolle was given command of the [[Sixth Army (France)|Sixth Army]], which he commanded at the [[Battle of the Somme (1916)|Battle of the Somme]], under the command of [[Ferdinand Foch]]'s Northern Army Group. In preparation for the Somme offensive, the French Sixth Army under Fayolle would attack with 8 divisions, a force reduced from the original 40 divisions because of the French needs at [[Battle of Verdun|Verdun]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Martin|title=The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War|date=2006|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|isbn=0-8050-8127-5|page=49}}</ref> During the offensive, Fayolle is credited with successfully using a combination of artillery resources and infantry tactics to push the less well-defended Germans back across an 8-mile (12.87&nbsp;km) long segment of his front.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Martin|title=The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War|date=2006|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|isbn=0-8050-8127-5|page=86}}</ref> In August, as the Battle of the Somme continued, General Foch, commander of French forces on the Somme, visited British General Haig at Val Vion. Foch appointed Fayolle, one of the most successful army commanders of July, to fight alongside the British forces between their right flank and the north bank of the River Somme.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Martin|title=The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War|date=2006|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|isbn=0-8050-8127-5|page=144}}</ref> During the British and French Somme offensive from August 1 August to September 12 September, Fayolle decided without consulting the high command that his troops were too exhausted to launch a major offensive. He then reduced his command's participation in the battle to 1 division. The British had lost significant French support on their right during the offensive.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Prior, Wilson|first1=Robin, Trevor|title=The Somme|date=2005|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven and London|isbn=0-300-11963-1|page=164}}</ref> In October, French forces led by Fayolle advanced almost to Sailly Saillisol by successfully using the artillery-barrage system.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Martin|title=The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War|date=2006|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|isbn=0-8050-8127-5|page=209}}</ref>

He commanded occupation forces in the [[Palatinate (region)|Palatinat]] and [[Rheinhessen]], occupying Mainz and the left bank of the Rhine with Charles Mangin, from December 14, December 1918. He was also a member of the Allied [[Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control|Control Commission]].

Fayolle was named in 1920 a member of the French ''Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre'', the highest French military council,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k64762331/f7.image|title=Decree of the Minister of War|last=Government of the French Republic|language=French|website=gallica.bnf.fr|date=5 July 1920|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref> and served as inspector general of aeronautics from 1921 to 1924. The title of Marshal of France was awarded to him on February 19, February 1921.<ref name="Tucker" />

"For every position there must be a battle, following each other as rapidly as possible. Each one needs a new plan, a new artillery preparation. If one goes too quickly, one risks being checked; too slowly and the enemy has time to make more positions. That is the problem, and it is serious." (21 January 1916){{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

Émile Fayolle died in Paris on 27 August 27, 1928, at 18 avenue de La Bourdonnais. His body rests in the governors' vault at ''Les Invalides''.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

During the War, Émile Fayolle had kept a diary, published by Plon in 1964 under the title ''Cahiers secrets de la Grande Guerre'' and republished digitally in December 2013; it provides deep insight into French strategic thinking at the time.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

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[[Category:French militaryArmy personnelgenerals of World War I]]