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Gouraud
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Gouraud, Henri-Joseph-tienne. (1867 - 1946). Born Paris.

The future general entered Saint-Cyr in 1888 and had his early experience in the colonial army
in Africa where he got to know both Joffre and Mangin. He also served with Lyautey in
Morocco.
Gouraud was still in Morocco at the outbreak of war, having just been promoted brigadier
general. He led the 10 Division in 1914 and the following year (15 May) was appointed to take
over command of the French expeditionary force to the Dardanelles.

The French troops occupied the Asiatic side of the southern tip of the Gallipoli peninsula,
alongside the British, and Gouraud led several attacks against the Turkish positions on Kereves
Spur. Although the Dardanelles expedition was a British affair under command of Sir Ian
Hamilton, the British general considered the French commander more as a coadjutor than as a
subordinate (Hamiltons diary, 14 June 1915, cited in C.F. Aspinall-Oglander, Military
operations, Gallipoli , vol. 2, London, Heinemann 1932, p 71 ). After an attack on the Turkish
strongpoint called the Quadrilateral on the Kereves Spur, Gouraud was severely wounded on 30
June, losing his right arm and suffering two broken legs. He was held in such high regard that
King George V sent a telegram of regret to Sir Ian Hamilton. Despite his injuries, Gouraud was
back in command of Fourth Army in Champagne by December.

When Lyautey became War Minister in December 1916, General Gouraud took over from him
as Resident-General of Morocco and, after Lyauteys resignation and return, he returned to
France, to his former army command. His Fourth Army faced the final German attack in July
1918. One of the units of his army had been fortunate enough to capture some German prisoners
the day before the attack. They confirmed that the attack was to be launched, and Gouraud was
able to apply the new elastic method of defence that the French commander-in-chief, General

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Ptain, had instituted. Thus the front line was only lightly held, and the German attack
exhausted itself on the main defensive position, further back. The French were able to mount a
counter-offensive around Villers-Cotterts and the Germans were pushed back continuously
from then on until the Armistice.

Gourauds Fourth Army pursued the retreating Germans as far as Alsace, crossing the Meuse
between Sedan and Mzires on 10 November 1918. He occupied northern Alsace until October
1919. Later he became the French High Commissioner in Syria and commander-in-chief of the
Army of the Levant. He reached retirement age only in 1937.

EG

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