Chief of Staff of the French Army

Chief of the Army Staff
Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre
Incumbent
Army General Pierre Schill
since 22 July 2021
Ministry of the Armed Forces
TypeChief of Staff
AbbreviationCEMAT
Member ofChiefs of Staff Committee
Reports toChief of the Defence Staff
SeatHexagone Balard, Paris
AppointerPresident of the Republic
Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
Formation8 June 1871; 152 years ago (1871-06-08)
First holderFrançois Hartung
DeputyMajor General of the Army
Websitedefense.gouv.fr/terre

The Chief of the Army Staff (French: Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre, CEMAT) is the military head of the French Army. The chief directs the army staff and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on subjects concerning the Army. As such, they ensure the operational preparedness of their service branch, express their need for military and civilian personnel, and are responsible for maintaining the discipline, morale and conduct of their troops. Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.

The chief does not have a fixed term, nor an attached rank. In practice, however, a term has never exceeded five years and all chiefs since the late 1950s have been five–stars generals (OF–09). They are assisted in their duties by the Major General of the Army who will deputise if needed.

General Pierre Schill is the current chief and has been serving since 22 July 2021.

History

Creation

The office was originally created on 8 June 1871 as Chief of the General Staff of the Army. Following the fall of the Second French Empire, the central administration of the Ministry of War was reorganized. The Chief of Staff had full control of the operations of the army, military engineering services, military justice, and general resources such as the historic and geographic departments. The Chief reported directly to the Minister of War.

However, under some governments, the position was given a lesser importance and was attributed to a Général de brigade, the lowest of the two flag officer ranks existing at the time in the French Army. In normal circumstances, it was filled by a Général de division.

First World War

In times of war, the Chief of Staff of the French Army took charge of general headquarters (Grand Quartier Général (1914–1919) (GQG)). During the First World War, the leader of the French Armies was variously referred to as generalissimo or commander-in-chief. In the closing years of the First World War I, the establishment of the Supreme War Council in 1917 led to overall command being held by General Ferdinand Foch, and by mid-1918 French Army Chief Philippe Pétain was subordinate to Foch. Although the war ended with the armistice in November 1918, the war-time organisation persisted until 1920.

Interwar

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 general staff of the Armies. 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 Gamelin who held the two positions simultaneously.

Second World War

The position was abolished during the Battle of France and not reestablished until the end of the war.

Postwar

The modern-day office of Chief of Staff of the Army was created in 1951. The Chief is placed under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff and is member of the Chiefs of Staff committee.

Office holders

Third Republic

No. Portrait Rank & Name Term Minister Commander-in-Chief Ref.
Took office Left office Duration
Office established
1 Brigade general
Edmond Hartung
9 June 1871 2 June 1873 1 year, 358 days Ernest de Cissey
François du Barail
Adolphe Thiers
-
2 Division general
Jean-Louis Borel
2 June 1873 2 June 1874 1 year, 0 days François du Barail
Ernest de Cissey
Patrice de MacMahon
-
3 Division general
Henri Gresley
2 June 1874 29 November 1877 3 years, 180 days Ernest de Cissey
Jean Berthaut
Gaëtan de Rochebouët

-
4 Division general
Joseph de Miribel
29 November 1877 25 January 1879 1 year, 57 days Gaëtan de Rochebouët
Jean-Louis Borel
Henri Gresley

-
5 Division general
Léopold Davout
25 January 1879 11 January 1880 351 days Henri Gresley
Jean-Joseph Farre
Jules Grévy
-
6 Division general
Omer Blot
11 January 1880 16 November 1881 1 year, 309 days Jean-Joseph Farre
Jean-Baptiste Campenon

-
7 Division general
Joseph de Miribel
16 November 1881 18 February 1882 94 days Jean-Baptiste Campenon
Jean-Baptiste Billot

-
8 Division general
Achile Vuillemot
18 February 1882 5 January 1885 2 years, 322 days Jean-Baptiste Billot
Jean Thibaudin
Jean-Baptiste Campenon
Jules Lewal

-
9 Division general
Charles Warnet
5 January 1885 9 April 1885 94 days Jules Lewal
Jean-Baptiste Campenon

-
10 Division general
Amédée de Cools
9 April 1885 10 January 1886 276 days Jean-Baptiste Campenon
Georges Boulanger

-
11 Division general
Eugène Galland
10 January 1886 14 January 1886 4 days Georges Boulanger
-
12 Division general
Savin de Larclause
14 January 1886 6 July 1887 1 year, 173 days Georges Boulanger
Théophile Ferron

-
13 Division general
Charles Haillot
6 July 1887 7 May 1890 2 years, 305 days Théophile Ferron
François Logerot
Charles de Freycinet
Sadi Carnot
-
14 Division general
Joseph de Miribel
7 May 1890 29 September 1893 3 years, 145 days Charles de Freycinet
Julien Léon Loizillon

15 Division general
Raoul de Boisdeffre
29 September 1893 3 September 1898 4 years, 339 days Julien Loizillon
Auguste Mercier
[...]
Jean-Baptiste Billot
Jacques Cavaignac

Jean Casimir-Perier
Félix Faure
16 Division general
Jean Renouard
3 September 1898 5 November 1898 63 days Jacques Cavaignac
Charles Chanoine
Édouard Locroy
Charles de Freycinet

-
17 Division general
Paul Brault
5 November 1898 27 September 1899† 326 days Charles de Freycinet
Camille Krantz
Gaston de Galliffet

Émile Loubet
18 Brigade general
Alfred Delanne
27 September 1899 5 July 1900 281 days Gaston de Galliffet
Louis André

-
19 Division general
Jean Pendézec
5 July 1900 2 August 1905 5 years, 28 days Louis André
Maurice Berteaux

20 Division general
Jean Brun
2 August 1905 5 August 1909 4 years, 3 days Maurice Berteaux
Eugène Étienne
Georges Picquart
Jean Brun

Armand Fallières
21 Division general
Édouard de Ladébat
5 August 1909 31 May 1911 1 year, 299 days Jean Brun
Aristide Briand
Maurice Berteaux
François Goiran

22 Division general
Augustin Dubail
31 May 1911 29 July 1911 59 days François Goiran
Adolphe Messimy

23 Division general
Joseph Joffre
29 July 1911 14 December 1916 5 years, 138 days Adolphe Messimy
Alexandre Millerand
[...]
Pierre Roques
Hubert Lyautey

Raymond Poincaré
24 Division general
Robert Nivelle
14 December 1916 30 April 1917 137 days Hubert Lyautey
Lucien Lacaze
Paul Painlevé

-
25 Division general
Philippe Pétain
30 April 1917 16 May 1917 16 days Paul Painlevé
-
26 Division general
Ferdinand Foch
16 May 1917 29 December 1918 1 year, 227 days Paul Painlevé
Georges Clemenceau

-
27 Division general
Henri Alby
29 December 1918 25 January 1920 1 year, 27 days Georges Clemenceau
André Lefèvre

-
28 Division general
Edmond Buat
25 January 1920 30 December 1923† 3 years, 339 days André Lefèvre
Flaminius Raiberti
Louis Barthou
André Maginot
Paul Deschanel
Alexandre Millerand
29 Division general
Eugène Debeney
9 January 1924 3 January 1930 5 years, 359 days André Maginot
Charles Nollet
[...]
Paul Painlevé
André Maginot

-
Gaston Doumergue
30 Division general
Maxime Weygand
3 January 1930 10 February 1931 1 year, 38 days André Maginot
Louis Barthou
André Maginot

-
31 Division general
Maurice Gamelin
10 February 1931 20 May 1940 9 years, 100 days André Maginot
André Tardieu
[...]
Louis Maurin
Édouard Daladier

Paul Doumer
Albert Lebrun
Office disestablished (1940–1945)

Fourth Republic

No. Portrait Rank & Name Term Minister Commander-in-Chief Ref.
Took office Left office Duration
Office reestablished
32 Army general
Jean de Lattre
30 November 1945 12 March 1947 1 year, 102 days Edmond Michelet
Félix Gouin
Georges Bidault
François Billoux
Charles de Gaulle
-
Félix Gouin
Georges Bidault
Vincent Auriol
33 Corps general
Georges Revers
12 March 1947 15 December 1949 2 years, 278 days François Billoux
Yvon Delbos
[...]
Paul Ramadier
René Pleven

34 Corps general
Clément Blanc
15 December 1949 16 June 1955 5 years, 183 days René Pleven
Jules Moch
[...]
Jacques Chevallier
Marie-Pierre Kœnig

-
René Coty
35 Army general
André Zeller
16 June 1955 2 March 1956 260 days Marie-Pierre Kœnig
Pierre Billotte
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury

-
36 Corps general
Jean Piatte
2 March 1956 11 November 1956 254 days Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
-
37 Corps general
Henri Lorillot
11 November 1956 2 July 1958 1 year, 233 days Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
André Morice
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Pierre de Chevigné
Charles de Gaulle

-

Fifth Republic

No. Portrait Rank & Name Term Minister Commander-in-Chief Ref.
Took office Left office Duration
38 Army general
André Zeller
2 July 1958 1 October 1959 1 year, 91 days Charles de Gaulle
Pierre Guillaumat
René Coty
-
Charles de Gaulle
39 Army general
André Demetz
1 October 1959 18 July 1962 2 years, 290 days Pierre Guillaumat
Pierre Messmer

-
40 Army general
Louis Le Puloch
18 July 1962 3 April 1965 2 years, 260 days Pierre Messmer -
41 Army general
Émile Cantarel
3 April 1965 1 May 1971 6 years, 28 days Pierre Messmer
Michel Debré
-
Georges Pompidou
42 Army general
Alain de Boissieu
1 May 1971 1 April 1975 3 years, 335 days Michel Debré
Robert Galley
Jacques Soufflet
Yvon Bourges

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
43 Army general
Jean Lagarde
1 April 1975 1 October 1980 5 years, 183 days Yvon Bourges
Joël Le Theule

-
44 Army general
Jean Delaunay
1 October 1980 10 March 1983 2 years, 160 days Robert Galley
Charles Hernu

François Mitterrand
45 Army general
René Imbot
10 March 1983 25 September 1985 2 years, 199 days Charles Hernu
46 Army general
Maurice Schmitt
25 September 1985 16 November 1987 2 years, 52 days Paul Quilès
André Giraud

47 Army general
Gilbert Forray
16 November 1987 17 April 1991 3 years, 152 days André Giraud
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
Pierre Joxe

48 Army general
Amédée Monchal
17 April 1991 28 August 1996 5 years, 133 days Pierre Bérégovoy
François Léotard
Charles Millon

Jacques Chirac
49 Army general
Philippe Mercier
28 August 1996 21 January 1999 2 years, 146 days Charles Millon
Alain Richard

-
50 Army general
Yves Crène
21 January 1999 1 September 2002 3 years, 223 days Alain Richard
Michèle Alliot-Marie

51 Army general
Bernard Thorette
1 September 2002 16 July 2006 3 years, 318 days Michèle Alliot-Marie
52 Army general
Bruno Cuche
16 July 2006 3 July 2008 1 year, 353 days Michèle Alliot-Marie
Hervé Morin

Nicolas Sarkozy
53 Army general
Elrick Irastorza
3 July 2008 1 September 2011 3 years, 60 days Hervé Morin
Alain Juppé
Gérard Longuet

54 Army general
Bertrand Ract-Madoux
1 September 2011 1 September 2014 3 years, 0 days Gérard Longuet
Jean-Yves Le Drian

-
François Hollande
55 Army general
Jean-Pierre Bosser
1 September 2014 31 July 2019 4 years, 333 days Jean-Yves Le Drian
Sylvie Goulard
Florence Parly

-
Emmanuel Macron
56 Army general
Thierry Burkhard
31 July 2019 22 July 2021 1 year, 356 days Florence Parly
57 Army general
Pierre Schill
22 July 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 235 days
-

See also


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