Edouard de Castelnau

Biography

Born with Saint-Affrique in Aveyron in a family from old nobility and military long tradition, it belonged to promotion 1869 of Saint-Cyr military school and took part in the Guerre free-Prussian of 1870 - 1871. Its exalté Catholicism made it call “the Capuchin boot”. With its standpoint at the time of the Business Dreyfus, it will be worth to him to be isolated a time of the direction of the first office, at the time of the ministry for the André general and the Affaire of the cards.

Promoted Brigadier general the March 25th 1906, it orders the 24e brigade with Sedan, 7th with Soissons, and becomes Major general the December 21st 1909 - it had been excluded first once from the promotion table by the general Sarrail, then director of the Infanterie -, it then orders the 13 {{E}} division with Chaumont. Recalled to the staff on request express train of Joffre, it is named, the August 2nd 1911, first assistant manager of general staff under his orders. The same year, it is promoted Commandeur of the legion of honor.

Of 1911 with 1914 he was Head of State major of Joffre and helped with the development of the Strategic planning XVII intended to take again the Alsace-Lorraine in the idea to invade Germany. At the beginning of the hostilities, Castelnau took the command of the Second Army, which was to play a central role in the implementation of the Plan XVII. At the time of the Battle of the borders, it had to stop its progression on the level of Morhange-Sarrebourg after having undergone important losses at the time of the Bataille of Morhange.

It had more success by organizing defense of Nancy, gaining the Bataille of Large Crowned (August 31st - September 11th 1914) which was worth to him the nickname of “Saver of Nancy”. After this victory in the perforated Charms, which prolonged the victory of the Marne towards the East and prevented the French Armies from being turned by the line, making possible their rectification, Edouard de Castelnau was promoted, the September 18th, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor.

In June 1915 it was placed at the head of the Groupe of armies of the Center and directed Champagne the offensive of the September 25th 1915: in a few days it made: 25000 prisoners, took 125 guns and controlled a zone of territory of several kilometers of depth in German territory. Following this victory it was high with the dignity of Grand Cross of the legion of honor (October 8th 1915) and became the assistant of the généralissime Joffre.

In February 1916, it was used again as Chief of Staff as Joffre. It organized the defense of Verdun before the release of the battle. It is him which made the decision to defend this place at all costs and to name Pétain at its head.

After the fall of Joffre and its replacement by Bubble in 1916, Castelnau was put in non-activity. But, after the disgrace of Bubble and his replacement by Foch, one recalled it to the head Groupe of armies of the East where it would have ordered the offensive in Lorraine in 1918 if the Armistice had not stopped it.

Three of wire of Castelnau were killed during the war. Its ideas out of political matter and nun were worth the hostility of many politicians to him. It never accepted the stick of marshal. Post-war period, he was appointed URD Aveyron and, in 1924, was one of the chiefs of the movement which was opposed to Herriot at the time of its attempts at laicization in Alsace-Lorraine: the Catholic National federation. Man of culture, it was Mainteneur Floraux plays of Toulouse and was also member of the Institut and founding member of the association of mutual aid of the French Noblesse.

He died in the castle of Lasserre with Montastruc-the-Adviser in 1944. He was buried in the family vault in Montastruc, on March 21st.

Judgments

The role of Castelnau at the time of the First World War could be variously appreciated. As for the general Lanrezac, some see in him one of the partisans of the philosophy of the “attacks with excess”. Its biographer, Fatty the Yves general, draws up the portrait of a commander full with understanding, rather than a theorist or one exalté with the désincarnée thought.

The general Gamelin, then commander and principal private secretary of the Joffre general, delivered of Castelnau this portrait:

… (Castelnau) also of formation “staff was” and had lengthily been used for the staff of the Army. Of brilliant intelligence, the sharp spirit, not without address, he was a tempting chief with sometimes paces of soldier “Second Empire”. This says not in a critical spirit, but to try to define it. I write “to try”, because it was, in fact, less “seizable” that the majority of its followers. Tempting chief, it was very popular in the whole of the Army. But it did not hide its religious feelings and “conservatives” and those which did not think in the same way showed it not always not to be impartial. I never had proof that this reproach was justified, but it is certain that its feelings influenced its judgments, if not as for the men, because one saw it at least taking chiefs of staffs who were not of the same opinion than him, on the things…

With the judgment of its adversary the general Von Kluck, The French adversary towards which our sympathies went instinctively, because of its great military talent and its knighthood, it is the general of Castelnau. And I would like that it knew it.

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