Foch in Command: The Making of a First World War General

[Crunchy]

Foch in Command: The Forging of a First World War General. Elizabeth Greenhalgh. Cambridge Military Histories. Cambridge University Press. 550pp.

Within the English speaking world, volumes have been written on Sir Douglas Haig, Commander in Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, with seven books devoted solely to him being published in the last nine years alone, one of which attributes him as “The Architect of Victory”. This is not surprising given the Anglo-centric view of the war among the peoples of the former British Empire, and the dearth of books in English on Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces on the Western Front. Elizabeth’s Greenhalgh’s Foch in Command is one of only three books, by English speaking authors, devoted to Foch that have been published in the last 70 years, and anyone reading it would contest that Haig was the architect of victory in 1918.

What a tour de force this book is - it is likely to stand as the pre- eminent English work on Foch during the Great War for decades to come. This is not, however, a biography of the man. Instead it is a fine analysis and study of Foch’s evolution as a general during the war, of his command and leadership approach, of his views on conducting the war, his relationships with his fellow commanders and political masters, and his strong beliefs, from France’s perspective, of the requirements to guarantee the peace that followed the great catastrophe. Above all it demonstrates the pivotal part he played in guiding the Allied armies to victory in the last year of the war, under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

Greenhalgh considers Foch’s journey as a senior officer from his time as a corps commander in Lorraine at the outbreak of war through to his time as Generalissimo, discussing his performance, views and development into the man chosen to direct the Allied armies during the dark weeks of March 1918 and beyond. This falls into three distinct phases: his rapid advancement from corps commander in Lorraine to commander of the Northern Army Group in 1915-1916; his fall from grace after the Battle of the Somme and eventual appointment as Chief of Staff of the French army; and finally his time as Generalissimo of the Allied armies during 1918 and 1919. The picture emerging from these pages is of a hard driving, energetic, optimistic, and supremely confident general with a strong belief in victory, and one who clearly developed and grew in stature from each experience. Greenhalgh argues, convincingly, that while Foch may have preached the offensive a outrance prior to war and in 1914, he quickly recognised the requirements for victory on the entrenched battlefield, had a clear vision of the war, and developed and drove the strategy that led to victory in November 1918, strongly advocating his views against opponents, both political and military. After each distinct period of Foch’s experience within each of the above phases, Greenhalgh reflects on his performance, and what he drew from it to contribute to his development as a general.

What brings credibility to her work is the sheer depth of research utilizing a wide range of primary sources, not the least of which are Foch’s notebooks written during the war, and his letters to his wife. The notebooks are a rich source of his thoughts about the war, and the means to achieve victory. But this book offers more than simply a detailed and comprehensive insight into Foch. It provides a window into the political machinations driving the war effort, both military and civil, and the difficulties surrounding coalition warfare, especially when a Supreme Commander’s authority is not clearly defined and national expectations are not aligned. In an atmosphere of bickering, backbiting and perfidious politicians, Foch’s achievements are even more remarkable, and marks him out as a man of high moral courage.

As with most biographies, the author is certainly pro-Foch, although not hagiological as she readily presents commentary on the man from his contemporaries that is far from laudatory. In the disputes with Haig, Petain and Pershing she invariably takes Foch’s side, often with good cause, a good case, and able to see his faults. However, one wonders if she had researched the other three as extensively and thoroughly as she has Foch, whether she would have been less critical of them, Haig and Pershing in particular, given the national interests they had to consider. Nonetheless, Greenhalgh’s work is essentially balanced and objective, and she presents her case based on sound evidence, careful thought and an eye on the big picture.

This is a very detailed study that may not appeal to all aficionados of the Great War. However, for anyone wanting to gain not only a thoroughly researched and thoughtful understanding of Foch during the war, but also a fascinating insight in the higher direction of the Allied war effort this is the book to read.

[Old Tom]

If I may add my opinion.

The 520 pages of this book cover, in 18 chapters, the career of Marshal Foch from 1914 to the Versailles negotiations. Foch was an artillery officer who had lectured at and been commandant of the Ecole de Guerre was an Army Corps commander at the outbreak of war and by the end of 1914 was General Joffre’s deputy in the north. He was removed from this appointment after the end of the Somme campaign together with General Joffre and held various posts until, as is well known, he was appointed as supreme command during the German offensive in 1918.

The story is told from Foch’s point of view , in some detail, by this Australian author and, to my mind effectively, balances the common British malappreciation that we fought the Germans alone. Much of the narrative, in Foch’s period of supreme command, is concerned with the problems of commanding a coalition in which national commanders are reluctant to look outside their own theatres and national politicians who insist on being involved.

Before reading this I knew little of Foch but am left with the clear impression that he was a talented, far seeing commander whose actions played a major part in containing the German offensives after the collapse of Russia by ensuring a continuous front in Belgium and France, by controlling reserves and, perhaps, most importantly, by having a robust optimism linked to a realisation of the limitations of command of a group of national armies lead by generals like Haig, Petain and Pershing.

I agree with the foregoing assessment and recommend the book to members. I bought a copy while reading one borrowed from the library.

Old Tom

[Christina Holstein]

Thanks for drawing my attention to this book. I hadn't seen a mention of it but I'll make sure I get hold of a copy.

Christina