ALLIES’ WAR CHIEF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 March 1929, Page 5

ALLIES’ WAR CHIEF

MARSHAL FOCH DEAD. HIS BRILLIANT CAREER SERVICES IN GREAT WAR. {United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 10 a.m. to-day. PARIS, Marc-li 20. The death is announced ot Marshal Foch. Ferdinand Foch was born at Farbes on October 2, ISSI. The Foch family he 1 otip; to Valentine, a town in the Haute Garonne, and Foch, like JofFrc, is of southern stock, both on his mother’s and his father’s side. A younger brother, Germain, became a Jesuit, a fact of cardinal importance in Foch’s career. Ferdinand was a studious boy., At 12 years old his favourite reading was Thier’s History of the Consulate and Empire, and he always earned high commendation from his instructors. .He was educated wherever his _ father’s movements dictated, first in A alentine, then in St. Etienne, at the College St. Michel. After taking his degree there he was sent to the College de S. Clement at Metz. In 1870 the Fran* Prussian War broke out, and Foch inlisted. After the war he at once returned to Metz, but at the end of a year entered, by request, the engineering and artillery establishment at Fontainebleau, which he left as 2nd lieutenant in 1874. Two years later he took a course at the cavalry school at Saumur, and in 18(8 was made captain of the 10th regia:' of artillery. He was one of the officers picked for the school of war in 1885, and on leaving it was put on the stall of a division. He Avas appointed to the general staff in 1894, a. year later appointed associate professor, and later lull professor of military history, strategy, and applied tactics at the Eeole Superieure de Guerre, or staff college. Foch’s lectures there made his name, first in France, then outside. The bulk of them were collected iu two hooks, “The Conduct of War’’ and “The Principles of War,” the latter translated by H. Belloc. 191 S; both have become classics. In 1901, .Foch was sent to command a regiment. In 1903 he was appointed full colonel, in 1900 chief of staff to the sth Army Corps, and in 1907 brigadiergeneral with a position, on the general staff'. He. became general of division in 1911, promoted in 1912 to the Bth Army Corps, and in 1913 he took command of the 20th Army Corps at Nancy. On four critical occasions during the great Avar, Foch proved his principles in action, first in the defeated French offensive, and the subsequent defence of Nancy, in August, 1914; secondly, at the battle of the Marne in September; thirdly, Av.ith the British at Ypres in October of the same year; and fourthly, on the British right flank in the battle of the Somme, Avhich began on July 1. 1916. Joffre called on him to form and command a. ucav army on August 24, and the work Ava.s clone Avith amazing speed and thoroughness, and on September 5, the battle of the Marne began, Foch having his headquarters at La Fere. The turn of the tide avus marked by a dispatch from Foch that will always be famous: “I am heavily pressed on my right. My centre is gbring Avay. I cannot redistribute my forces. The situation is excellent, and I shall attack.” He attacked and won. . Then came the A'ery critical German offensive on March 21, 1918. The way to Paris lay open, a Avedge aaos driven betAveen French and British, and the imminence of the danger brought everyone round to the principle of unity of com m and. A momentous inter-allied conference took place at Don I lens on March 26, as the result of Avhich Foch became “Generalissimo of the French, British, American and Belgian forces fighting on the western front. After checking the final German offensive opened be-tAA-een Reims and Soissons on July 15, Foch on the 18th launched his decisive counter-offensive on the Marne, the result'of which Avas seen AA’hen on October 28, the Germans agreed to an armistice on the basis of President Wilson’s Peace Note, and on November 11, the armistice was signed. He AA-as the chief cause of acceptance of the German offer. He had indeed “deserved well of his country” as the deputies unanimously A-oted on November 11. 1918.