Marie Émile Fayolle

Fransk general, gennemgik École polytechnique 1873-75 og blev løjtnant i artilleriet 1877, var derefter elev på rideskolen i Saumur. Deltog i felttoget i Tunis, blev kaptajn 1882 og optoges endelig 1889 som elev i École de guerre, hvor han påvirkedes af så berømte lærere som Bonnal og Langlois. Var en tid til tjeneste i generalstaben og blev afdelkingschef i artilleriet 1895. Endelig 1900 overtog han lærerposten ved École de guerre i artilleritaktik, i hvilken stilling han i 7 år udøvede en storslået og frugtbringende gerning sammen med de 3 så bekendte lærere og førere Foch, Maud'huy og Pétain. 1913 udkom hans Concentration des feux et concentration des moyens. Han begyndte krigen i 1914 som brigadegeneral, blev divisionsgeneral 1915 og samme år korpschef (33. armékorps). Februar 1916 overtog han VI. armé på Somme-fronten. Fra 1. januar 1917 var han chef for I. armé ved Oise, og endelig afløste han maj 1917 Pétain som chef for den franske armégruppe i centrum. I efteråret 1917 ilede han til Italien med X. armé og var således med til at dæmme op for den tysk-østrigske offensiv, hvorpå han atter overtog armégruppen i Frankrig og der blev udsat for tyskernes voldsomme angreb i foråret 1918, indtil han endelig i juli kunne skride til den sidste store, afgørende offensiv med sine 6 arméer, til tilsammen udgjorde over halvdelen af den franske hær. I tiden 18. juli-1. november 1918 blevder ved Fayolles arméer taget 1.767 officerer og 89.910 mand til fange og erobret 1.414 kanoner, 9.655 mitrailleuser og 919 skyttegravsmorterer. — Efter rkigen delte Fayolle først skæbne med så mange af de kendte franske generaler og blev sat tilbage til samme rang som før krigen, men blev februar 1921 marskal. (HK3/1921)

• Somme-floden I, 1916
• Somme-floden II, 1918

Havde gjort tjeneste som artilleriofficer i den franske hær inden han trak sig tilbage i 1914. With war declared Fayolle was brought out of retirement and served in senior command positions for the duration of the war.

Having returned to active duty in August 1914 and given a divisional command Fayolle's career unexpectedly saw rapid progress, initially perhaps on account of Commander in Chief Joseph Joffre's wide scale purges of unsuccessful field generals (who, he believed, were to be found wanting in 'offensive spirit').

Handed command of the French Sixth Army in February 1916 (from a corps command role) its role in the Somme Offensive that summer achieved modest success at Peronne (to the right of the British), although he was personally horrified at the tactics of attrition adopted by British Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig.

Despite the overall failure of the Somme Offensive, Fayolle's star remained bright however with the change of command at the top: Joffre was replaced by Robert Nivelle at the end of 1916.

Transferred to the French First Army early in 1917, Fayolle was given command of Army Group Centre with Nivelle's replacement as Commander in Chief by Philippe Petain in May. Fayolle's outlook on the war was in many ways similar to Petain's. With a gunnery background he understood the importance artillery played in modern warfare, a reality that was slow to dawn on many of his colleagues.

In autumn 1917, in November, Fayolle headed six divisions of French forces despatched to the Italian front in the wake of the disastrous Italian performance at Caporetto.

He did not remain long in Italy however, returning the following March to assume command of the Reserve Army Group. The Reserve Army Group (of 55 divisions) played a significant role in the Allied defence against the German army's great Spring push of March 1918.

Having met with success at the Second Battle of the Marne, the Reserve Army Group was at the centre of an Allied advance east during the autumn that finally saw the war end in victory.

Marie Fayolle died in 1928.