Louis Bonneau

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Louis Bonneau (* 7. July 1851 in Wissembourg ; † 26. February 1938 ) was a French officer last Général de division in the First World War .

Life

Bonneau came from a family living in Lower Alsace and chose a military career at an early age. He attended the Saint-Cyr military school from 1868 , became Sous-Lieutenant in 1870 and took part as such in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, including in the battles at Colombey and Gravelotte . In Noisseville he was wounded on 31 August 1870 and came a little later in captivity in German-occupied Metz .

After the end of the war , Bonneau , who had the rank of captain , taught history in Saint-Cyr from 1874. In 1884 he became adjunct professor of history at the now opened École supérieure de guerre .

From 1898 to 1901 Bonneau was with the rank of Colonel in command of the 62e regiment d'infanterie and in 1902 was Général de brigade with the 3e brigade de chasseurs as a new command. The following year he took over the cavalry brigade of the II Army Corps and in 1905 the 37e brigade d'infanterie . In 1907 he received the command of the 41e division d'infanterie as well as the promotion to divisional general and in November 1910 he took over the VII Army Corps with the peace location Besançon .

At the head of this corps he went to the First World War in August 1914. He was given the task of occupying the Col de la Schlucht in the Vosges with his corps . From August 7th, the (first) battle near Mulhouse took place here , one of the first heavy battles on the Western Front . After taking Mülhausen for a short time, the French troops had to retreat to Belfort because, contrary to what the leadership had assumed, there were definitely strong German forces here . The sensitive French defeat was personally blamed on Bonneau by Joseph Joffre , after all, the aim was to liberate Alsace and Lorraine. On August 10, Bonneau was the first of a number of French generals to be released from command by Joffre and received no further use.

Bonneau had been in command of the Legion of Honor since 1909 . He died in 1938 at the age of 86.

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personal data
SURNAME Bonneau, Louis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French general
DATE OF BIRTH July 7, 1851
PLACE OF BIRTH Wissembourg
DATE OF DEATH February 26, 1938