Paul Pau

General Paul Pau

Paul Marie César Gérald Pau (born November 29, 1848 Montélimar , † January 2, 1932 in Paris ) was a French Général d'armée .

Life

Early military career

Paul Pau was born in the Drôme department in 1848 as the son of Vital Esprit Césaires Pau, Capitaine in the 68 ^e régiment d'infanterie and Louise Pétronille Eyma Alléaume. He studied at the National Military Prytanée and then at the Henri Poincaré College in Nancy . On October 15, 1867, he entered the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr, which he completed until 1869 in the infantry. In 78 ^e d'régiment infantry he was on 1 October 1869 lieutenant Sous- promoted and fought at the beginning of the Franco-German War of 1870 with the 2nd Brigade (General Pelle) of the 2nd Infantry Division under General Abel Douay . As part of the 78 ^e régiment d'infanterie (under Colonel Carrey de Bellemare ) assigned to the 1st Corps, his right hand was severely mutilated by several shrapnel on August 6, 1870 at the Battle of Frœschwiller . After his convalescence, which took place mostly in the hospital of Besançon , he was promoted to Capitaine on November 25, 1870. In the 63 ^e d'infantry régiment (under Lieutenant-colonel Desveaux) was added, he struggled in the closing stages of the war as part of the XXIV. Corps (General Bressolles ) at the French Eastern Army under General Bourbaki in Burgundy . Capitaine Pau took part in the battle near Villersexel (January 9, 1871) and in the Montbéliard area in the battle of the Lisaine (January 15-17). After the armistice with the Germans, Pau was assigned to the 120 ^e régiment d'infanterie (2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division) of the 1st Corps of the Army of Versailles and helped put down the uprising of the Paris Commune . Soon after, on June 24, 1871, Pau was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor .

On 7 October 1902 he was appointed commander of the 14th Infantry Division and on April 7, 1903 General de division promoted. On December 29, 1904 he was commandant of the XVI. Corps and from March 24, 1907 Commander of the XX. Corps in Nancy. On October 30, 1909, he became a member of the Supreme War Council and commander of the 2nd Army Command. On December 29, 1910 he became a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. In 1911 he refused to become Chief of Staff of the Army and on July 19, 1911 shared the directive of the Chairman of the War Council, General Michel , Plan XVI, which provided the defensive in Alsace in a war against the German Empire . His actions against the trade union federation CGT and the anarchists in the barracks for anti-militarist propaganda made him unpopular. On July 28, 1913, Pau was removed from the council of war because Joffres offensive plan prevailed. Pau received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor on July 10th and the corresponding medal on December 6th, and on November 29th 1913 he was put up for disposition.

In the first World War

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Joffre brought General Pau back from retirement and placed him in command of the Armée d'Alsace , which was to carry out Plan XVII in Alsace-Lorraine . On August 19, the VII Corps (14th and 41st Divisions) under General Bonneau was able to occupy the city of Mulhouse in a second advance on the Thann - Altkirch line and take several thousand prisoners. Despite this success, Pau's troops had to withdraw because of the losses in the battle of Mörchingen and Dieuze and the battle of Saarburg . When Joffre saw the chance of a quick victory through the offensive in Alsace as a failure, the Pau Army Detachment was disbanded on August 28th and most of his troops were commanded to the front northeast of Paris to take part in the Battle of the Marne . From October 5 to 16, 1914, Pau served as the head of the first French military mission in Belgium to reinforce the defense of Antwerp. From February 9 to April 11, 1915 he was posted to St. Petersburg on a diplomatic mission. From November 29, 1915 he became head of the French military mission in Russia. In this position he was accused of senility , on September 13, 1916 he was replaced by General Maurice Janin . After his reserve position, which lasted until February 8, 1917, he took over the management of the French military mission in Australia on July 13, 1917 until the end of the war.

After the war

After his return to France, he was invited to the Legislative Assembly in Quebec on March 4th to maintain order, and on November 10th 1920 he was personally commended by the Minister of War. From 1918 until his death in 1932 he was also appointed President of the Red Cross in France. General Pau died on January 2, 1932 and was buried in the Paris Hôtel des Invalides .

On August 7, 1884, Paul Pau had married Mari Henriette, née von Guntz, daughter of the inspector of military hospitals, with whom he had two children: Roland and Marie-Edmée.

Web links

• Biography in ecole superieure de guerre (French)