Paul Célestin Marie Joseph Venel (25 January 1864 – 25 March 1920) was a French army officer and colonial governor. He served as Commandant of the Military Territory of Zinder (modern-day

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages Venel was in command of the 11th Colonial Infantry Division, part of the

Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient The Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient (Oriental Expeditionary Force) (CEO) was a French Expeditionary Force raised for service during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. The corps initially consisted of a single infantry division, but later grew ...

, from August to November 1917, fighting in the

Macedonian front The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...

Early life and education

Paul Célestin Marie Joseph Venel was born on 25 January 1864 in

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

, the son of Dominique Auguste Venel and Mélanie Béna. His father Auguste was a local teacher who opted for France and moved to

Seichamps Seichamps () is a commune in the Lorraine region, Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the Meurthe-et-Mose ...

, after the annexation of a part of his native province by Germany following the Franco-Prussian War. Paul enrolled at the Saint-Cyr

military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

on 30 October 1882. He graduated 144th of 406 students in the ''promotion'' (class) "Black Pavillions".

Service in the Marines

He became a

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

in the

1st Marine Infantry Regiment The 1st Marine Infantry Regiment (french: 1er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 1er RIMa) is a French regiment heir of the colonial infantry. The regiment is one of the « quatre vieux » regiments of the Troupes de Marine, with the 2nd Marine ...

Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...

on 1 October 1884. Initially, Venel didn't display all the zeal required of an officer, but worked well under the guidance of an officer. He was dispatched to

Cochinchina Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; vi, Đàng Trong (17th century - 18th century, Việt Nam (1802-1831), Đại Nam (1831-1862), Nam Kỳ (1862-1945); km, កូសាំងស៊ីន, Kosăngsin; french: Cochinchine; ) is a historical exony ...

in 1885. Twelve years later, he served for the first time in Eastern Europe, dispatched to

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

with his battalion. This majority Greek island

revolted In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in 1896. Venel served as part of the International Squadron, a naval squadron formed in early 1897 by a number of

Great Powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...

to intervene in the conflict. Embarking from

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

on 15 July 1897, Venel arrived in Sitia on the 20th, but he was evacuated on 23 October for health reasons. Assigned to the 1st Malagasy Tirailleur Regiment in Tamatave on 25 May 1898, he left the 8th Marine Infantry with a severe remark from the corps commander, chastising his work ethic. Arriving at Tamatave on 15 June, he was dispatched to the 13th Marine Regiment in

Antananarivo Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...

on 1 September, where he was lauded as a suitable officer. Assigned to the area inhabited by the Bara in

Ivohibe Ivohibe is a hilly town in Ihorombe Region in central Madagascar. It is connected with Ihosy (110 km) in the west, and Farafangana (162 km) in the east by the largely unpaved Route nationale 27. See also Pic d'Ivohibe Reserve and the Andringit ...

, he led a series of operations against the Tambavala in September 1899, a part of the pacification of

French Madagascar The Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies (french: Colonie de Madagascar et dépendances) was a French colony off the coast of Southeast Africa between 1897 and 1958 in what is now Madagascar. The colony was formerly a protectorate of France kn ...

. On 25 April 1900, he was transferred to the

4th Marine Infantry Regiment The 4th Marine Infantry Regiment (french: 4e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 4e RIMa) was a French marine regiment of the troupes de marine within the French Army. This regiment was part of the « Quatre Grands » of the Marine Infantry along ...

(renamed the 4th Colonial Garrison Regiment on 1 January 1901) at

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, promoted to '' chef de bataillon'' on 5 July, the day before his departure for France. Assigned to the 4th Colonial Garrison Regiment, Venel was dispatched on 6 May to the 8th Army Regiment in Toulon, where he was rated as "excellent" during fall maneuvers. Returning to

Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

on 27 April 1902, he joined the 1st Regiment of

Annamite The Vietnamese people ( vi, người Việt, lit=Viet people) or Kinh people ( vi, người Kinh) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day Northern Vietnam and Dongxing, Guangxi, Southern China (Jing Islands, Dongxing, Guangxi ...

Riflemen on October 28. He was detached to Chantaboun, a territory of the Kingdom of Siam occupied by the French army as a guarantee after the Franco-Siamese War of 1893. Venel usefully employed Siamese officers in local reconnaissance missions. He was reproached for his leniency towards an indigenous non-commissioned officer guilty of brutality against a rifleman in 1904.

Governor of Niger

Venel was dispatched to Africa on 14 December 1905. He was assigned to the 2nd Tirailleur Regiment in

Kati KATI (94.3 FM), branded as 94.3 KAT Country, is a radio station which broadcasts country music and St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Licensed to California, Missouri, the station serves the Jefferson City area and is owned by the Zimmer Radio Group ...

, commanding the area of

Bobo-Dioulasso Bobo-Dioulasso is a city in Burkina Faso with a population of 904,920 (); it is the second-largest city in the country, after Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The name means "home of the Bobo-Dioula". The local Bobo-speaking population (re ...

. He became

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on 23 June 1907. On 16 May 1908 became commandant of the Military Territory of Zinder (today

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesZinder Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);

. He was responsible for the defense of 2200 km of

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

n border, as well as 800 km along British northern

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. He met with François-Henry Laperrine in June 1909 in Niamey where they redrew the border between

French Algeria French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...

and Niger. According to Venel's wishes, the capital of the Colony of Niger was transferred from Niamey to Zinder in 1911 and served as capital of the colony until 1926. During his eighteen months of presence, he completed the organization of the ''

méhariste Méhariste is a French word that roughly translates to camel cavalry. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units. French camel corps Origins France created a corps of méhariste camel companies (''Compagnies Méharistes ...

'' units, which reestablished order in the Azbin and protected the subordinate population from looters. His troops were shown to be capable of inflicting serious setbacks on two strong ''rezzous'' (raiding parties). First, they clashed with a large band from

Borkou Borku (french: Borkou) or Borgu (') is a region of Central Africa, mostly in Northern Chad, forming part of the transitional zone between the arid wastes of the Sahara and the fertile lands of the central Sudan. It is bounded N. by the Tibesti ...

and

Tripolitania Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...

north of

Bilma Bilma is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people. It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It ...

. After that, with a large gathering from Tafilalt around 600 kilometers north of

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

. Venel subdued the

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

nomads, abolished the slave trade, and oversaw the economic growth of sedentary populations, allowing for the extraction of salt from the

Taoudenni ar, تودني , nickname = , settlement_type = , total_type = , motto = , translit_lang1= , translit_lang1_type= , translit_lang1_info= , translit_lang1_type1= , translit_lang1_info1= , transli ...

and

Kaouar The Kaouar (or Kawar) is a series of ten oases in the southern Sahara in northeast Niger, covering about from north to south, and east to west. They are on the eastern edge of the Ténéré desert, between the Tibesti Mountains in the east a ...

mines. Paul left Niamey on 15 February 1910 to return to France. He then completed an internship with the 60th Artillery Regiment at

Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...

, which he commanded several times and with which he attended the artillery shooting course at Mailly-le-Camp. On 21 December 1911, he joined the 4th Colonial Infantry Regiment in

, where he was applauded for his mild approach to knowledge transfer to his subordinates. After becoming

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

on 27 March 1913, Venel was appointed Commissioner of Niger on 28 April. He took his post at Zinder via

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

and

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

. Immediately, he had to take care of the last details of the supply of the column situated on the western slope of the Tibesti Mountains. Once Germany declared war on 3 August 1914, he contributed to the war effort by operating numerous levies of personnel and material intended for reinforcement of the column operating in northern Cameroon. Repatriated for health reasons after 28 months in Africa, he returned to Paris on 4 October 1915 via

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

. He immediately benefited from a three-month convalescent leave in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, from 11 October 1915 to 10 January 1916, because of the various illnesses he suffered from, especially

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

and diabetes.

World War I

On 15 January, Venel was put in command of the 97th Infantry Division, a unit of four battalions which contributed to the defense of a difficult sector north of

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

. He suffered through trench warfare at Givenchy-en-Gohelle and at Vimy Ridge in January and February 1916. After that, he was sent to Verdun, where he fought from 15 March to 5 April. Hired on 16 March 1916 at

Vaux-devant-Damloup Vaux-devant-Damloup (, literally ''Vaux before Damloup'') is a former commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It had a population of 76 (2019). On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Douaumont-Vaux.< ...

and at the Dicourt Farm, he was withdrawn from the front on 3 April, before holding the sector of

Flirey Flirey () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Birthplace of Rin Tin Tin Following advances made by American forces during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Corporal Lee Duncan, an aerial gunner of the U.S. Army A ...

and Vargévaux Pond. On 20 May, Venel was given acting command of the 31st Colonial Brigade, serving in the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. Withdrawn from the front in early June, he occupied the sector of Dompierre from 22 June. On 4 July, he participated in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, at

Barleux Barleux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Situated from the A1 autoroute, at the junction of the D79 and D148 roads, about halfway between Amiens and Saint-Quentin. Population See also ...

on 10 July and at La Maisonnette on the 20th. Under these circumstances, Venel proved satisfactory. At the time of his departure, on 5 November, his superior judged him worthy of commanding a division. Venel was appointed

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on 1 October, when he took over the leadership of the 22nd Colonial Brigade (part of the

), created on the previous day in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

, on 2 November, and landed in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

in early December, before joining his men on the Battle of the Crna Bend. The 21st and 22nd Colonial Brigades merged to form the 11th Colonial Infantry Division on 1 January 1917. The division occupied the sector between the river Crna and the

Prilep Prilep ( mk, Прилеп ) is the fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 and is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko. Name The name of Prilep appear ...

road, north of Monastir. From 16 March it attempted to conquer Monastir, succeeding in seizing the town and the village of Krklino from 16 to 18 March. On 25 April it moved towards the Crna Bend and deeper into Pelagonia, retreating towards Barešani on 21 May. On 1 June, Venel was put at the head of the provisional division of

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

, formed on 26 May. Greece was undergoing the

National Schism The National Schism ( el, Εθνικός Διχασμός, Ethnikós Dichasmós), also sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between Constantine I of Greece, King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizel ...

, with King

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

favoring the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

. On 11 June 1917, the representative of the

Entente Entente, meaning a diplomatic "understanding", may refer to a number of agreements: History * Entente (alliance), a type of treaty or military alliance where the signatories promise to consult each other or to cooperate with each other in case o ...

Charles Jonnart Charles Célestin Auguste Jonnart (27 December 1857 – 30 December 1927) was a French politician. Early years Born into a bourgeois family in Fléchin, Pas-de-Calais, Charles Jonnart was educated at Saint-Omer, then in Paris. Interested in th ...

forced Constantine to abdicate in favor of his younger son Alexander. The former Prime Minister

Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos ( el, Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος, translit=Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, ; – 18 March 1936) was a Greek statesman and a prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movem ...

, favorable to the Entente, returned to power. During this delicate transfer of power, Venel’s role was to monitor monarchist elements in Thessaly, while other Allied contingents landed in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

or occupied the

Isthmus of Corinth The Isthmus of Corinth (Greek: Ισθμός της Κορίνθου) is the narrow land bridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the rest of the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancien ...

. His superior, General

Maurice Sarrail Maurice Paul Emmanuel Sarrail (6 April 1856 – 23 March 1929) was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail's openly socialist political connections made him a rarity amongst the Catholics, conservatism, conservatives and monarchism, mo ...

, was satisfied with Venel completing this mission and wrote positively of him on 18 June. Venel then occupied the port of Volos, the cities of Farsala, Lamia, Trikala, and Bralos. From 2 July to 15 August, Venel was again northeast of Monastir commanding the 22nd Colonial Brigade, provisionally added to the 11th Colonial Infantry Division. The front faced a certain lethargy, which lasted for months. Venel handed the command of his division over on 22 June 1918 and returned to France. At the disposal of the Ministry of War, Venel was placed in the command reserve for the 5th Army under General

Henri Berthelot Henri Mathias Berthelot (7 December 1861 – 29 January 1931) was a French general during World War I. He held an important staff position under Joseph Joffre, the French commander-in-chief, at the First Battle of the Marne, before later commandi ...

on 24 July. The 5th Army had just participated in the Second Battle of the Marne. On 17 September, he took over as acting head of the 127th Infantry Division, which held an area north of

Sancy The Sancy, a pale yellow diamond of , was once reputed to have belonged to the Mughals of antiquity, but it is more likely of Indian origin owing to its cut, which is unusual by Western standards. The stone has been owned by a number of important ...

until the 20th. This division immediately stood out in the pursuit of the German Army on the Chemin des Dames. It seized the fort of

La Malmaison La Malmaison () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne department * Battle of La Malmaison The Battle of La Malmaison () from 23 to 27 October, was the ...

and crossed the Ailette on 12 October, taking part in the attacks against the Hunding-Stellung fortified line, taken on 19 and 20 October, and in the Battle of the Serre from 20 to 30 October, after which it was removed from the front. During these operations, Venel demonstrated great skill. Evacuated for health reasons ("severe chest flu") on 8 November, he was replaced in his command two days later, hospitalized in

Chartres Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...

and placed on 4 December at the disposal of the general commanding the French forces in Italy. He was appointed commander in the Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient, commanding the Allied occupation troops around Cattaro and

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

, where the situation was then very tense, culminating in the Christmas Uprising in late December. According to Franchet d'Espèrey, Venel "showed bravery and decisiveness by being skillful in the midst of the shooting between the two lines of combat". In actuality, Venel's troops, like France, favored Belgrade, and the

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

, loyalists of the exiled King

Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...

, were disarmed.

Death

The harsh Montenegrin climate, as well as the quarrels between the Allies (especially Italians and Serbs), was detrimental to Venel's health. On a one-month rest leave on 21 April 1919 in Vichy (extended by another month on 21 May), he was appointed deputy to 1st

Maritime Prefect A maritime prefect ( French: ''Préfet maritime'') is a servant of the French State who exercises authority over the sea in a particular region under French jurisdiction, known as a maritime arrondissement (''Arrondissement maritime''). His admini ...

on 18 June. The very day he took up his post, 28 June, he was hospitalized for

pulmonary congestion Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive liquid accumulation in the tissue and air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia and respiratory failure. It is due t ...

. He resumed command on 28 July, but returned to the local maritime hospital on 8 August. On 23 August, the chief medical officer diagnosed pulmonary emphysema with "intermittent but very painful"

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

attacks and

hypotension Hypotension is low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. Blood pressure is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and the dias ...

. Venel was then relieved of his duties and put on convalescent leave for three months on 2 September 1919. Still, he was proposed for the rank of

division general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corp ...

on 9 November. Venel withdrew to Nancy, where he was granted extensions of leave (lasting one month, effective 2 March 1920 "on an exceptional basis due to service rendered"). On 19 March, the Minister of War, André Lefèvre urged him to retire. Venel died a few days later from a heart condition at the Bon Secours hospital, Nancy, where he had been treated since January for chronic hypertensive nephritis, and where his right leg had just been amputated from the thigh down on 18 March after a dry gangrene coupled with arthritis caused complications with his femoral artery, in turn influenced by frostbite of the foot in 1917. On 17 April 1925, the medical advisory commission found that the illness causing the death of general Venel was not contracted during service. Paul Venel was buried in Amance, next to his parents' grave.

Decorations

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

** Knight (12 July 1901) ** Officer (10 April 1915) ** Commander (12 July 1917) *

Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal The Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal (french: Médaille commémorative de l'expédition du Tonkin) was awarded to all the French soldiers and sailors who took part in the battles of the Tonkin campaign and the Sino-French War between 1883 and ...

* Colonial Medal with bars "Madagascar" (15 November 1899), "French West Africa" and "Sahara" * ''

Croix de guerre 1914–1918 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

'' with palms *

Order of the Star of Anjouan The Ordre de l'Étoile d'Anjouan (Order of the Star of Anjouan) was a French colonial order of knighthood founded in 1874. History It was established in 1874 by sultan Said Ali bin Said Omar of the Grande Comore island of Anjouan, reorganised ...

** Officer (15 May 1900) * Royal Order of Cambodia ** Officer (14 July 1894) *

Order of the Dragon of Annam The Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam (, , ; french: Ordre impérial du Dragon d'Annam, Ordre du Dragon Vert) was created in 1886 in the city of Huế, by Emperor Đồng Khánh of the Imperial House of Annam, upon the "recommendation" of th ...

** Officer (20 May 1896) * Grand Commander of the Redeemer,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

* Officer of Karađorđe's Star,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

In popular culture

* Venel was portrayed by Mirza Halilović in the 2017 Montenegrin TV series ''Božićni ustanak'' ( Christmas Uprising).

References

External links

* http://francoismunier.over-blog.com/2020/03/cousins-genealogiques-le-general-paul-venel-1864-1920.html * http://amance.over-blog.com/2020/03/general-paul-venel-1864-1920.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Venel, Paul 1864 births 1920 deaths Colonial Governors of French Niger French generals French military personnel of World War I People from Moselle (department) People of French West Africa