Augustin Gérard (2 November 1857 – 2 November 1926) was a French

général de division 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 corps ...

and Grand Master of the

Grand Orient de France The Grand Orient de France (, abbr. GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly absorbe ...

(1921–22).

Life

His first important assignment was Chief of Staff of general

Joseph Gallieni Joseph Simon Gallieni (24 April 1849 – 27 May 1916) was a French military officer, active for most of his career as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies where he wrote several books on colonial affairs. He was rec ...

in Madagascar. In May 1912 he became commander of the 41st Infantry Division and by the outbreak of World War I, he was in charge of the 2nd Army Corps, with which he fought the

Battle of the Ardennes The Battle of the Ardennes took place during the First World War fought on the frontiers of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg from 21 to 23 August 1914. The German armies defeated the French and forced their retreat. The battle was part ...

and the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...

. On 24 July 1915, he became commander of the ''Army Detachment of Lorraine'', which was later renamed to Eighth Army. Between 31 March and 31 December 1916 he was in charge of the First Army, after which he returned to the Eighth Army for the rest of the war. He commanded the Eighth Army for an initial period during the

occupation of the Rhineland The Occupation of the Rhineland placed the region of Germany west of the Rhine river and four bridgeheads to its east under the control of the victorious Allies of World War I from 1December 1918 until 30June 1930. The occupation was imposed a ...

until he retired on 21 October 1919. During this period he supported the separatist movement and advocated the formation of an independent

Pfalz Pfalz, Pfälzer, or Pfälzisch are German words referring to Palatinate (disambiguation), Palatinate. They may refer to: Places *Pfalz, the Palatinate (region) of Germany **Nordpfalz, the North Palatinate **Vorderpfalz, the Anterior Palatinat ...

republic. Master of the

in 1921 and 1922. He died in 1926 and was buried in

Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldi ...

in Paris.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gérard, Augustin French generals 1857 births 1926 deaths French Army generals of World War I Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour French Freemasons 19th-century French military personnel