Paul François Grossetti (; Paris, 10 September 1861 – Paris, 7 January 1918) was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early years

Grossetti was born in Paris, the son of Paul François Grossetti (born in Grosseto-Prugna). His father was a captain in the 44th Infantry Regiment, based in Paris. His mother was Anna Félicité Colonna. Both were of Corsican descent.
Paul studied at the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr and graduated 3rd of 357 in his class. Once in the army, he was first stationed in Africa, where he fought against Algerian insurgents in 1881-1882. Later, he was stationed in Asia, where he participated in the Tonkin Campaign (1885-1887). After this campaign, he returned to Africa (1887-1890).

World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, as a general, he received command of the 42nd Infantry Division.
He participated in 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 ...

on 21–25 August. Then the division was transported west, where it contributed to the victory of 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 21 October 1914, the division arrived in Flanders, to support the hard-pressed Belgian Army during the

Battle of the Yser The Battle of the Yser (, ) was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort, Belgium, Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee Canal, in Belgium. The front ...

.
For his notable leadership, Grossetti was given command of the 16th Army Corps on 7 November 1914, in the midst of the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

. In 1915-1916, he fought with his Army Corps in the Battles of Champagne and the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun ( ; ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in French Third Republic, France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

.
On 1 February 1917, Grossetti became the new commander of the French Army of the Orient in Macedonia. After the unsuccessful

Battle of the Crna Bend (1917) The Battle of the Crna Bend was a significant military engagement fought between the forces of the Central Powers and the Entente in May 1917. It was part of the Allied Spring Offensive of the same year that was designed to break the stalemate ...

, Grossetti was infected by

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

and was repatriated to France in September 1917. There he died from the disease in January 1918 and was buried in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

. King

Albert I of Belgium Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (, ) or Soldier King (, ) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I ...

had a statue erected in Ajaccio, in gratitude for the intervention by Grossetti's 42nd Division during the Battle of the Yser. {{DEFAULTSORT:Grossetti, Paul Francois 1861 births 1918 deaths French Army generals of World War I French generals Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Deaths from dysentery 19th-century French military personnel Military personnel from Paris