Chief of the Defence Staff (France)
République Française
Chef d'État-Major des Armées | |
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E.M.A Insignia Insigne de l'État-Major des Armées | |
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Member of | Chiefs of Staff Committee |
Seat | Paris, France |
Nominator | Ministère de la Défense |
Appointer |
Président de la République Française Require Premier Ministre Français countersignature |
Term length | No fixed term |
Formation | 27th Chief since April 28, 1948 |
First holder | Jean-Louis Borel (1874-1875) |
Deputy | Major Général des Armées |
Website | http://www.defense.gouv.fr |
French Armed Forces |
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Components |
Ranks |
History |
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armies (French: (C)hef d'(É)tat-(M)ajor des (A)rmées) (acronym: C.E.M.A.) is the chief (French: Chef) of the general staff headquarters (French: État-Major) of the Armies (French: Armées) of France and leading senior military officer responsible for usage of the French Armed Forces, ensuring the commandment of all military operations (under reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence).
C.E.M.A. is currently held by Général François Lecointre.
Functions
The Chef d'État-Major des Armées (French: C.E.M.A.) assists the Ministry of the Armed Forces (French: Ministère des Armées) in its capacity attributions to make use of the various required forces. C.E.M.A., in virtue of decree dispositions of July 15, 2009, under the authority of the President of France, the French government, and under the reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence, is responsible for the use of forces and commandment of all military operations. CEMA is the military counselar of the government.
C.E.M.A. has authority over the:
- Chief of Staff of the French Army (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de Terre, CEMAT)
- Chief of Staff of the French Air Force (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de l'Air, CEMAA)
- Chief of Staff of the French Navy (French: Chef d'État-Major de la Marine, CEMM)
C.E.M.A. responsibilities consist of:
- The inter-arm organizations and the general organization of the armed forces
- The expression of the need in material of human resources of the armed forces, the inter-arm institutions, and the definition of the ensemble format of the armed forces.
- The preparation and condition assignments of recruiting in the armed forces
- Support of the armed forces ( C.E.M.A. determines the general organizations and objectives. C.EM.A. assures the operational maintenance in condition of all equipments. C.E.M.A. determines the inter-arm needs of various material infrastructures and that of the armed forces while verifying status of operability)
- The renseignement of military interest. C.E.M.A. ensures the general research direction and exploitation of the renseignement militaire and has authority on the direction du renseignement militaire
- International military relations
Responsibilities and authorities
C.E.M.A is responsible for :
- Conduct of operations : plans of use, general articulation of forces, distribution of operational means between theatre commanders (over whom he has full authority)
- Forces preparation : CEMA is in check of forces aptitude in missions completion and has a permanent right of inspection over these forces;
- Future Preparation : planning and programming of military capacities. Oversees in effect of coherence in means of the armed forces and participates to the preparation and various executions of associated military and defence budgets.
- Inter-arm organization: Oversees the coherence of the armed forces organization
- Military relations with foreign militaries: CEMA directs French foreign military missions in foreign theatres, organizes the participation of the armed forces in regards to military cooperations, following international mandated negotiations and represents France at the varuous military committees of international organizations.
Directly under the CEMA authority are :
- Les Chefs d’état-major de l'Armée de terre, de La Marine et de l’Armée de l’Air
- l'État-Major des armées (EMA)
- The Inspection of the Armed Forces (IDA)
- Superior commanders in the collective and overseas territorial departments and the commanders of the French forces in foreign areas (COMSUP and COMFOR), the officiers généraux of the zones de défense et de sécurité (OGZDS) and the délégués militaires départementaux (DMD)
- Inter-arm institutions:
- Direction du renseignement militaire (DRM) – Directorate of Military Intelligence
- French Special Operations Command (French: Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS))
- état-major interarmées de force et d'entraînement (EMIA-FE)
- Direction centrale du service de santé des armées (DCSSA) – Military Medical Services
- Direction centrale du service des essences des armées (DCSEA) – Military Fuel Services
- Direction interarmées des réseaux d'infrastructures et des systèmes d'information (DIRISI)– Inter-arm infrastructure and Information Systems Directorate
- Direction centrale du service du commissariat des armées - DCSCA, created January 1 2010
- Service interarmées des munitions, created March 25 2011
- Enseignement militaire supérieur.
The Chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies (CEMA), is assisted by a Major General of the Armies (French: Major Général des Armées), a senior ranked officer of the French Armed Forces.
Chefs d'État-Major des armées
Chef d'État-Major général de l'Armée (1874–1914)
- Général de division Jean-Louis Borel: 1874–1875
- Général de division Henri Gresley: 1875–1877
- Général de division Marie-Joseph François de Miribel: 1878–1879
- Général de division Léopold Davout: 1879–1880
- Général de division Omer Arsène Blot: 1880–1881
- Général de division Achille Ernest Vuillemot: 1882–1883
- Général de division Amédée de Cools: 1884–1885
- Général de division Savin de Larclause: 1886–1887
- Général de division Charles Haillot: 1888–1890
- Général de division Joseph de Miribel: 1891–1893
- Général de division Raoul Le Mouton de Boisdeffre: 1894–1898
- Général de division Paul Marie Brault: 1899–1901
- Général de division Jean Pendezec: 1901–1905
- Général de division Jean Brun: 1906–1909
- Général de division Édouard Laffon de Ladebat: 1910–1911
- Général de division Auguste Dubail: 1911
- Général de division Joseph Joffre: 1912–1914
Commandant en chef des armées françaises (1915–1918)
While non official, the term Generalissimo or « (French: Généralissime) » was employed since 1914 to designate the individual who in reality was « Commandant en Chef des Armées du Nord et du Nord-Est » (English: Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the North and North-East). The term would be made official in 1915 when Joffre was also given command over the Salonika front (a degree of authority not enjoyed by his successors). The rank and post was successively occupied by three generals during World War I: Joseph Joffre, who occupied the rank and functions from August 1914 without bearing the official title, then Robert Nivelle and Philippe Pétain.
Général Ferdinand Foch was the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Zone under Joseph Joffre in autumn 1914; this role later crystallised into command of French Army Group North, a position which Foch held until December 1916. Subsequently, Foch became Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front with the title Généralissime in 1918 then was designated as « Commandant en Chef des Armées Alliées » (English:Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces) starting May 14, 1918.[1] Foch was promoted to Marshal of France prior the planning of the offensive that led to the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Following the armistice, Marshal Ferdinand Foch was elevated to the diginity of the Marshal of Great Britain and Poland.
N# | Portrait | Rank | Name | Service Branch | Command Tenure | Minister of War | President of France | ||
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Tenure From | Tenure Until | Duration of Tenure | |||||||
17. | Generalissimo Général de division[2] (elevated to the diginity of Maréchal de France) | Joseph Joffre | French Army | December 2, 1915 | December 17, 1916 | 1 year, 15 days | Joseph Gallieni Pierre Roques Louis Lyautey | Raymond Poincaré | |
18. | Général de division | Robert Nivelle | French Army | December 17, 1916 | May 15, 1917 | 149 days | Louis Lyautey Lucien Lacaze Paul Painlevé | Raymond Poincaré | |
19. | Général de division (elevated to the dignity of Maréchal de France) | Philippe Pétain | French Army | May 17, 1917 | March 28, 1918 | 315 days | Paul Painlevé Georges Clemenceau | Raymond Poincaré |
Commandant en chef des Armées alliées (1918–1920)
N# | Portrait | Rank | Name | Service Branch | Command Tenure | Minister of War | President of France | ||
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Tenure From | Tenure Until | Duration of Tenure | |||||||
20. | Marshal of France Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front with title bearing Généralissime (British Field Marshal 22nd Royal First Honorary Colonel Marshal of Poland following the war) | Ferdinand Foch | French Army | March 28, 1918 | January 10, 1920 | 1 year, 288 days | Georges Clemenceau | Raymond Poincaré |
Chef d'État-Major général des armées françaises (1920–1940)
Chef d'État-Major général des forces armées (1948–1950)
№ | Chef d'État-Major général des forces armées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | President of the Council | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 | Henri Zeller (1896–1971) | Général de divisionApril 28, 1948 | March 31, 1950 | year, 337 days | 1French Army | Robert Schuman André Marie Henri Queuille Georges Bidault | Vincent Auriol (1947 – 1954) |
Chef d'État-Major combiné des forces armées (1950–1953)
№ | Chef d'État-Major combiné des forces armées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | President of the Council | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(25) | Henri Zeller (1896–1971) | Général de divisionApril 1, 1950 | August 20, 1951 | year, 141 days | 1French Army | Henri Queuille René Pleven | Vincent Auriol (1947 – 1954) | |
26 | Charles Léchères (1895–1960) | GénéralAugust 20, 1951 | August 20, 1952 | year, 0 days | 1French Air Force | Henri Queuille René Pleven Edgar Faure Antoine Pinay | Vincent Auriol (1947 – 1954) | |
27 | Alphonse Juin (1897–1975) (elevated to the dignity of Maréchal de France) | Général d'arméeAugust 20, 1952 | August 17, 1953 | days | 362French Army | Antoine Pinay René Mayer Joseph Laniel | Vincent Auriol (1947 – 1954) |
Chef d'État-Major des forces armées (1953–1958)
№ | Chef d'État-Major des forces armées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | President of the Council | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | Paul Ély (1897–1975) | Général d'arméeAugust 18, 1953 | June 3, 1954 | days | 289French Army | Joseph Laniel | Vincent Auriol (1947 – 1954) René Coty (1954 – 1959) | |
29 | Augustin Guillaume (1895–1983) | Général d'arméeJune 4, 1954 | February 28, 1956 | year, 269 days | 1French Army | Joseph Laniel Pierre Mendès France Edgar Faure Guy Mollet | René Coty (1954 – 1959) | |
(28) | Paul Ély (1897–1975) | Général d'arméeMarch 2, 1956 | May 16, 1958 | years, 75 days | 2French Army | Joseph Laniel Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury Félix Gaillard Pierre Pflimlin | René Coty (1954 – 1959) |
Chef d'État-Major général des armées (1958–1961)
№ | Chef d'État-Major général des armées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | President of the Council then Prime Minister of France | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | Henri Lorillot | Général d'arméeMay 17, 1958 | June 8, 1958 | days | 52French Army | Pierre Pflimlin Charles de Gaulle | René Coty (1954 – 1959) | |
(28) | Paul Ély (1897–1975) | Général d'arméeJune 9, 1958 | February 11, 1959 | days | 218French Army | Charles de Gaulle Michel Debré | René Coty (1954 – 1959) Charles de Gaulle (1959 – 1969) | |
31 | Gaston Lavaud (1897–1975) | Général d'arméeFebruary 25, 1959 | April 10, 1961 | years, 44 days | 2French Army | Michel Debré | Charles de Gaulle (1959 – 1969) |
Chef d'État-Major interarmées (1961–1962)
№ | Chef d'État-Major interarmées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Prime Minister of France | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32 | André Martin (1911–2001) | GénéralApril 11, 1961 | July 15, 1962 | year, 95 days | 1French Air Force | Michel Debré Georges Pompidou | Charles de Gaulle (1959 – 1969) |
Chef d'État-Major des armées (1962–present)
№ | Chef d'État-Major des armées | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Prime Minister of France | President | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
33 | Charles Ailleret (1907–1968) | Général d'arméeJuly 16, 1962 | March 9, 1968 | years, 237 days | 5French Army | Georges Pompidou | Charles de Gaulle | |
34 | Michel Fourquet (1914–1992) | GénéralApril 1, 1968 | June 8, 1971 | years, 68 days | 3French Air Force | Georges Pompidou Maurice Couve de Murville Jacques Chaban-Delmas | Charles de Gaulle Georges Pompidou | |
35 | François Maurin (1918–2018) | GénéralJune 9, 1971 | June 30, 1975 | years, 21 days | 4French Air Force | Jacques Chaban-Delmas Pierre Messmer Jacques Chirac | Georges Pompidou Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | |
36 | Guy Méry (1919–1999) | Général d'arméeJuly 1, 1975 | July 19, 1980 | years, 18 days | 5French Army | Jacques Chirac Raymond Barre | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | |
37 | Claude Vanbremeersch (1921–1981) | Général d'arméeJuly 20, 1980 | January 31, 1981 | days | 195French Army | Raymond Barre | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | |
38 | Jeannou Lacaze (1924–2005) | Général d'arméeFebruary 1, 1981 | July 31, 1985 | years, 180 days | 4French Army | Raymond Barre Pierre Mauroy Laurent Fabius | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing François Mitterrand | |
39 | Jean Saulnier (pilot) (1930–2013) | GénéralAugust 1, 1985 | November 13, 1987 | years, 104 days | 2French Air Force | Laurent Fabius Jacques Chirac | François Mitterrand | |
40 | Maurice Schmitt (born 1930) | Général d'arméeNovember 14, 1987 | April 23, 1991 | years, 160 days | 3French Army | Jacques Chirac Michel Rocard | François Mitterrand | |
41 | Jacques Lanxade (born 1934) | AmiralApril 24, 1991 | September 8, 1995 | years, 137 days | 4French Navy | Michel Rocard Édith Cresson Pierre Bérégovoy Édouard Balladur Alain Juppé | François Mitterrand Jacques Chirac | |
42 | Jean-Philippe Douin (1940–2016) | GénéralSeptember 9, 1995 | April 7, 1998 | years, 210 days | 2French Air Force | Alain Juppé Lionel Jospin | Jacques Chirac | |
43 | Jean-Pierre Kelche (born 1942) | Général d'arméeApril 9, 1998 | October 29, 2002 | years, 203 days | 4French Army | Lionel Jospin Jean-Pierre Raffarin | Jacques Chirac | |
44 | Henri Bentégeat (born 1946) | Général d'arméeOctober 30, 2002 | October 3, 2006 | years, 338 days | 3French Army | Jean-Pierre Raffarin Dominique de Villepin | Jacques Chirac | |
45 | Jean-Louis Georgelin (born 1948) [3] | Général d'arméeOctober 4, 2006 | February 24, 2010 | years, 143 days | 3French Army | Dominique de Villepin François Fillon | Jacques Chirac Nicolas Sarkozy | |
46 | Édouard Guillaud (born 1953) [4] | AmiralFebruary 25, 2010 | February 14, 2014 | years, 354 days | 3French Navy | François Fillon Jean-Marc Ayrault | Nicolas Sarkozy François Hollande | |
47 | Pierre de Villiers (born 1956) [5] | Général d'arméeFebruary 15, 2014 | July 19, 2017 | years, 154 days | 3French Army | Jean-Marc Ayrault Manuel Valls Bernard Cazeneuve | François Hollande Emmanuel Macron | |
48 | François Lecointre (born 1962) | Général d'arméeJuly 20, 2017 | Incumbent | year, 87 days | 1French Army | Édouard Philippe | Emmanuel Macron |
See also
- List of aircraft carriers of France
- Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
- Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic (French: État-major particulier du Président de la République Française)
- Head of the Prime Minister's military cabinet (French: Chef du cabinet militaire du Premier ministre)
- Head of the Minister of Defence's military cabinet (French: Chef du Cabinet militaire du Ministre Français de la Défense)
- Direction générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale (French: Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie nationale) in liaison
- Major (France)
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. counterpart
- Chief of Federal Armed Forces Staff, the German counterpart
- Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), UK counterpart
References
- ↑ Lexique des termes employés en 1914-1918
- ↑ The highest rank then
- ↑ « Jean-Louis Georgelin nommé chef d'État-Major des armées ».
- ↑ « L’amiral Guillaud, nouveau chef d’État-Major des armées », sur le site defense.gouv.fr.
- ↑ Mesures d'ordre individuel Archived 22 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine..
Sources
- This page is a translation of fr:Chef d'état-major des armées.
- (French) Décret N° 2009-869. Retrieved on 2013-07-10.