Henri Mathias Berthelot
Encyclopedia
Henri Mathias Berthelot (1861–1931) was a French
general during World War I. He served as chief of staff
under Joseph Joffre
, the French commander-in-chief.
, Berthelot was assigned to Algeria
, and afterwards to Indochina
.
In 1907, he was assigned to the French General Staff
. During this period Berthelot worked together with the General Joseph Joffre
on the French war plan called Plan XVII
.
In 1914, he served as chief of staff
under General Joffre during the First Battle of the Marne
. In November 1914, Berthelot was given the command of the reserve forces at Soissons
, later the command of the 53rd Division and of the XXXIII Corps.
On 16 October 1916 Berthelot was appointed the chief of the French military mission in Romania
, and between January and June 1917 he supervised the reorganisation and the retraining of the Romanian Army, defeated in the previous year by the forces of the Central Powers
in Wallachia
and Dobruja
(see Romania during World War I). The results of the reorganisation and resupply of the Romanian troops were seen in the summer of 1917, when the Alexandru Averescu
's army broke the front at Mărăşti
and the major counter-offensive of the Central Powers with the aim of occupying the rest of the Romanian territory (Moldavia) and the port of Odessa
was stopped at Mărăşeşti
and Oituz
. However, when the Bolsheviks took Russia out of the war, Romania, left surrounded by the Central Powers, had little choice but to sign an armistice in December 1917, followed by a peace treaty in May 1918. Under these circumstances the French military mission had to leave the country.
In July 1918, after his return to France, general Ferdinand Foch
appointed him commander of the Fifth army.
After the successful offensive on the Thessaloniki
front which put Bulgaria out of the war, Romania re-entered the war on November 10, 1918, a day before its end in Western Europe. On 11 November 1919, during the victory parade of the Allied forces in Paris
, General Berthelot told General Foch at the sight of the Romanian detachment:
From 1919 to 1922, Berthelot served as military governor of Metz
.
From 1920 to 1926, Berthelot was a member of the Conseil Général de Guerre (Supreme War Council), and was involved in the decision to build the Maginot Line
.
From 1923 to 1926, the general served as military governor of Strasbourg
.
He died in 1931 and was buried in Nervieux
(Department of Loire
).
awarded him the honorary citizenship of Romania and King Ferdinand rewarded the general with lands located in the Transylvanian village of Fărcădin, confiscated from the Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás
family. The property included a manor house, some arable land, an orchard and a forest.
In 1923, the local council decided to rename Fărcădin to "General Berthelot
".
In 1926, Berthelot was elected honorary member of the Romanian Academy
. By will, he left all his properties from Fărcădin to the Romanian Academy.
During the communist dictatorship
, the castle was sacked and eventually turned into a silo
. In 1965 the village's name was changed to "Unirea" (Union) and in 2001, after Ceauşescu
's downfall, a local referendum approved to rename the village and the commune back to "General Berthelot".
Several schools, streets, boulevards bear his name in Romania.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
general during World War I. He served as chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
under Joseph Joffre
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...
, the French commander-in-chief.
Biography
In 1883, after graduating from the Saint-Cyr military academyÉcole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
, Berthelot was assigned to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, and afterwards to Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
.
In 1907, he was assigned to the French General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. During this period Berthelot worked together with the General Joseph Joffre
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...
on the French war plan called Plan XVII
Plan XVII
Plan XVII was the name of a "scheme of mobilization and concentration" that was adopted by the French General Staff in 1913, to be put into effect by the French Army in the event of war between France and Germany but was not ‘a prescribed narrative for the campaign’ or battle...
.
In 1914, he served as chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
under General Joffre during the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. In November 1914, Berthelot was given the command of the reserve forces at Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, later the command of the 53rd Division and of the XXXIII Corps.
On 16 October 1916 Berthelot was appointed the chief of the French military mission in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and between January and June 1917 he supervised the reorganisation and the retraining of the Romanian Army, defeated in the previous year by the forces of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
in Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
(see Romania during World War I). The results of the reorganisation and resupply of the Romanian troops were seen in the summer of 1917, when the Alexandru Averescu
Alexandru Averescu
Alexandru Averescu was a Romanian marshal and populist politician. A Romanian Armed Forces Commander during World War I, he served as Prime Minister of three separate cabinets . He first rose to prominence during the peasant's revolt of 1907, which he helped repress in violence...
's army broke the front at Mărăşti
Battle of Marasti
The Battle of Mărăşti was one of the main battles to take place on Romanian soil in World War I. It was fought between July 22 and August 1, 1917, and was an offensive operation of the Romanian and Russian Armies intended to encircle and destroy the German 9th Army...
and the major counter-offensive of the Central Powers with the aim of occupying the rest of the Romanian territory (Moldavia) and the port of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
was stopped at Mărăşeşti
Battle of Marasesti
The Battle of Mărăşeşti, Vrancea County, eastern Romania was a major battle fought during World War I between Germany and Romania.-Premise:...
and Oituz
Second Battle of Oituz
The Second Battle of Oituz was a confrontation between Romanian and, to a lesser extent, Russian forces on one side and German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the other, during the Romanian Campaign of World War I...
. However, when the Bolsheviks took Russia out of the war, Romania, left surrounded by the Central Powers, had little choice but to sign an armistice in December 1917, followed by a peace treaty in May 1918. Under these circumstances the French military mission had to leave the country.
In July 1918, after his return to France, general Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
appointed him commander of the Fifth army.
After the successful offensive on the Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
front which put Bulgaria out of the war, Romania re-entered the war on November 10, 1918, a day before its end in Western Europe. On 11 November 1919, during the victory parade of the Allied forces in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, General Berthelot told General Foch at the sight of the Romanian detachment:
Foch, saluez! C'est la famille. ("Foch, salute! It's [our] family.")
From 1919 to 1922, Berthelot served as military governor of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
.
From 1920 to 1926, Berthelot was a member of the Conseil Général de Guerre (Supreme War Council), and was involved in the decision to build the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
.
From 1923 to 1926, the general served as military governor of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
.
He died in 1931 and was buried in Nervieux
Nervieux
Nervieux is a commune in the Loire department in central France....
(Department of Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
).
Berthelot's legacy in Romania
Grateful for the French army's contribution to the liberation of Romania, and in particular, Berthelot's role during the World War I Romanian campaign, the Romanian ParliamentParliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
awarded him the honorary citizenship of Romania and King Ferdinand rewarded the general with lands located in the Transylvanian village of Fărcădin, confiscated from the Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás
Franz Nopcsa von Felso-Szilvás
Baron Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás was a Hungarian-born aristocrat, adventurer, scholar, and paleontologist...
family. The property included a manor house, some arable land, an orchard and a forest.
In 1923, the local council decided to rename Fărcădin to "General Berthelot
General Berthelot
General Berthelot is a commune in Hunedoara County, Romania...
".
In 1926, Berthelot was elected honorary member of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
. By will, he left all his properties from Fărcădin to the Romanian Academy.
During the communist dictatorship
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, the castle was sacked and eventually turned into a silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
. In 1965 the village's name was changed to "Unirea" (Union) and in 2001, after Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
's downfall, a local referendum approved to rename the village and the commune back to "General Berthelot".
Several schools, streets, boulevards bear his name in Romania.