List of French generals who died during the First World War

This is a list of French generals who died during the First World War (1914–1918). The list is published by the French war graves authority Le Souvenir français and includes all generals they have determined to have mort pour la France (). It includes those killed in action or died of wounds but also those who died from illness contracted on active duty. The list includes generals who died as late as 1923.

Background In 1914 the French Army of around 770,000 men maintained 21 army corps of around two divisions each. There were a total of 47 infantry and 10 cavalry divisions which included 92 infantry brigades, 38 cavalry brigades, and 21 field artillery brigades; these formations would typically have been commanded by a general officer. By the war's end in 1918 the army had expanded to 3,000,000 men in 113 divisions. During that time it had suffered 1,327,000 men killed, died of wounds, or missing and presumed dead.

There were only two general officer ranks in the French Army, that of général de brigade (equivalent to brigadier-general) and of général de division (equivalent to major-general). Généraux de brigade (and sometimes colonels) commanded brigades and sub-divisions of larger units, while armies, corps and divisions were led by généraux de division; additional generals were required to serve in staff positions. The military distinction (not rank) of Marshal of France, held for life, was sometimes granted to senior generals. At the start of the war in 1914 there had been no living marshals since the death of François Certain de Canrobert in 1895. During the course of the war it would be awarded to two generals, Joseph Joffre and Ferdinand Foch, with Philippe Pétain receiving the honour shortly after the 11 November 1918 armistice. Five other generals were granted the honour in the early 1920s, in two cases (Michel-Joseph Maunoury and Joseph Gallieni) the men had died as generals during the war.

Age limits for active service were 62 years for généraux de brigade and 65 for généraux de division. Generals tended to be towards the upper limit of these ages, with all army commanders in August 1914 aged between 61 and 64. Low pay and slow career progression led to a shortage of officers and non-commissioned officers in the pre-war French Army. At the outbreak of the war the army was short 400 officers of all ranks. It could put into the field only 120 généraux de division out of a requirement of 160 and just 220 généraux de brigade, out of a requirement of 260. Additional generals were recalled from retirement, though many of these were elderly and ill suited for campaigning.

List The Le Souvenir français is responsible for maintaining French war memorials and cemeteries and providing information about war dead. It maintains a list of military personnel determined to have mort pour la France ("died for France"), a designation granted under the French ("code for military disability pensions and victims of war"). The designation is granted for those killed in action, died of wounds, died from illness contracted on active duty or executed by an occupying power among other categories.

Le Souvenir français publishes selections of those who died in the First World War as ("Golden book of those who died for France in the 1914-1918 war"). This list is extracted from Le Souvenir français member Gérard Gehin's Livre d'or des officiers superieurs morts pour la France guerre 14-18 ("Golden book of superior officers who died for France in the 1914-1918 war"). Gehin's work lists all officers of lieutenant-colonel rank or above, but only the 81 officers who held general rank at the time of their death are listed here. It includes some officers who died as late as 1923 where Le Souvenir français has determined they qualify as mort pour la France. Where details are missing from Gehin's list additional information has been taken from the sources cited.

French historian Laurent Guillemot published a book, La Liste de Foch (French: Foch's list), in 2017 that discussed the French generals who died during the war. He notes that Foch prepared a list of 40 he deemed to have been killed in action (plus Admiral Victor-Baptistin Senès), whose names were inscribed on the memorial at Les Invalides. To this list Guillemot adds Général de Brigade Corneille Trumelet-Faber who died of wounds following a German shell explosion. Guillemot noted that the average age of the men he listed was 56.5 years and that two-thirds were killed by shell fire and the remainder shot. He notes that around 76 British generals were killed in the war, 2 Belgian, 2 Italian, and 2 Romanians. On the opposing side he notes around 70 German generals, 40 Austro-Hungarian, and one Ottoman killed.

In the list below generals listed by Foch are denoted in red.

Image Name Rank Unit commanded Date of death Department or country of death Cause of deathGénéral de brigade67th Infantry Division6 September 1916Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade214th Infantry Brigade24 October 1916Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade45th Infantry Brigade5 February 1920Lot-et-Garonne, France Sickness contracted on serviceGénéral de brigade109th Reserve Infantry Brigade29 October 1914Somme, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de division134th Infantry Division17 October 1917Marne, FranceDied suddenlyGénéral de brigade25th Infantry Brigade10 September 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade77th Infantry Division10 May 1915Pas-de-Calais, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de division6th Military Region28 August 1920Isère, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade41st Infantry Division8 September 1914Vosges, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade52nd Reserve Infantry Division25 September 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigadeEngineers, 4th Army Corps22 July 1918Seine-et-Oise, FranceAccident on serviceGénéral de divisionBridoux Cavalry Corps25 September 1914Somme, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade6th Colonial Infantry Brigade30 November 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade148th Infantry Brigade11 October 1917Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade113th Infantry Brigade22 December 1916Côte-d'Or, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeInfantry, 30th Infantry Division30 December 1917SerbiaEnemy actionGénéral de brigade165th Territorial Infantry Brigade16 April 1917Seine, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de division14th Infantry Division24 October 1917Haute-Garonne, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade24th Infantry Division26 August 1914Marne, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de division5th Military Region28 March 1915Loiret, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade121st Reserve Infantry Brigade20 March 1915Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade33rd Infantry Division22 January 1916Somme, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade151st Infantry Division28 May 1918Aisne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade63rd Infantry Brigade23 August 1914Aisne, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeInspector-General of the National Gendarmerie15 May 1919Bouches-du-Rhône, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade67th Infantry Brigade9 September 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade69th Infantry Brigade18 November 1914Charente-Maritime, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade147th Infantry Brigade15 August 1922Seine, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de division (also a Marshal of France)Military Governor of Paris27 May 1916Seine-et-Oise, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade3rd Infantry Brigade of the Oriental Expeditionary Corps7 June 1915Ottoman EmpireEnemy action Général de division1st Group of the Eastern Division10 May 1919Bouches-du-Rhône, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade12th Infantry Division25 September 1916Somme, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade149th Reserve Infantry Brigade21 September 1914Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de divisionArmy of the Orient7 January 1918Somme, FranceSicknessGénéral de division41st Infantry Division30 May 1918BelgiumDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeAssistant commander of the 3rd Military Region1 October 1919Moselle, FranceSicknessGénéral de division35th Army Corps22 June 1922Vosges, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeMilitary Governor of Langres27 December 1918Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade35th Infantry Brigade9 May 1916Meuse, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeDepot of the 12th Artillery Brigade12 November 1921Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeFrench Military Mission to Romania12 December 1918RomaniaSicknessGénéral de divisionAssistant to the General Commander of the Staff10 July 1922Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade55th Infantry Division3 October 1916Meuse, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade37th Infantry Brigade27 March 1916Meuse, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade10th Colonial Infantry Division31 December 1921Tarn-et-Garonne, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeAssistant Commander of the 15th Military Region28 June 1915Seine, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade92nd Territorial Infantry Division15 February 1915Pas-de-Calais, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeArtillery of the French Army in Italy5 January 1918ItalyEnemy actionGénéral de division5th Group of Reserve Divisions19 February 1915Aisne, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeDirector, Army Museum26 November 1923Seine, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de division81st Territorial Infantry Division4 October 1914Pas-de-Calais, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade120th Infantry Brigade30 December 1917Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade17th Infantry Brigade16 September 1914Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de division1st Division of the Oriental Expeditionary Corps17 July 1915MediterraneanDied of woundsGénéral de division (also a Marshal of France)On reserve list28 March 1923Loiret, FranceSicknessGénéral de divisionMilitary Governor of Lyon13 July 1916Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de division5th Army Corps15 August 1917Rhône, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade105th Reserve Infantry Brigade29 July 1919Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeCavalry depots, 9th Military Region29 March 1916Maine-et-Loire, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade30th Infantry Division19 May 1919Haute-Garonne, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade1st Colonial Infantry Brigade24 November 1921Ille-et-Vilaine, France SicknessGénéral de brigade33rd Infantry Division21 May 1915Pas-de-Calais, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de divisionAssistant to the commander of the 12th Military Region6 January 1916Dordogne, FranceAccident on serviceGénéral de brigade88th Infantry Brigade27 August 1914Rhône, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade45th Infantry Brigade10 December 1915Seine, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade3rd Colonial Infantry Division22 August 1914BelgiumEnemy actionGénéral de brigade315th Infantry Brigade7 November 1917Alpes-Maritimes, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigadeMilitary Government of Paris17 December 1918Seine, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade4th Colonial Infantry Brigade27 December 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade128th Infantry Division11 September 1917Meuse, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade3rd Colonial Brigade22 August 1914BelgiumEnemy actionGénéral de brigade10th Infantry Division26 September 1914Meuse, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigade137th Reserve Infantry Brigade20 September 1914Marne, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade2nd Section of General Officers30 June 1920SicknessGénéral de brigade66th Infantry Division6 January 1916Haut-Rhin, GermanyDied of woundsGénéral de brigade64th Infantry Brigade27 September 1914Meurthe-et-Moselle, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade77th Infantry Division12 May 1915Pas-de-Calais, FranceEnemy actionGénéral de brigade81st Territorial Infantry Division11 April 1916Seine, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeInfantry, 165th Division16 July 1918Marne, FranceDied of woundsGénéral de brigadeWith the Army of the Orient25 March 1920Meurthe-et-Moselle, FranceSicknessGénéral de brigade12th Dragoon Brigade23 June 1920GermanySickness

See also List of generals of the British Empire who died during the First World War