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Augustin Yvon Edmond Dubail

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"AUGUSTIN YVON EDMOND DUBAIL (1851-), French general, was born at Belfort April 1851. At the age of 17 he entered the military academy at St. Cyr, and on July is 1870 was appointed a sub-lieutenant of infantry, having passed seventh out of 310 candidates. He took part in the Franco-German War and was captured at Metz in Oct. 1870. Released in April 1871 he rejoined his regiment, and served with the army of Versailles in the operations against the Commune. He was appointed captain and transferred to the 81st Inf. Regt. in Nov. 1878. From Oct. 1880 to Feb. 1883, and again from Nov. 1883 to Jan. 1886, he had an appointment as professor at the Ecole Speciale Militaire St. Cyr. In June 1886 he was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour. In Nov., while serving in Algeria, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel; and in Oct. 1901, while still in Algeria, was made a colonel and given command of the 1st Regt. of Zouaves. On returning to France he took over the Alpine Brigade at Grenoble. In 1906 he became commandant of St. Cyr - an appointment which he held for three years. He was made a divisional commander on Dec. 25 1908, being appointed to the 14th Div. at Belfort. He later commanded the IX. Army Corps. In 1911 he was made chief of the general staff and a member of the Superior War Council. On the outbreak of the World War Gen. Dubail took over the I. Army, which (with the II. Army under Gen. de Castelnau on the left) was responsible for the offensive into Lorraine, and later for the defence of the eastern fortress line against the armies of Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria. The stubborn resistance of Dubail and Castelnau not only nullified the threat of invasion but insured a pivot for future French manoeuvres; it prepared the way indeed for the Marne victory. Gen. Dubail was given the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (Sept. 18 1914). On the withdrawal of the II. Army to the Somme, Dubail took charge of the whole line between Verdun and the Vosges, and when in Jan. 1915 the armies along the front were grouped under three headquarters of groups of armies, Dubail was placed in charge of that of the east, comprising the III. of Verdun, his old I., and the Vosges force. In Oct. of the same year he was awarded the medaille militaire. On April 6 1916 he was made military governor of Paris. He was placed in the " Second Section " - on reaching the age limit - in April 1916, but retained his appointment as military governor of Paris. After his final retirement he was appointed Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour.