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Iiichel Joseph Maunoury

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"MAUNOURY, IIICHEL JOSEPH (1847-), French general, was born at Maintenon (Eure-et-Loir) Dec. II 1847. His family, long established on the soil, is said to have given devoted assistance to Pasteur in his researches on animal chemistry.

Entering the E. Polytechnique in 1867, and commissioned to the artillery in 1869, he took part in the war of 1870, and at the battle of Champigny he won the Legion of Honour. In 1874 he became captain, in 1881 he entered the staff college, and in 1883 was appointed to the staff of St. Cyr. In 1897 he became colonel, in 1901 general of brigade and in 1906 general of division. His career had been unusually varied; in addition to regimental service in all ranks of the artillery, both field and fortress, he had served on the technical artillery committee, the powders committee, and the military education commission, and had been deputy chief of the general staff at the War Office and director of the E.cole de Guerre. Lastly, as a corps commander he had been placed at the head of the famous frontier corps, the XX., stationed at Nancy. He retired in 1912 on reaching the age limit, his last appointment being as military governor of Paris and a member of the Conseil Superieur de la Guerre, formed of generals designated for army commands in war.

Shortly after mobilization in Aug. 1914 he was recalled to the active list, and appointed, practically on the field of battle, to command the improvised " Army of Lorraine," with which he won the battle of Aug. 25 on the Othain line - a remarkable success in the midst of disaster. But his pursuit of the Germans was stopped by the break-up of his army on the evening of victory. Maunoury himself and certain of his units, reinforced by others, were dispatched to the region of Montdidier - Amiens, and became the VI. Army, which, remaining outside the sweep of the German advance, found itself on Sept. 4 in the positions N.E. of Paris from which it was launched against the flank of von Kluck's I. Army. In the battle of the Marne the duel of Maunoury and von Kluck was the turning-point. Maunoury continued to command the army during the development of the Aisne line of battle towards the sea, and in the first phases of trench warfare. But on March 15 1915 he was severely wounded, and subsequently had no active command. From Nov. 1915 to March 1916 he was governor of Paris.