Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud (; 17 November 1867 – 16 September 1946) was a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
general, best known for his leadership of the
French Fourth Army at the end of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Following this, he became the first
High Commissioner of the Levant The High Commissioner of France in the Levant (french: haut-commissaire de France au Levant; ar, المندوب السامي الفرنسي على سورية ولبنان), named after 1941 the General Delegate of Free France in the Levant (frenc ...
(1919–1922) then
Military governor of Paris (1923–1937).
Early life
Henri Gouraud was born on Rue de Grenelle in the
7th arrondissement of Paris to Doctor Xavier Gouraud and Marie Portal, the first of six children. The Gouraud family originally came from
Vendée
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442. , but had left during the French Revolution for
Angers, then Paris.
Gouraud was educated at home and at the
Collège Stanislas de Paris
The Collège Stanislas de Paris (), colloquially known as Stan, is a highly selective private Catholic school in Paris, situated on "Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs" in the 6th arrondissement. It has more than 3,000 students, from preschool to ''class ...
. His decision for a military career was, like many Frenchmen of his generation, motivated by the French defeat in the
Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871).
Gouraud entered the
Saint Cyr Military Academy in 1888 as part of the "Grand Triomphe" promotion, a well-chosen name as it included sixty future generals. He graduated in 1890 and joined the
Troupes de marine. He expected to be posted overseas as the Troupes de marine served in the
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...
, but his father objected because he feared that the marines would be a bad influence on his son. Gouraud respected his father's wish and was instead posted to the 21st Foot Chasseur Regiment at
Montbéliard.
Africa
Henri Gouraud was assigned in 1894 to
French Sudan
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Fra ...
. He developed a reputation as an effective if lucky commander. In 1898, he was ordered to head one of a number of units fighting
Samori, the resistance leader who had been fighting the French for more than a decade. Driven into the highlands south of
Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mal ...
valley by a series of previous defeats, Samori's forces were defeated within the year. On 29 September 1898, Gouraud's unit stumbled upon Samori's encampment and captured him. More importantly, it marked the end of the last large state opposing French colonialism in the West.
The capture of Samori made Henri Gouraud a celebrated figure in France, at the same time as nationalists were recovering from the setback against the British at
Fashoda. The young captain was feted in the highest political circles of Paris, where he was introduced to powerful businessmen and politicians with interests in the colonial project. Among them were
Auguste d'Arenberg Auguste may refer to:
People Surname
* Arsène Auguste (born 1951), Haitian footballer
* Donna Auguste (born 1958), African-American businesswoman
* Georges Auguste (born 1933), Haitian painter
* Henri Auguste (1759–1816), Parisian gold and ...
and
Eugène Étienne, future founders of what was called the "
parti colonial". Thanks to the patronage of the "parti colonial", Henri Gouraud pursued a career across French Africa for the next fifteen years, with postings in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Mauritania
Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...](_blank)
. In 1907, he was promoted to colonel and ''commissaire du Gouvernement général'' of Mauritania, where he led a campaign against Bedouin tribes who threatened transport between the colonies of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
and
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now B ...
.
In 1911, after attending the ''centre des Hautes études militaires'' in France, colonel Gouraud was stationed in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
, where he was promoted to
général de brigade, serving under
Lyautey. He was placed in command of the
Fez military region, and from 1914 to 1915 in command of all French colonial troops in western Morocco.
World War I
In mid-1915 he served as commander of the
French Expeditionary Corps that was committed to the
Dardanelles campaign. He was wounded on 30 June, and subsequently lost his right arm. From December 1915 to December 1916 and from June 1917 until the end of the war he commanded the
Fourth Army on the Western Front, where he gained distinction for his use of elastic defense during the
Second Battle of the Marne. On 22 November 1918, he entered the city of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
, overthrowing the
Soviet government that had been proclaimed there on 11 November 1918.
French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon
After the war, Gouraud served from 1919 to 1922 as representative of the French Government in the Middle East and commander of the French
Army of the Levant
The Army of the Levant (french: Armée du Levant) identifies the armed forces of France and then Vichy France which occupied, and were in part recruited from, the French Mandated territories in the Levant during the interwar period and early W ...
. As commander of French forces during
Franco-Turkish war, he presided over the creation of the French Mandates in Syria and Lebanon. Following the implementation of the 1916
Sykes-Picot Agreement, which divided the occupied remnants of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
between France and Britain, Gouraud was commander of forces sent to enforce the French division of the Levant.
Between 20 January and 10 February 1920, Gouraud's troops were moved north to support forces in the
Franco-Turkish War. Gouraud directed the suppression of a rising of
Turkish National Forces at the
Battle of Marash
The Battle of Marash ( tr, Maraş Muharebesi), also called the "Marash Affair", was a battle that took place in the early winter of 1920 between the French forces occupying the city of Maraş in the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish National F ...
which led to the withdrawal of French troops back to Syria.
There, Gouraud's ongoing attempt to control
King Faisal came to a head. Gouraud led French forces which crushed
King Faisal's short-lived monarchy at the
Battle of Maysalun on 23 July 1920, occupied
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
, defeated the forces of the
Syrian Revolution and established the
French Mandate of Syria
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate foun ...
. These territories were reorganised a number of times by Gouraud's decrees, the most famous being the creation of the
State of Greater Lebanon
The State of Greater Lebanon ( ar, دولة لبنان الكبير, Dawlat Lubnān al-Kabīr; french: État du Grand Liban), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic ( ar, ...
on 1 September 1920. Gouraud became the French High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon, effective head of the colonial government there.
He is remembered in the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
primarily for this role, and for an
apocryphal
Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...
anecdote. Following the
Battle of Maysalun, Gouraud allegedly went to the
Tomb of Saladin, kicked it, and said: ''Awake,
Saladin
Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سهلاحهدین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt an ...
. We have returned. My presence here consecrates the victory of the Cross over the Crescent''." The quote is sometimes attributed to
Mariano Goybet instead of Gouraud.
Gouraud's administration in Syria borrowed much from his time as a young man working under
Lyautey in Morocco, where colonial policy focused on control of the country through manipulation of tribes, Sufis, and the rural Berber populations. In Syria, this took the form of separate administrations for
Druze
The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...
and
Alawite
The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isl ...
communities, with the aim of dividing their interests from those of urban nationalists.
Particularly unpopular following the French taking of Damascus, the folk hero
Adham Khanjar
Adham Khanjar ( ar, أدهم خنجر) (1890–1922) was a Lebanese Shia Muslim revolutionary and Syrian nationalist who participated in guerilla warfare against the forces of the French occupation of Lebanon and Syria, and the attempt to assassi ...
of
Southern Lebanon staged a failed attempt on Gouraud's life on 23 June 1921.
Later years
In 1923, he returned to France, where he was the Military Governor of Paris from 1923 to 1937. He also served on the Supreme Allied War Council from 1927 until his retirement in 1937. General Gouraud died in Paris in 1946.
Decorations
*''
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
''
**Knight (18 October 1898)
**Officer (31 May 1904)
**Commander (11 July 1909)
**Grand Officer (10 August 1914)
**Grand Cross (28 December 1918)
*
Médaille militaire (10 July 1915)
*Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in honour ...
(United Kingdom, 27 August 1915)
*''
Croix de guerre 1914–1918''
*
Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire
*
Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918
*
Médaille commémorative de Syrie-Cilicie
*
Médaille Coloniale
The Colonial Medal (french: "Médaille Coloniale") was a French decoration created by the "loi de finances" of 26 July 1893 (article 75) to reward "military services in the colonies, resulting from participation in military operations, in a colon ...
with "Sénégal et Soudan" "Maroc" "Mauritanie et Adrar" bars
*Grand Cordon of the
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the ...
(Italy)
*Commander of the Nicham El-Anouar (Tunisia)
*Commander of the
Nichan Iftikhar (Tunisia)
*
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
(USA)
*
Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia)
*
Order of Karađorđe's Star with swords (Serbia)
Published works
''La Pacification de Mauritanie. Journal des marches et opérations de la colonne de l'Adrar'', 1910; ''Souvenirs d'un Africain, Au Soudan'', 1939; ''Zinder-Tchad. Souvenirs d'un Africain'', 1944; ''Mauritanie-Adrar'', 1945; ''Au Maroc'', 1946
Legacy
*Paris has a ''Place du Général-Gouraud'' in the 7th arrondissement.
*A commemorative statue to Général Gouraud stands in a garden next to
Les Invalides
The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, ...
.
*A massive
cedar tree near the town of
Ifrane
Ifrane ( Berber: ⵉⴼⵔⴰⵏ; ar, إفران) is a city in the Middle Atlas region of northern Morocco (population 14,659 as of November 2014). The capital of Ifrane Province in the region of Fès-Meknès, Ifrane is located at an elevation of ...
in the
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through ...
of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
was named for the General; the ''Gouraud Cedar'' is considered to be over 800 years old, and was "discovered" by Gouraud's troops during the French campaign against anti-colonial resistance on the
Timahdite Plateau in the years 1917–19. Moreover, the
Cèdre Gouraud Forest in the
Middle Atlas Mountain Range is named for Gouraud; this forest is one of the few remaining habitats of the
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
Barbary macaque
The Barbary macaque (''Macaca sylvanus''), also known as Barbary ape, is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar.
It is the type species of the ...
.
[C. Michael Hogan, (2008]
''Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
*
Rue Gouraud
Rue Gouraud () is a mixed residential and commercial street in Gemmayzeh, a neighborhood in the Rmeil district of Beirut in Lebanon. It is named after French General Henri Gouraud. Gemmayze, and Rue Gouraud specifically, and competes with th ...
in the
Achrafieh district of
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
is named for the General.
Notes
References
* This article incorporates translations of the French language Wikipedia articles
:fr:Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud and
:fr:Mandat français en Syrie.
Le général Gouraud durant la Grande Guerre
On his time in the Levant
*Philippe Gouraud. Le general Henri Gouraud au Liban et en Syrie (1919–1923) (Comprendre le Moyen-Orient). L'Harmattan (1993).
*Elizabeth Thompson. Colonial Citizens: Republican Rights, Paternal Privilege, and Gender in French Syria and Lebanon. Columbia University Press, (2000)
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouraud, Henri
1867 births
1946 deaths
Politicians from Paris
French military personnel of World War I
French generals
People of French West Africa
People of French Equatorial Africa
French colonial governors of Mauritania
Colonial Governors of French Niger
French colonial governors and administrators
High Commissioners of the Levant
Military governors of Paris
Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
French military personnel of the Franco-Turkish War
People of the Franco-Syrian War
Collège Stanislas de Paris alumni
Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
Recipients of the Order of the White Lion
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Recipients of the Ordre du Nichan El-Anouar
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
French amputees
Military personnel from Paris