Lieutenant-General Henry Freydenberg (14 December 1876 – 20 August 1975) was a French army officer. He was born in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
on 14 December 1876 of German descent family.
In 1919 he was chief of staff to
general d'Anselme during the
French occupation of Odessa.
As a
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
in 1921 he commanded a groupe mobile (a brigade-sized mixed-arms force) in an operation that ended the 7-year
Zaian War.
He remained involved in post-war operations in the
El Ksiba
El Ksiba is a small town in Béni-Mellal Province, Béni Mellal-Khénifra
Béni Mellal-Khénifra ( ar, بني ملال - خنيفرة, banī mallāl - ḵunayfira; ber, ⴰⵢⵜ ⵎⵍⵍⴰⵍ - ⵅⵏⵉⴼⵕⴰ, ayt mllal - xnifṛa) is on ...
in April 1922.
From 1924 to 1929 he served as French Commandant of
Meknes
Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...
in Morocco, transferring in 1929 to command the
1st Senegalese Colonial Division in
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
.
From 1931 to 1933 he was Commander in Chief of
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 ...
and spent a short period without a posting before becoming, in 1933, General Officer Commanding Colonial Forces in France.
[ He retired in 1938 but was recalled upon the outbreak of the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and became commander of the Colonial Corps.[
On 5 June 1940, during the ]Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
, he took over command of the French Second Army
The Second Army (french: IIe Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. The Army became famous for fighting the Battle of Verdun in 1916 under Generals Philippe Pétain and Robert Nivelle.
Commanders
World ...
from Charles Huntziger, who had transferred to command the Fourth Army Group and who signed the Armistice with Germany
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
on 22 June.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freydenberg, Henry
1876 births
1976 deaths
French generals
People of the Russian Civil War
French military personnel of World War II