Jean César Graziani (;
Bastia, Corsica, 15 November 1859 – Paris, 8 February 1932) was a
French Army
History
Early history
The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...
general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
during
World War I
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, ...
.
Early years
He started his studies at the
Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in October 1878. He participated in the Algerian and Tunisian campaigns and by 1909 commanded the 96th Infantry Regiment.
In 1912 he became director of the Infantry at the Ministry of Defence. On 29 January 1913, by now a Brigadier General, he became head of the cabinet of the Minister of Defence.
World War I
One month after the outbreak of World War I, he became vice chief of the État-major of the Army and on 31 July 1915 chief of the État-major of the Army.
In April 1917 he received field command of the 28th Division and in December 1917 of the
17th Army Corps.
On 29 March 1918, he became commander of the
12th French Army Corps, which was stationed in Italy. At the same time, the Tenth Army returned to France, leaving only the 12th Army Corps on the
Italian Front. Graziani thus became commander of the French troops in Italy, and helped to repulse in June the Austrian offensive during the
Battle of the Piave River.
For the final
Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the Italians gave him command of their
12th Army, with which he gained a great victory.
After a short return to France, he became in April 1919 commander of the
French Danube Army in Romania, and from August 1919-February 1920 was French representative to the Inter-Allied Military Mission in Hungary. In December 1920 he received command of the
18th French Army Corps.
From 1921 until his retirement in 1924, he was a member of the ''Conseil supérieur de la guerre''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graziani, Jean Cesar
1859 births
1932 deaths
French generals
French military personnel of World War I
Italian front (World War I)
People of the Hungarian–Romanian War
Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
People from Corsica