The First Army () was a
field army
A field army (also known as numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps. It may be subordinate to an army group. Air army, Air armies are the equivalent formations in air forces, and ...
of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
that fought during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was also active during the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
.
World War I
On mobilization in August 1914, General
Auguste Dubail was put in the charge of the First Army, which comprised the
7th,
8th
Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight.
Eighth may refer to:
* One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole
* Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet)
* Octave, an interval b ...
,
13th,
14th, and
21st Army Corps, two divisions of cavalry and one reserve infantry division. It was massed between
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort.
Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...
and the general line Mirecourt-Lunéville with headquarters at
Epinal. First Army then took part, along with the
French Second Army, in the
Invasion of Lorraine. The First Army intended to take the strongly defended town of
Sarrebourg
Sarrebourg (; also , ; Lorraine Franconian: ; older ) is a commune of northeastern France.
In 1895 a Mithraeum was discovered at Sarrebourg at the mouth of the pass leading from the Vosges Mountains.
Geography
Sarrebourg is located in the ...
.
Bavarian Crown Prince Rupprecht, commander of the
German Sixth Army, was tasked with stopping the French invasion. The French attack was repulsed by Rupprecht and his stratagem of pretending to retreat and then strongly attacking back. On 20 August Rupprecht launched a major counter-offensive, driving the French armies out. Dubail was replaced in 1915. A frantic 1916 saw four different commanders command the First Army; an even more frantic 1917 saw five different commanders at the helm (including
François Anthoine during the
Battle of Passchendaele). By the time of Passchendaele, the French First Army was composed of two corps – the
1st Army Corps (composed of 4 divisions) and the
36th Army Corps (composed of 2 divisions).
World War II
1940
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the French First Army, under the command of
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Georges Blanchard, formed part of the forces ranged against the
German Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
during the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. On 10 May 1940, it included the
Cavalry Corps, and the
3rd,
4th, and
5th Army Corps, as well as the ''
1re Division Cuirassée'' (1st DCR, effectively an armoured division with four battalions of tanks and one of infantry, plus supporting units) and
32nd Infantry Division. When the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
invaded
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and the
Low Countries
The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
in 1940, the First Army was one of the many armies including the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that advanced north to stop the German armies.
On 21 May 1940 the First Army was one of the armies trapped in a vast
pocket
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...
with their backs to the sea that would eventually result in the
Dunkirk evacuations. As the Germans moved in, what remained of the once-formidable First Army was hopelessly surrounded at
Lille
Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
but
counterattacked and resisted fiercely in a delaying action aiming to buy time for the beleaguered Anglo-French defenders of Dunkirk. General
Jean-Baptiste Molinié's 40,000 remaining men engaged seven German divisions (including the
4th,
5th, and
7th Panzer Divisions, roughly 110,000 men and 800 tanks), capturing General
Fritz Kuhne of the
253rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) in the fighting and halting the German capture of Dunkirk for three days.
[ Shirer "The Collapse of the Third Republic," (1969), p. 746] It is estimated that the First Army's last battle allowed the evacuation of an additional 100,000 men from Dunkirk.
The First Army formally ceased to exist on 29 May, though a portion escaped with the British soldiers.
1944–1945
The First Army was reconstituted as French Army B under the command of General
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French ''général d'armée'' during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952.
...
in the summer of 1944. It landed in southern France after
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...
, the Allied invasion of the area. On 25 September 1944, French Army B was redesignated French First Army. Liberating
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
,
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department.
The Commune of Toulon h ...
, and
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, it later formed the right flank of the Allied
Southern Group of Armies (also known as the
U.S. Sixth Army Group) at the southern end of the Allied front line, adjacent to
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. It commanded two corps, the
French I and
II Corps. The French First Army liberated the southern area of the
Vosges Mountains
The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian (linguistics), Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its France–Germany border, border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the bor ...
, including
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort.
Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...
. Its operations in the area of Burnhaupt destroyed the German ''IV Luftwaffe Korps'' in November 1944. In January 1945 it defended against operation
''Nordwind'', the last major German offensive on the western front. In February 1945, with the assistance of the
U.S. XXI Corps, the First Army collapsed the
Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket (; ) was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945, against the U.S. 6th Army Group (6th AG) during World War II. It was formed when 6th AG liberated southern a ...
and cleared the west bank of the
Rhine River
The Rhine ( ) is one of the major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Swiss-Austrian border. From Lake Cons ...
of Germans in the area south of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
. In March 1945, the First Army fought through the
Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...
fortifications in the
Bienwald Forest near
Lauterbourg. Subsequently, the First Army crossed the Rhine near
Speyer
Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
and captured
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
and
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
. Operations by the First Army in April 1945 encircled and captured the German
''XVIII S.S. Armee Korps'' in the
Black Forest
The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...
and cleared southwestern Germany. At the end of the war, the motto of the French First Army was ''Rhin et Danube'', referring to the two great German rivers that it had reached and crossed during its combat operations.
Composition
The First Army was mainly composed of North African troops (
Maghrebis, French
Pied-Noir
The (; ; : ) are an ethno-cultural group of people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French colonial rule from 1830 to 1962. Many of them departed for mainland France during and after the ...
s and a significant number of escapees from occupied France) drawn from the
Army of Africa.
These troops had played a major role in the liberation of
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
(September–October 1943) and the
Italian Campaign (1943–1944), with about 130,000 men engaged. During the French and German campaigns of 1944-45, these troops formed the core of the First Army. In Autumn 1944, First Army comprised about 250,000 men, half of them ''Indigenes'' (Mahgrebian and Black African) and half Europeans from North Africa. From September 1944 onward, 114,000 men of the
French Forces of the Interior
The French Forces of the Interior (FFI; ) were French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as F ...
were added to the First Army, replacing many African troops. Eventually, more than 320,000 men would form the First Army during its final advances in Germany and Austria.
*
1st Free French Division (1st DFL, later became the 1st Motorized Infantry Division and finally the 1st March Infantry Division)
*
2nd Armoured Division (2nd DB, former 2nd Light Division) only for a short time in late 1944
*
2nd Moroccan Infantry Division (2nd DIM)
*
3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3rd DIA)
*
4th Moroccan Mountain Division (4th DMM)
*
9th Colonial Infantry Division (9th DIC)
*
1st Armoured Division (1st DB)
*
5th Armoured Division (5th DB)
*
Moroccan Goums (Four groups of Tabors, equivalent to one brigade)
*
10th Infantry Division (
Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket (; ) was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945, against the U.S. 6th Army Group (6th AG) during World War II. It was formed when 6th AG liberated southern a ...
only)
*
14th Infantry Division (Germany and Austria campaigns)
From 26 September 1944,
André Malraux
Georges André Malraux ( ; ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (''Man's Fate'') (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed ...
's
Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade, formed from the FFI, formed part of the army's reserves. Like other units formed from FFI personnel, Malraux's brigade was subsequently incorporated into the French Army as a regular unit (and was retitled the 3rd Demi-Brigade of Chasseurs).
Cold War
During the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
the First Army was again active. Army headquarters was at
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
, and may have also been at Metz for a period. For a time the army commander was also the Military Governor of Strasbourg (see
Hôtel des Deux-Ponts).
Among army commanders were Generals (1969–72), (1977–79) and (1979–80).
In 1970 the Army appears to have controlled
I Corps (HQ Nancy, France) with the
4th Armoured Division with its headquarters at
Verdun
Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
In 843, the Treaty of V ...
, the 7th Infantry Division with headquarters at
Mulhouse
Mulhouse (; ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''Mìlhüsa'' ; , meaning "Mill (grinding), mill house") is a France, French city of the European Collectivity of Alsace (Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region of France). It is near the Fran ...
, and the
8th Armoured Division with headquarters at
Compiègne
Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' ().
Administration
Compiègne is t ...
(2nd, 4th, and 14th Brigades). II Corps was at
Koblenz
Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary.
Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...
with the
1st Armoured Division at
Treves (Trier) (1st, 3rd, and 11th Brigades), and the
3rd Division at
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
(5th, 12th, and 13th Brigades).
The Army controlled the I Corps, the
II Corps, and the
III Corps as well as Army troops, including
Pluton
In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...
artillery, and three anti-aircraft artillery regiments, the 401, 402, and 403 Regiments d'Artillerie, during the 1980s. After deactivation as the war headquarters for the NATO
Central Army Group,
Ouvrage Rochonvillers
Ouvrage Rochonvillers is one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications. Located above the town of Rochonvillers in the French region of Lorraine, the ''gros ouvrage'' or large work was fully equipped and occupied in 1935 as part of the ...
was designated as the First Army's war headquarters in the 1980s.
In 1990 the army staff left Strasbourg and moved to the
Château de Mercy in
Mercy-lès-Metz,
Moselle
The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...
.
1st Army 1969 - 1993
on the site http://sites-bruno.chez-alice.fr;
The army's last commander was General Jean Cot. The 1st Army was disbanded on 31 August 1993.
Commanders
World War I
* General Auguste Dubail (Mobilisation
Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
– 5 January 1915)
* General Pierre Roques (5 January 1915 – 25 March 1916)
* General Olivier Mazel (25–31 March 1916)
* General Augustin Gérard (31 March – 31 December 1916)
* General Emile Fayolle (31 December 1916 – 6 May 1917)
* General Joseph Alfred Micheler (6 May – 1 June 1917)
* General Henri Gouraud (1–15 June 1917)
* General François Anthoine (15 June – 21 December 1917)
* General Marie-Eugène Debeney (21 December 1917 – Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
)
World War II
* General Georges Blanchard (2 September 1939 – 26 May 1940)
* General René Prioux (26–29 May 1940)
* General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French ''général d'armée'' during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952.
...
(September 1944 – 1 August 1945)
See also
* List of French armies in World War I
References
External links
BBC The fall of France to the Germans
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Army (France)
01
Field armies of France in World War I
Field armies of France in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1914
Military units and formations disestablished in the 1990s
1914 establishments in France