Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

Louis Bernheim (1 September 1861 – 13 February 1931) was a Belgian career soldier and general, best known for his service 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 ...

. He is also notable as one of Belgium's highest ranking soldiers of Jewish origin.

Biography

Louis Bernheim was born into a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Saint-Josse-ten-Noode ( French, ) or Sint-Joost-ten-Node ( Dutch, ), often simply called Saint-Josse in French or Sint-Joost in Dutch, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-eastern part o ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

on 1 September 1861. His parents had emigrated to Belgium from

Nancy, France Nancy is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the northeastern Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which was Lorraine and Barrois, annexed by France under King Louis X ...

in 1858. Entering the École Militaire in 1878, he joined the Regiment of Grenadiers as a second lieutenant at the age of 19. He later taught at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels and rose through the ranks rapidly. By the time of the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914, Bernheim was serving as a lieutenant-colonel in the 7th Regiment of the Line. Bernheim was promoted to command the 3rd Brigade during the Siege of Antwerp in September 1914 and commanded his unit during the fighting around the Nete. He was promoted to major-general in November and, in 1915, was given command of the 1st Army Division in the Steenstrate section of the

Yser Front The Yser Front (, or ), sometimes termed the West Flemish Front in British writing, was a section of the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I held by Belgium, Belgian troops from October 1914 until 1918. The front ran alo ...

. During an inspection of his troops at the front in September 1915, he was severely wounded by an enemy artillery shell but returned to service after just two months' convalescence. In March 1916, he was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

. His command of the 1st Army Division coincided with the emergence of the

Frontbeweging The ''Frontpartij'' (, "Front Party") was a Belgian political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people and their language. Originating from the earlier ''Frontbeweging'' (, "Front Movement"), the ''Frontpartij'' wa ...

in 1917, a

Flemish Movement The Flemish Movement (, ) is an umbrella term which encompasses various political groups in the Belgium, Belgian region of Flanders and, less commonly, in French Flanders. Ideologically, it encompasses groups which have sought to promote Flemis ...

group which began to agitate against perceived discrimination in the Belgian Army. Bernheim was criticized personally by ''

Flamingant The term ''flamingant'', in both Dutch and French, refers to an adherent of the Flemish Movement. Originating as a pejorative term use by Belgian nationalists, it may be equally used as an adjective or substantive and the term ''flamingantisme'' ...

'' soldiers for his attempts to suppress it. In September 1918, he was placed in command of a group of three army divisions on the Yser during the Belgian advance in the

Hundred Days' Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...

. Berheim's units were notably involved in the capture of the important forest at

Houthulst Houthulst (; , ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality consists of the sub-municipalities Houthulst, Jonkershove, Klerken and Merkem. On January 1, 2006, Houthulst had a total population of 9,051. ...

. After the end of the war, he was promoted to Inspector General of the Infantry and he officially retired from the army in 1926. Among the awards received by Bernheim during his career was the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

and the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

. Bernheim died in 1931 while visiting his daughter in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France. As a

freethinker Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an unorthodox attitude or belief. A freethinker holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and should instead be reached by other meth ...

, he had demanded to be

cremated Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

at his death and, because Belgian law did not permit it at the time, was cremated in France. His funeral was attended by King

Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) * Albert I, Count of Namur () * Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg * Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Al ...

and the former prime minister,

Charles de Broqueville Count, Comte Charles de Broqueville (; 4 December 1860 – 5 September 1940) was the prime minister of Belgium from 1911 to 1918 and again from 1932 to 1934, serving during the majority of World War I. Before 1914 Charles de Broqueville was b ...

. Bernheim is memorialised by an avenue in

Etterbeek Etterbeek (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the municipalities of Auderghem, the Cit ...

and by a public statue by

Edmond de Valériola Edmond may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Edmond (play), ''Edmond'' (play), a 1982 play by David Mamet ** Edmond (film), ''Edmond'' (film), a 2005 film based on the 1982 play * ''E.d.M.O.N.D'', a 2013 EP by Edmond Leung * ''Edmond'', a 2016 pla ...

on the Square Marie-Louise, both in Brussels.

Autography

*''La question militaire'' (1928)

References

Bibliography

External links

Bernheim statue
at Brussels Remembers

at Iris Monument {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernheim, Louis 1861 births 1931 deaths Belgian Army generals of World War I People from Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Belgian Jews Jewish military personnel Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Legion of Honour Belgian people of French descent 19th-century Belgian military personnel

Biography

Autography

See also

References

Bibliography

External links