Marcel Jean Marie Alessandri (July 23, 1895 – December 23, 1968) was a

French army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

officer who served in the World War I, World War II, and the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...

. During World War II, he was stationed in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

where he ultimately assumed supreme command of the French forces in China, in addition to assuming responsibility for the administration of the French government in China. In the course of his military career he received the Croix de Guerre twelve times in addition to numerous other citations and commendations. __TOC__

Early life

Marcel Alessandri was born on July 23, 1895, in

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

, France. On July 1, 1914, Alessandri entered the

École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr The École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (, , abbr. ESM) is a French military academy, and is often referred to as Saint-Cyr (). It is located in Coëtquidan in Guer, Morbihan, Brittany. Its motto is ''Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre'', litera ...

where his education was shortly thereafter interrupted by the outbreak of the World War I.

First World War

On December 5, 1914, Alessandri was commissioned as a second lieutenant (''Sous-Lieutenant'') in the 39th Infantry Regiment. Alessandri was promoted to a full

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on the March 16, 1916. He was wounded in action on September 16, 1916. Alessandri later served with the 8th Infantry Regiment and the 123rd Infantry Regiment during the war. Lieutenant Alessandri received a temporary promotion to Captain on July 17, 1917. In the course of the First World War, Marcel Alessandri received twelve Croix de guerre 1914–1918 citations and was named a Chevallier of the Légion d'honneur.

Inter-war years

After the First World War and a second stint at école spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, Marcel Alessandri chose to enter the French Colonial Infantry and joined the 7th Colonial Infantry Regiment in

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

on September 16, 1919. Alessandri participated in the French campaigns in Morocco during this time and was awarded a Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures. He received a permanent commission as a Captain on March 20, 1920. Alessandri was assigned to the 21st Colonial Infantry Regiment in

on April 8, 1922. He later served in French West Africa and attended the French War College in 1928 before returning to Morocco in 1930. His posting in Morocco was follow by staff assignments back in France at the Colonial Forces Headquarters and as an instructor at the War College. On April 12, 1939, Alessandri returned to

World War II

During World War II, Colonel Alessandri was stationed in

. In 1940 following the

fall 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 German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Net ...

, the colony remained loyal to the

Vichy government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

. From 1940 to 1943, Colonel Alessandri was the commanding officer of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment until he was promoted to brigadier general on May 20, 1943. Following his promotion to brigadier general, Alessandri assumed command of the Western Red River Group (''Groupement Ouest du fleuve Rouge''). After the Japanese coup of March 9, 1945, General Alessandri led his remaining forces on a fighting retreat towards Chinese territory.

First Indochina War

On August 17, 1948, General Alessandri was appointed to the Command of the Ground Forces in the Far East (''commandement des forces terrestres en Extrême-Orient''). Later he would take command of the Operational Area of Tonkin. In early 1950, he led the largely successful pacification effort in the Red River Delta, cutting the Viet Minh's supply of rice nearly in half. He was removed from command of Tonkin following the disastrous Battle of Route Coloniale 4 and he returned to France on November 20, 1950.

Later life and legacy

On July 23, 1955, after reaching mandatory retirement age, Major General Marcel Alessandri retired and returned to France. By the end of his military career, Marcel Alessandri had received twelve separate Croix de Guerre citations, had been awarded the Grand Officer of Légion d'honneur, and numerous other foreign decorations. Alessandri died on December 26, 1968, in Paris, France.

Promotions

* Second Lieutenant December 5, 1914 *

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

March 9, 1916 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

July 5, 1917 * Chef de Battalion 1930 * Lieutenant-colonel March 17, 1936 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

March 25, 1941 * Brigadier General May 20, 1943 * Major General 1945

Awards and commendations

;France * Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour 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 ...

(1950); Chevalier (1916), Officer (1930), Commander (1945) * Medal of the Resistance (Official Gazette of 20 March 1948) * Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 *

Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...

* Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures * Colonial Medal with "Morocco" and "Indochine" clasps * Memorial Medal of the 1914–1918 War * Memorial Medal of the 1939–1945 war * Médaille Interalliée 1914–1918 * Memorial medal of the Indochina campaign ;Foreign * Commander of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite * Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia *

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...

of Cambodia * Medal of resistance in Laos * British

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 ...

(Honorary)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alessandri, Marcel 1895 births 1968 deaths People from Boulogne-sur-Mer French generals French military personnel of the First Indochina War Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia Officers of the French Foreign Legion Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Resistance Medal Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures Honorary companions of the Order of the Bath French military personnel of World War I French Army generals of World War II