Chief of the Defence Staff (France)
Chief of the Defence Staff
Chef d'État-Major des Armées | |
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Style | Monsieur le Chef d'État-Major des Armées |
Type | Head of a military staff |
Abbreviation | CEMA |
Member of | Chiefs of Staff Committee |
Reports to | Minister of the Armies |
Seat | Hexagone Balard, Paris, France |
Nominator | Minister of the Armies |
Appointer | The President with the countersignature of the Prime Minister |
Term length | No fixed term |
Constituting instrument | Decree 1982-38[2] Decree 2005-520[3] Decree 2009-869[4] Decree 2013-816[5] |
Formation | 28 April 1948[6] |
First holder | Charles Léchères |
Deputy | Major General of the Armed Forces |
Website | www.defense.gouv.fr |
The Chief of the Defence Staff (French: (C)hef d'(É)tat-(M)ajor des (A)rmées, acronym: C.E.M.A. lit. Chief of Staff of the Armies) is the chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies of the French Republic and leading senior military officer responsible for usage of the French Armed Forces, ensuring the commandment of all military operations (under reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence).
The position is currently held by Général François Lecointre.
History[edit]
Commander-in-Chief of the Armies[edit]
While non official, the term Generalissimo or « (French: Généralissime) » was employed since 1914 to designate the individual who in reality was Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the North and North-East « (French: Commandant en Chef des Armées du Nord et du Nord-Est) ». The term would be made official in 1915 when Joffre was also given command over the Salonika front (a degree of authority not enjoyed by his successors). The rank and post was successively occupied by three generals during World War I: Joseph Joffre, who occupied the rank and functions from August 1914 without bearing the official title, then Robert Nivelle and Philippe Pétain.
Général Ferdinand Foch was the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Zone under Joseph Joffre in autumn 1914; this role later crystallised into command of French Army Group North, a position which Foch held until December 1916. Subsequently, Foch became Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front with the title Généralissime in 1918 then was designated as « Commandant en Chef des Armées Alliées » (English:Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces) starting 14 May 1918.[7] Foch was promoted to Marshal of France prior the planning of the offensive that led to the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Following the armistice, Marshal Ferdinand Foch was elevated to the dignity of the Marshal of Great Britain and Poland.
Chief of Staff of National Defence[edit]
Toward the end of the Second World War, Charles de Gaulle who was Commander-in-Chief of the Free French Forces was assisted by a Staff of National Defence. It was headed by a Chief of Staff who had authority over all armed forces. This was the first time that a joint staff of the French armed forces was created.[8]
However the Chiefs of the Army, of the Navy and of the Air Force were opposed to this office after the war as they fear they would lose their independence of action.[8] This opposition was eventually hushed up and the position of Chief of Staff of the Armies (under various other names until 1962) was created on 28 April 1948.[6]
Functions[edit]
Responsibilities[edit]
The CEMA assists the Minister of the Armies in its capacity attributions to make use of the various required forces and their general organisation. They are consulted on direction to be given to planning and programming work and may be charged by the Minister with any study concerning the armies. The Chief of Staff is responsible for coordinating the requirements of the forces in support of joint services. The CEMA, in virtue of decree dispositions of 15 July 2009, under the authority of the President of the French Republic, the French government, and under the reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence, is responsible for the use of forces and commandment of all military operations. The CEMA is the military counselor of the government.
They bring together the proposals of the Delegate General of Armaments (DGA), the Chiefs of Staff of each army, and the directors of joint services in the areas of planning and programming. After consulting the DGA on technical and industrial possibilities, they shall report to the Minister on all the work and shall propose to them the measures necessary to ensure their consistency with regard to employment and their accounting with the foreseeable financial resources, as assessed by the Secretary General for Administration (SGA), and present a draft decision.
Their responsibilities consist of:
- The conduct of operations : plans of use, general articulation of forces, distribution of operational means between theatre commanders (over whom he has full authority)
- The joint service organizations and the general organization of the armed forces: oversees the coherence of the armed forces organisation
- The expression of the need in material of human resources of the armed forces, the joint institutions, and the definition of the ensemble format of the armed forces. Planning and programming of military capacities. Oversees in effect of coherence in means of the armed forces and participates to the preparation and various executions of associated military and defence budgets.
- The preparation and condition assignments of recruiting in the armed forces: is in check of forces aptitude in missions completion and has a permanent right of inspection over these forces.
- Support of the armed forces: determines the general organizations and objectives, assures the operational maintenance in condition of all equipments and determines the joint needs of various material infrastructures and that of the armed forces while verifying status of operability)
- The intelligence assessment of military interest: ensures the general research direction and exploitation of the military intelligence
- International military relations: directs French foreign military missions in foreign theatres, organizes the participation of the armed forces in regards to military cooperations, following international mandated negotiations and represents France at the various military committees of international organizations.
Authority[edit]
The Chief of Staff of the Armies has authority over the:
- Chief of Staff of the Army (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de Terre, CEMAT)
- Chief of Staff of the Air Force (French: Chef d'État-Major de l'Armée de l'Air, CEMAA)
- Chief of Staff of the Navy (French: Chef d'État-Major de la Marine, CEMM)
These four Chiefs constitute the Chiefs of Staff Committee, chaired by the Minister. The CEMA is assisted by a Major General of the Armies (French: Major Général des Armées), a senior ranked officer of the French Armed Forces, who will deputize if needed.
Additionally, directly under the CEMA authority are :
- the Staff of the Armies (État-Major des Armées, EMA)
- the Inspectorate of the Armies (Inspection des Armées, IDA)
- the superior commanders in the overseas departments, the commanders in foreign areas (COMSUP and COMFOR), the general officers of the defence and security areas (OGZDS) and the departmental military delegates (DMD)
- Joint service institutions:
- Directorate of Military Intelligence (Direction du Renseignement Militaire, DRM)
- Special Operations Command (Commandement des Opérations Spéciales, COS)
- Joint Defence Staff of Strength and Training (État-Major Interarmées de Force et d'Entraînement, EMIA-FE)
- Central Directorate of the Health Service of the Armies (Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées, DCSSA)
- Central Directorate of the Fuel Service of the Armies (Direction Centrale du Service des Essences des Armées, DCSEA)
- Joint Directorate of Infrastructure Networks and Information Systems (Direction Interarmées des Réseaux d'Infrastructures et des Systèmes d'Information, DIRISI)
- Central Directorate of the Service of the Commission of the Armies (Direction Centrale du Service du Commissariat des Armées, DCSCA)
- Joint Ammunitions Service (Service Interarmées des Munitions, SIMu)
- Directorate of Superior Military Education (Direction de l'Enseignement Militaire Supérieur, DEMS)
List of office holders[edit]
Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies[edit]
Portrait | Name (Born-Died) |
Term | Branch | Minister | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Duration | ||||||
![]() |
Général de division Ferdinand Foch |
28 March 1918 | 10 January 1920 | 1 year, 15 days | ![]() Army |
Georges Clemenceau | Raymond Poincaré | – |
List of Chiefs of Staff of National Defence[edit]
No. | Portrait | Name (Born-Died) |
Term | Branch | Minister | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Duration | |||||||
– | Général d'armée Antoine Béthouart |
? November 1943 | 13 August 1944 | 286 days | ![]() Army |
André Diethelm | Charles de Gaulle | [9] | |
– | ![]() |
Général d'armée Alphonse Juin |
13 August 1944 | 15 May 1947 | 2 years, 275 days | ![]() Army |
André Diethelm Edmond Michelet |
Charles de Gaulle Félix Gouin Georges Bidault Vincent Auriol |
[10] |
List of Chiefs of Staff of the Armies[edit]
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Branch | Minister | Commander-in-Chief | Ref.[a] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Duration | |||||||
Office established – 28 April 1948[11] | |||||||||
President of the Committee of the Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Armed Forces (1948 – 1950) | |||||||||
1 | ![]() |
Général de corps aérien Charles Léchères |
29 April 1948 | 1 April 1950 | 1 year, 337 days | ![]() Air Force |
Pierre-Henri Teitgen René Mayer Paul Ramadier René Pleven |
Vincent Auriol | [12] - |
President of the Committee of the Chiefs of the Combined Staff of the Armed Forces (1950 – 1953) | |||||||||
(1) | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne Charles Léchères |
1 April 1950 | 20 August 1952 | 2 years, 141 days | ![]() Air Force |
René Pleven Jules Moch Georges Bidault René Pleven |
Vincent Auriol | [13] - |
2 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Alphonse Juin |
20 August 1952 | 19 August 1953 | 364 days | ![]() Army |
René Pleven | Vincent Auriol | - - |
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (1953 – 1958) | |||||||||
3 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Paul Ély |
19 August 1953 | 4 June 1954 | 289 days | ![]() Army |
René Pleven Marie-Pierre Kœnig |
Vincent Auriol René Coty |
[14] [15] |
4 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Augustin Guillaume |
4 June 1954 | 2 March 1956 | 1 year, 272 days | ![]() Army |
Marie-Pierre Kœnig Emmanuel Temple Jacques Chevallier Marie-Pierre Kœnig Pierre Billotte Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury |
René Coty | [16] - |
5 | ![]() |
Généra d'armée Paul Ély |
2 March 1956 | 18 May 1958 | 2 years, 77 days | ![]() Army |
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury André Morice Jacques Chaban-Delmas Pierre de Chevigné |
René Coty | [17] - |
Chief of the General Staff of the Armies (1958 – 1961) | |||||||||
6 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Henri Lorillot |
18 May 1958 | 10 June 1958 | 23 days | ![]() Army |
Pierre de Chevigné Charles de Gaulle |
René Coty | [18] - |
7 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Paul Ély |
10 June 1958 | 26 February 1959 | 261 days | ![]() Army |
Charles de Gaulle Pierre Guillaumat |
René Coty Charles de Gaulle |
[19] - |
8 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Gaston Lavaud |
26 February 1959 | 12 April 1961 | 2 years, 45 days | ![]() Army |
Pierre Guillaumat Pierre Messmer |
Charles de Gaulle | [20] - |
Chief of the Joint Staff (1961 – 1962) | |||||||||
9 | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne André Martin |
12 April 1961 | 19 July 1962 | 1 year, 98 days | ![]() Air Force |
Pierre Messmer | Charles de Gaulle | [21] - |
Chief of the Defence Staff (1962 – present) | |||||||||
10 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Charles Ailleret |
19 July 1962 | 30 March 1968 | 5 years, 255 days | ![]() Army |
Pierre Messmer | Charles de Gaulle | [22] - |
11 | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne Michel Fourquet |
30 March 1968 | 9 June 1971 | 3 years, 72 days | ![]() Air Force |
Pierre Messmer Michel Debré |
Charles de Gaulle Georges Pompidou |
[23] - |
12 | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne François Maurin |
9 June 1971 | 1 July 1975 | 4 years, 22 days | ![]() Air Force |
Michel Debré Robert Galley Jacques Soufflet Yvon Bourges |
Georges Pompidou Valéry Giscard d'Estaing |
[24] - |
13 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Guy Méry |
1 July 1975 | 20 July 1980 | 5 years, 19 days | ![]() Army |
Yvon Bourges | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | [25] - |
14 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Claude Vanbremeersch |
20 July 1980 | 1 February 1981 | 196 days | ![]() Army |
Yvon Bourges Joël Le Theule Robert Galley |
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | [26] [27] |
15 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Jeannou Lacaze |
1 February 1981 | 1 August 1985 | 4 years, 181 days | ![]() Army |
Robert Galley Charles Hernu |
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing François Mitterrand |
[28] [29] |
16 | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne Jean Saulnier |
1 August 1985 | 16 November 1987 | 2 years, 107 days | ![]() Air Force |
Charles Hernu Paul Quilès André Giraud |
François Mitterrand | [30] [31] |
17 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Maurice Schmitt |
16 November 1987 | 24 April 1991 | 3 years, 159 days | ![]() Army |
André Giraud Jean-Pierre Chevènement Pierre Joxe |
François Mitterrand | [32] [33] |
18 | ![]() |
Amiral Jacques Lanxade |
24 April 1991 | 9 September 1995 | 4 years, 138 days | ![]() Navy |
Pierre Joxe François Léotard Charles Millon |
François Mitterrand Jacques Chirac |
[34] [35] |
19 | ![]() |
Général d'armée aérienne Jean-Philippe Douin |
9 September 1995 | 9 April 1998 | 2 years, 212 days | ![]() Air Force |
Charles Millon Alain Richard |
Jacques Chirac | [36] [37] |
20 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Jean-Pierre Kelche |
9 April 1998 | 30 October 2002 | 4 years, 204 days | ![]() Army |
Alain Richard Michèle Alliot-Marie |
Jacques Chirac | [38] [39] |
21 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Henri Bentégeat |
30 October 2002 | 4 October 2006 | 3 years, 339 days | ![]() Army |
Michèle Alliot-Marie | Jacques Chirac | [40] [41] |
22 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Jean-Louis Georgelin |
4 October 2006 | 25 February 2010 | 3 years, 144 days | ![]() Army |
Michèle Alliot-Marie Hervé Morin |
Jacques Chirac Nicolas Sarkozy |
[42] [43] |
23 | ![]() |
Amiral Édouard Guillaud |
25 February 2010 | 15 February 2014 | 3 years, 355 days | ![]() Navy |
Hervé Morin Alain Juppé Gérard Longuet Jean-Yves Le Drian |
Nicolas Sarkozy François Hollande |
[44] [45] |
24 | ![]() |
Général d'armée Pierre de Villiers |
15 February 2014 | 20 July 2017 | 3 years, 155 days | ![]() Army |
Jean-Yves Le Drian Sylvie Goulard Florence Parly |
François Hollande Emmanuel Macron |
[46] [47] |
25 | ![]() |
Général d'armée François Lecointre |
20 July 2017 | Incumbent | 2 years, 140 days | ![]() Army |
Florence Parly | Emmanuel Macron | [48] [49] |
See also[edit]
- List of aircraft carriers of France
- Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic
- Head of the Prime Minister's military cabinet
- Head of the Minister of Defence's military cabinet
- Direction générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale
Notes[edit]
- ^ The upper reference is the official decree in French, while the lower one is a source in English.
References[edit]
- ^ Government of the French Republic (19 July 2017). "Décret du 19 juillet 2017 portant affectation et élévation d'un officier général". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (8 February 1982). "Décret n°82-138 du 8 février 1982 fixant les attributions des chefs d'état-major". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (21 May 2005). "Décret n° 2005-520 du 21 mai 2005 fixant les attributions des chefs d'état-major". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (15 July 2009). "Décret n° 2009-869 du 15 juillet 2009 relatif aux attributions du ministre de la défense, du chef d'état-major des armées et des chefs d'état-major de l'armée de terre, de la marine et de l'armée de l'air". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (12 September 2013). "Décret n° 2013-816 du 12 septembre 2013 relatif aux attributions du ministre de la défense et du chef d'état-major des armées". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ a b Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Décret du 28 avril 1948 portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées". gallica.bnf.fr. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Lexique des termes employés en 1914-1918
- ^ a b Philippe Vial (May 2007). "The origins of the CEMA". Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Paul W. Ward (5 July 1944). "De Gaulle Visit To Cover 5 Days". The Sun. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (12 August 1944). "Décret du 12 août 1944 portant nomination du chef d'état-major de la défense nationale". gallica.bnf.fr. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Décret du 28 avril 1948 portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Décret du 28 avril 1948 portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de l'air". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (1 April 1950). "Décret relatif à la réorganisation de la défense nationale". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (18 August 1953). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Bruce Frankum, Ronald (2007). Operation Passage to Freedom: the United States Navy in Vietnam, 1954–1955. Texas Tech University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-89672-608-6. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (8 June 1954). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (1 March 1956). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (17 May 1958). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (9 June 1959). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (25 February 1959). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (11 April 1961). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de l'air". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (18 July 1962). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (29 March 1968). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de l'air". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (31 March 1971). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de l'air". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (10 June 1975). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (11 July 1980). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ AP (11 February 1981). "Gen. Claude Vanbremeersch, 60, Retired Chief of Staff for France". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (31 January 1981). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Steven Rattner (20 August 1982). "300 Legionnaires given send-off for Beirut". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (28 May 1985). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de l'air". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "French Pick Military Chief". The Los Angeles Times. 23 May 1985. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (9 November 1987). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Eric Pace (25 July 1991). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (8 April 1991). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de la marine". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Craig R. Whitney (14 June 1995). "France Planning Nuclear Tests Despite Opposition, Chirac Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (3 August 1995). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Christine Spolar (13 December 1995). "Serbs release two French pilots help 1/2 months". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (4 March 1998). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "NATO to adopt more aggressive air strike tactics". The Irish Times. 9 April 1999. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (12 September 2002). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "General Bentegeat Visits French Forces in Kosovo". NATO. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (31 August 2006). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Crispian Balmer (11 April 2008). "French commandos swoop after pirates free hostages". Reuters. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (1 February 2010). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Mali conflict: French 'fighting Islamists in Diabaly'". BBC. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (16 January 2014). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Jim Garamone (13 July 2017). "Dunford Receives French Legion of Honor". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (19 July 2017). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général de l'armée de terre". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Macron names François Lecointre new armed forces chief". France 24. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2019.