Auguste Dubail

Auguste Yvon Edmond Dubail (15 April 1851 - 7 January 1934) was a French Army general. He commanded the First Army and Army Group East during World War I.

Biography

When the war broke out Dubail was given command of the First Army, which would start the invasion of Germany by taking Lorraine together with de Castelnau’s Second Army. The armies met strong German resistance and were repulsed out of Lorraine with heavy casualties. They were able to reform and defend the Frances border against a German attack

In 1915 he was promoted to commander of Army Group East on the Western Front, around Belfort and Verdun. He became convinced that a major German offensive was coming against Verdun. He called for reinforcements and heavy artillery for the Verdun sector, but the French commander-in-chief, Joseph Joffre, wasn’t convinced that an attack was imminent.

When the German offensive began at Verdun, Joffre partly blamed Dubail, who was dismissed in March 1916, publicly humiliated. He claimed to have been made a scapegoat for Joffre’s lack of foresight, although he had himself public played down the likelihood of a German attack at Verdun.

Dubail became military governor of Paris, a position he kept until the spring 1918, when he retired from public life. He died 1934.

Decorations

*Légion d'honneur
**Knight (24 June 1886)
**Officer (11 July 1900)
**Commander (30 December 1905)
**Grand Officer (30 December 1911)
**Grand Cross (18 September 1914)
*Médaille militaire (8 October 1915)
*Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with 1 palm
*Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire
*Médaille Commémorative de la Guerre 70-71
*Médaille Commémorative de la Grande Guerre
*Croix de guerre (Belgian)
*Distinguished Service Medal (US)
*Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (UK)
*Officer of Nichan Iftikhar (Tunisia)