Ferdinand Foch Biography

Ferdinand Foch was a military theorist and a French soldier. He acted as an Allied Generalissimo (military rank of the highest degree) during the First Wold War. Inspired by the stories of the Napoleonic Wars during his childhood days, he decided to pursue a military career and joined the French Army. As an instructor at the Staff College, he became well-known for his in-depth analysis of the Franco-Prussian and Napoleonic campaigns and their importance in military operations. He was greatly influenced by the Clausewitzian philosophy in formulating his military doctrines. Later, he published his collection of lectures in the form of two books. Unfortunately, many of his contemporaries misunderstood his doctrines of military tactics. He played a significant part during the First World War. He achieved the rank of assistant Commander-in-Chief for his praiseworthy performance during the First Battle of Marne. As a reward for his skilled military tactics, King George V of the United Kingdom appointed him as an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Oder of the Bath. He faced criticism for his role during the Third Battle of Artois and the Battle of the Somme. Several historians often compared him to Napoleon and Caesar as a commander. Most of these historians criticize him for his costly offensive of 1914, in which the French Army failed to achieve success.