314:
197:
133:
25:
371:
519:
all in a state of complete depression. No plan, no thought of a plan. Ready to be slaughtered. Defeated at the head without casualties... I lost my temper and shook
Billotte by the button of his tunic. The man is completely beaten." Ironside effectively took over the co-ordinating role from Billotte
539:
on 21 May, Weygand found
Billotte depressed and pessimistic, "heavily marked by the fatigues and anxieties of the past two weeks." After leaving this conference, Billotte was severely injured when his staff car was involved in an accident, and died after two days in a coma. The British general
491:
On 12 May
Billotte was given the task of co-ordinating the operations of the French, Belgian and British armies in Belgium. He lacked the staff and the experience for this task, and is reported to have burst into tears when informed of it. He failed to co-operate with the British commander,
313:
1636:
1651:
1631:
932:
1656:
926:
1606:
670:
1641:
500:. By 15 May Billotte's morale was "at rock bottom." After a meeting with Gort on 18 May, he remarked to a British officer: "I'm shattered and I can't do anything against these
818:
464:
broke out in
September 1939, Billotte was 64 and close to retirement, but he was appointed Commander in Chief of the 1st Army Group based in northern France adjacent to the
1616:
1671:
349:, where he was Commander-in-Chief from 1930 to 1932. He was promoted to general in 1927. In 1933 Billotte returned to France, where he served as a Member of the
1601:
920:
1661:
1646:
1666:
1029:
836:
553:
295:
381:
663:
848:
234:
1078:
1041:
1621:
1611:
884:
1035:
1126:
812:
1626:
656:
1090:
531:
Finally realising the threat posed by the rapid German advance from the
Ardennes towards the sea, the French commander-in-chief, General
484:, the German attack in Belgium was a feint designed to draw the Allied forces northwards, while the real German assault was aimed at the
512:
508:
1132:
725:
477:
108:
951:
350:
1383:
1180:
42:
1360:
1017:
1005:
493:
842:
439:
273:(10 February 1875 – 23 May 1940) was a French military officer, remembered chiefly for his central role in the failure of the
89:
743:
516:
396:
46:
1186:
1168:
737:
411:
61:
788:
878:
418:
68:
800:
707:
866:
679:
860:
35:
969:
957:
425:
75:
1401:
872:
1252:
1246:
1479:
1096:
896:
1413:
890:
1264:
1228:
993:
794:
713:
407:
57:
1306:
1355:
1288:
1276:
1270:
755:
521:
497:
473:
1545:
1503:
761:
731:
262:
1365:
1174:
1138:
1120:
1108:
1102:
1084:
987:
643:
224:
202:
1449:
1389:
1156:
824:
1533:
749:
1596:
1591:
1569:
1557:
1539:
1461:
782:
767:
1521:
1509:
1467:
1443:
1258:
1210:
914:
1527:
1515:
1497:
1431:
1330:
1162:
1150:
1023:
701:
541:
1563:
1491:
1473:
1114:
1011:
963:
488:
sector further south. Like all the Allied commanders, Billotte failed to discern the German plan.
1455:
1395:
1300:
1204:
1192:
1144:
902:
1234:
854:
830:
1240:
1222:
480:, attacking through Belgium into northern France, and then advance on Paris. According to the
432:
82:
1312:
1216:
719:
695:
346:
322:
278:
1294:
1282:
1066:
908:
806:
548:
501:
330:
1437:
544:(Gort's Chief of Staff) said: "With all respect, he's no loss to us in this emergency."
353:, President of the Consultative Committee for Colonial Defence and Military Governor of
1485:
532:
342:
338:
132:
1585:
1419:
1318:
1072:
1060:
999:
481:
1407:
1198:
469:
461:
334:
252:
561:
movement and had a distinguished military and political career in postwar France.
1425:
1336:
975:
558:
515:, to confer with Gort and Billotte. Ironside later wrote: "I found Billotte and
370:
302:
274:
244:
214:
24:
1551:
648:
472:
attacked on 10 May, Billotte's forces advanced into
Belgium under the agreed
776:
281:
in May 1940. He was killed in a car accident at the height of the battle.
981:
485:
305:
he served as a brigade commander and as an officer of the
General Staff.
160:
388:
465:
248:
184:
535:, ordered Billotte to withdraw his forces southwards. At a meeting in
507:
On 20 May the
British government, alarmed at the situation, sent the
164:
536:
525:
354:
333:. He served the rest of the 1920s and 1930s in colonial posts, in
318:
312:
180:
652:
329:
In 1919 and 1920 he was head of the French
Military Mission in
364:
18:
476:
plan, on the assumption that the
Germans would repeat their
392:
1637:
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
1374:
1346:
1051:
942:
686:
258:
240:
230:
220:
208:
190:
170:
147:
139:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1652:Grand Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
298:military academy in 1896 and joined the infantry.
1657:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
664:
8:
1632:École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni
1607:French Army personnel killed in World War II
528:in the hope of checking the German advance.
397:introducing citations to additional sources
1642:Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)
671:
657:
649:
120:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1617:French military personnel of the Rif War
387:Relevant discussion may be found on the
570:
1672:19th-century French military personnel
554:École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
7:
1602:French Army generals of World War II
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1662:Companions of the Order of the Bath
1647:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
509:Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1667:Recipients of the Virtuti Militari
478:invasion of Belgium in World War I
263:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
14:
879:Ambroise-François de Bournonville
773:Guillaume de Poitiers: 1478–14..
380:relies largely or entirely on a
369:
195:
131:
23:
1133:Catherine-Dominique de PĂ©rignon
34:needs additional citations for
1622:Road incident deaths in France
1612:French generals of World War I
952:Louis-Auguste-Augustin d'Affry
1:
1181:François Certain de Canrobert
496:, and the Belgian commander,
1375:Military governors of Paris
1361:Carl-Heinrich von StĂĽlpnagel
1347:Military governors of Paris
1052:Military governors of Paris
1018:Barthélemy Catherine Joubert
945:of the Armed Forces in Paris
294:Billotte graduated from the
1627:Military governors of Paris
1349:under the German occupation
1187:Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers
1169:Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers
1054:after the French Revolution
801:Antoine de La Rochefoucauld
680:Military governors of Paris
1688:
837:Charles-Emmanuel de Savoie
309:Interwar period: 1918–1939
1253:Paul-Vincent Faure-Biguet
1247:Georges-Auguste Florentin
970:Jacques-François de Menou
958:Jacques-François de Menou
708:Waléran III de Luxembourg
279:German invasion of France
130:
1097:Louis SĂ©bastien Grundler
1030:François Joseph Lefebvre
843:Jean-Francois de Faudoas
644:Generals of World War II
1414:Louis-Constant Morlière
891:Gabriel de Rochechouart
819:François de Montmorency
689:under the Ancien RĂ©gime
361:World War II: 1939–1940
235:French First Army Group
16:French military officer
1289:Michel-Joseph Maunoury
1277:Victor-Constant Michel
1271:Michel-Joseph Maunoury
1265:Jean-Baptiste Dalstein
1229:FĂ©lix-Gustave Saussier
933:Louis de Cossé-Brissac
921:Charles Louis d'Albert
873:François de L'Hospital
789:Gilbert de Montpensier
626:Julian Jackson, pg. 61
608:Julian Jackson, pg. 86
326:
290:World War I: 1914–1918
1366:Dietrich von Choltitz
1307:Charles Emile Moinier
1175:Bernard Pierre Magnan
1139:Nicolas-Joseph Maison
1121:Nicolas-Joseph Maison
1109:Pierre-Augustin Hulin
1103:Nicolas-Joseph Maison
1091:Louis de Rochechouart
1085:Pierre-Augustin Hulin
988:Jacques Maurice Hatry
927:Jean de Cossé-Brissac
897:Charles III de Créquy
714:Jean II de Luxembourg
316:
271:Gaston-Henri Billotte
203:French Third Republic
143:Gaston-Henri Billotte
125:Gaston-Henri Billotte
1006:Jean-François Moulin
795:Charles II d'Amboise
783:Antoine de Chabannes
768:Antoine de Chabannes
557:in 1926; joined the
551:also graduated from
393:improve this article
317:General Billotte in
43:improve this article
1546:Xavier de Zuchowicz
1504:Michel Fennebresque
1356:Otto von StĂĽlpnagel
1163:Nicolas Changarnier
1151:Pierre-Claude Pajol
1024:Jean-Antoine Marbot
943:General commanders
849:Charles II de Cossé
762:Charles de Gaucourt
756:Charles I d'Amboise
738:Jacques de Villiers
732:Philippe de Ternant
687:Governors of Paris
524:southwards towards
522:unsuccessful attack
351:Supreme War Council
1396:Paul Legentilhomme
1390:Marie-Pierre KĹ“nig
1301:Adolphe Guillaumat
1205:Paul de Ladmirault
1193:Louis-Jules Trochu
1157:Tiburce SĂ©bastiani
1145:Auguste de Marmont
1127:Hyacinthe Despinoy
1079:Jean-Andoche Junot
1042:Jean-Andoche Junot
982:Napoléon Bonaparte
861:Charles du Plessis
825:René de Villequier
579:The Fall of France
327:
1579:
1578:
1558:Hervé Charpentier
1450:Philippe de Camas
1223:Alphonse Lecointe
520:and organised an
494:General Lord Gort
468:border. When the
458:
457:
443:
408:"Gaston Billotte"
268:
267:
119:
118:
111:
93:
58:"Gaston Billotte"
1679:
1534:Pierre Costedoat
1480:Jacques de Barry
1384:Philippe Leclerc
1313:Pierre Berdoulat
1217:Justin Clinchant
885:Antoine d'Aumont
867:Hercule de Rohan
813:Charles de Cossé
750:Charles de Melun
744:Charles d'Artois
726:Jean de Villiers
720:Jean de La Baume
673:
666:
659:
650:
636:
633:
627:
624:
618:
615:
609:
606:
600:
597:
591:
588:
582:
577:Julian Jackson,
575:
453:
450:
444:
442:
401:
373:
365:
347:French Indochina
323:French Indochina
210:
201:
199:
198:
177:
158:10 February 1875
157:
155:
135:
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1687:
1686:
1682:
1681:
1680:
1678:
1677:
1676:
1582:
1581:
1580:
1575:
1570:Christophe Abad
1540:Marcel Valentin
1462:Bernard Usureau
1376:
1370:
1348:
1342:
1325:Gaston Billotte
1295:Augustin Dubail
1283:Joseph Gallieni
1235:Émile Zurlinden
1067:Louis Bonaparte
1053:
1047:
1036:Édouard Mortier
994:Pierre Augereau
944:
938:
807:Paul de Thermes
777:Louis d'Orléans
696:Louis I d'Anjou
688:
682:
677:
640:
639:
635:Jackson, pg. 88
634:
630:
625:
621:
617:Jackson, pg. 86
616:
612:
607:
603:
599:Jackson, pg. 86
598:
594:
590:Jackson, pg. 85
589:
585:
576:
572:
567:
549:Pierre Billotte
547:Billotte's son
513:Edmund Ironside
454:
448:
445:
402:
400:
386:
374:
363:
311:
292:
287:
285:Military career
251:
247:
225:Général d'Armée
196:
194:
179:
175:
159:
153:
151:
126:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1685:
1683:
1675:
1674:
1669:
1664:
1659:
1654:
1649:
1644:
1639:
1634:
1629:
1624:
1619:
1614:
1609:
1604:
1599:
1594:
1584:
1583:
1577:
1576:
1574:
1573:
1567:
1561:
1555:
1549:
1543:
1537:
1531:
1525:
1522:Michel Guignon
1519:
1513:
1510:Hervé Navereau
1507:
1501:
1495:
1489:
1486:Jeannou Lacaze
1483:
1477:
1471:
1468:Philippe Clave
1465:
1459:
1453:
1447:
1444:Louis Dodelier
1441:
1435:
1429:
1423:
1417:
1411:
1405:
1399:
1393:
1387:
1380:
1378:
1372:
1371:
1369:
1368:
1363:
1358:
1352:
1350:
1344:
1343:
1341:
1340:
1334:
1328:
1322:
1316:
1310:
1304:
1298:
1292:
1286:
1280:
1274:
1268:
1262:
1259:Jean Dessirier
1256:
1250:
1244:
1241:Joseph Brugère
1238:
1232:
1226:
1220:
1214:
1211:Édouard Aymard
1208:
1202:
1196:
1190:
1184:
1178:
1172:
1166:
1160:
1154:
1148:
1142:
1136:
1130:
1124:
1118:
1112:
1106:
1100:
1094:
1088:
1082:
1076:
1070:
1064:
1057:
1055:
1049:
1048:
1046:
1045:
1039:
1033:
1027:
1021:
1015:
1009:
1003:
997:
991:
985:
979:
976:Paul de Barras
973:
967:
961:
955:
948:
946:
940:
939:
937:
936:
930:
924:
918:
915:Bernard Potier
912:
909:Duc de Tresmes
906:
900:
894:
888:
882:
876:
870:
864:
858:
852:
846:
840:
834:
828:
822:
816:
810:
804:
798:
792:
786:
780:
774:
771:
765:
759:
753:
747:
741:
735:
729:
723:
717:
711:
705:
702:Jean ade Berry
699:
692:
690:
684:
683:
678:
676:
675:
668:
661:
653:
647:
646:
638:
637:
628:
619:
610:
601:
592:
583:
569:
568:
566:
563:
533:Maxime Weygand
456:
455:
391:. Please help
377:
375:
368:
362:
359:
343:French Morocco
339:French Tunisia
310:
307:
291:
288:
286:
283:
277:to defeat the
266:
265:
260:
256:
255:
242:
238:
237:
232:
228:
227:
222:
218:
217:
212:
206:
205:
192:
188:
187:
178:(aged 65)
172:
168:
167:
149:
145:
144:
141:
137:
136:
128:
127:
124:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1684:
1673:
1670:
1668:
1665:
1663:
1660:
1658:
1655:
1653:
1650:
1648:
1645:
1643:
1640:
1638:
1635:
1633:
1630:
1628:
1625:
1623:
1620:
1618:
1615:
1613:
1610:
1608:
1605:
1603:
1600:
1598:
1595:
1593:
1590:
1589:
1587:
1571:
1568:
1565:
1562:
1559:
1556:
1553:
1550:
1547:
1544:
1541:
1538:
1535:
1532:
1529:
1528:Michel Billot
1526:
1523:
1520:
1517:
1516:Daniel Valéry
1514:
1511:
1508:
1505:
1502:
1499:
1498:Alban Barthez
1496:
1493:
1490:
1487:
1484:
1481:
1478:
1475:
1472:
1469:
1466:
1463:
1460:
1457:
1454:
1451:
1448:
1445:
1442:
1439:
1436:
1433:
1432:Maurice Gazin
1430:
1427:
1424:
1421:
1420:Pierre Garbay
1418:
1415:
1412:
1409:
1406:
1403:
1402:René Chouteau
1400:
1397:
1394:
1391:
1388:
1385:
1382:
1381:
1379:
1373:
1367:
1364:
1362:
1359:
1357:
1354:
1353:
1351:
1345:
1338:
1335:
1332:
1331:Pierre HĂ©ring
1329:
1326:
1323:
1320:
1319:Henri Gouraud
1317:
1314:
1311:
1308:
1305:
1302:
1299:
1296:
1293:
1290:
1287:
1284:
1281:
1278:
1275:
1272:
1269:
1266:
1263:
1260:
1257:
1254:
1251:
1248:
1245:
1242:
1239:
1236:
1233:
1230:
1227:
1224:
1221:
1218:
1215:
1212:
1209:
1206:
1203:
1200:
1197:
1194:
1191:
1188:
1185:
1182:
1179:
1176:
1173:
1170:
1167:
1164:
1161:
1158:
1155:
1152:
1149:
1146:
1143:
1140:
1137:
1134:
1131:
1128:
1125:
1122:
1119:
1116:
1115:André Masséna
1113:
1110:
1107:
1104:
1101:
1098:
1095:
1092:
1089:
1086:
1083:
1080:
1077:
1074:
1073:Joachim Murat
1071:
1068:
1065:
1062:
1061:Joachim Murat
1059:
1058:
1056:
1050:
1043:
1040:
1037:
1034:
1031:
1028:
1025:
1022:
1019:
1016:
1013:
1010:
1007:
1004:
1001:
1000:Louis Lemoine
998:
995:
992:
989:
986:
983:
980:
977:
974:
971:
968:
965:
962:
959:
956:
953:
950:
949:
947:
941:
934:
931:
928:
925:
922:
919:
916:
913:
910:
907:
904:
901:
898:
895:
892:
889:
886:
883:
880:
877:
874:
871:
868:
865:
862:
859:
856:
853:
850:
847:
844:
841:
838:
835:
832:
829:
826:
823:
820:
817:
814:
811:
808:
805:
802:
799:
796:
793:
790:
787:
784:
781:
778:
775:
772:
769:
766:
763:
760:
757:
754:
751:
748:
745:
742:
739:
736:
733:
730:
727:
724:
721:
718:
715:
712:
709:
706:
703:
700:
697:
694:
693:
691:
685:
681:
674:
669:
667:
662:
660:
655:
654:
651:
645:
642:
641:
632:
629:
623:
620:
614:
611:
605:
602:
596:
593:
587:
584:
581:, Oxford 2003
580:
574:
571:
564:
562:
560:
556:
555:
550:
545:
543:
542:Henry Pownall
538:
534:
529:
527:
523:
518:
514:
510:
505:
503:
499:
495:
489:
487:
483:
482:Manstein Plan
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
452:
441:
438:
434:
431:
427:
424:
420:
417:
413:
410: –
409:
405:
404:Find sources:
398:
394:
390:
384:
383:
382:single source
378:This section
376:
372:
367:
366:
360:
358:
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
324:
320:
315:
308:
306:
304:
299:
297:
289:
284:
282:
280:
276:
272:
264:
261:
257:
254:
250:
246:
243:
239:
236:
233:
229:
226:
223:
219:
216:
213:
207:
204:
193:
189:
186:
182:
173:
169:
166:
162:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
129:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1564:Bruno Le Ray
1492:Roger PĂ©rier
1474:Jean Favreau
1438:André Demetz
1408:Henri Zeller
1324:
1199:Joseph Vinoy
1012:Joseph Gilot
964:Jean Thierry
855:François d'O
831:François d'O
631:
622:
613:
604:
595:
586:
578:
573:
552:
546:
530:
506:
498:King Leopold
490:
462:World War II
459:
446:
436:
429:
422:
415:
403:
379:
335:French Syria
328:
300:
293:
270:
269:
253:World War II
241:Battles/wars
176:(1940-05-23)
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1597:1940 deaths
1592:1875 births
1566:: 2015–2020
1560:: 2012–2015
1554:: 2007–2012
1548:: 2005–2007
1542:: 2002–2005
1536:: 2000–2002
1530:: 1996–2000
1524:: 1992–1996
1518:: 1991–1992
1512:: 1987–1991
1506:: 1984–1987
1500:: 1982–1984
1494:: 1981–1982
1488:: 1980–1981
1482:: 1977–1980
1476:: 1975–1977
1470:: 1974–1975
1464:: 1971–1974
1458:: 1968–1971
1456:André Meltz
1452:: 1965–1968
1446:: 1962–1965
1440:: 1960–1962
1428:: 1959–1960
1426:Raoul Salan
1422:: 1958–1959
1416:: 1957–1958
1410:: 1953–1957
1404:: 1947–1953
1398:: 1945–1947
1392:: 1944–1945
1337:Henri Dentz
1333:: 1939–1940
1327:: 1937–1939
1321:: 1923–1937
1315:: 1919–1923
1309:: 1918–1919
1297:: 1916–1918
1291:: 1915–1916
1285:: 1914–1915
1279:: 1912–1914
1273:: 1910–1912
1267:: 1906–1910
1261:: 1903–1906
1255:: 1901–1903
1249:: 1900–1901
1243:: 1899–1900
1237:: 1898–1899
1231:: 1884–1898
1225:: 1882–1884
1219:: 1880–1881
1213:: 1878–1880
1207:: 1871–1878
1195:: 1870–1871
1183:: 1865–1870
1177:: 1851–1865
1165:: 1848–1851
1159:: 1842–1848
1153:: 1830–1842
1147:: 1821–1830
1141:: 1819–1821
1135:: 1816–1818
1129:: 1815–1816
1117:: July 1815
1099:: 1814–1815
1087:: 1807–1814
1081:: 1806–1807
1069:: 1805–1806
1063:: 1804–1805
1044:: 1803–1804
1038:: 1800–1803
1032:: 1799–1800
1014:: 1798–1799
1008:: 1797–1798
990:: 1796–1797
984:: 1795–1796
966:: 1794–1795
960:: 1792–1794
954:: 1791–1792
935:: 1780–1791
929:: 1771–1780
923:: 1757–1771
917:: 1739–1757
911:: 1704–1739
905:: 1687–1704
903:LĂ©on Potier
899:: 1676–1687
893:: 1669–1675
887:: 1662–1669
881:: 1657–1662
875:: 1648–1657
869:: 1643–16..
845:: 1590–1594
839:: 1589–1590
833:: 158.–1589
821:: 15..–1572
815:: 1562–1563
809:: 1559–1562
803:: 15..–15..
797:: 1493–1496
791:: 14..–1494
785:: 1485–1488
779:: 1483–1485
770:: 1472–147.
764:: 14..–1472
758:: 1467–1470
752:: 1465–1467
734:: 14..–14..
728:: 1429–14..
722:: 1422–142.
716:: 1418–1420
710:: 1411–1413
698:: 1356–1357
559:Free French
449:August 2020
303:World War I
275:French Army
245:World War I
215:French Army
174:23 May 1940
99:August 2020
1586:Categories
1552:Bruno Dary
1377:since 1944
565:References
511:, General
419:newspapers
191:Allegiance
154:1875-02-10
140:Birth name
69:newspapers
517:Blanchard
389:talk page
296:Saint-Cyr
486:Ardennes
231:Commands
209:Service/
161:Sommeval
502:Panzers
470:Germans
466:Belgian
433:scholar
325:, 1930.
249:Rif War
185:Belgium
83:scholar
1572:: 2020
1434:: 1960
1386:: 1944
1339:: 1940
1303:: 1918
1201:: 1871
1189:: 1870
1171:: 1851
1123:: 1815
1111:: 1815
1105:: 1815
1093:: 1814
1075:: 1806
1026:: 1799
1020:: 1799
1002:: 1797
996:: 1797
978:: 1795
972:: 1795
863:: 1616
857:: 1594
851:: 1594
827:: 1580
746:: 1465
740:: 1461
704:: 1411
474:Allied
435:
428:
421:
414:
406:
331:Poland
259:Awards
211:branch
200:
165:France
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
537:Ypres
526:Arras
460:When
440:JSTOR
426:books
355:Paris
319:Hanoi
181:Ypres
90:JSTOR
76:books
412:news
345:and
221:Rank
171:Died
148:Born
62:news
504:."
395:by
301:In
45:by
1588::
357:.
341:,
337:,
321:,
183:,
163:,
672:e
665:t
658:v
451:)
447:(
437:·
430:·
423:·
416:·
399:.
385:.
156:)
152:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.