Alphonse Juin

Alphonse Juin, born on December sixteenth, eighteen eighty-eight, was a distinguished French Army officer whose military career spanned both World Wars. A graduate of the prestigious École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in the class of nineteen twelve, Juin began his service in Morocco in nineteen fourteen, commanding native troops. His valor was evident during the First World War, where he was gravely wounded on the Western Front in nineteen fifteen, resulting in the loss of the use of his right arm.

After the war, Juin furthered his military education at the École Supérieure de Guerre and returned to North Africa. With the onset of the Second World War in September nineteen thirty-nine, he took command of the 15th Motorized Infantry Division. Unfortunately, his division was encircled during the Battle of France, leading to his capture by German forces. He remained a prisoner of war until nineteen forty-one, when he was released by the Vichy Government, which subsequently assigned him to lead French forces in North Africa.

In November nineteen forty-two, following the Allied invasion of Algeria and Morocco, Juin made a pivotal decision to defect to the Allies. He commanded French forces in Tunisia, directing them to resist the German and Italian advances. His expertise in mountain warfare proved invaluable during the Italian campaign, particularly in breaking the Gustav Line, which had stalled the Allied progress for six months.

After his successful military engagements, Juin served as Chief of the Defence Staff and represented France at the San Francisco Conference. In nineteen forty-seven, he returned to Africa as the Resident-General of France in Morocco, where he opposed the growing independence movement. His career continued to flourish as he was appointed to a senior NATO position, commanding CENTAG until nineteen fifty-six. In nineteen fifty-two, he was promoted to Marshal of France, yet he remained a staunch opponent of Charles De Gaulle's decision to grant independence to Algeria. Ultimately, Juin was retired in nineteen sixty-two and became the last living Marshal of France until his death in Paris in nineteen sixty-seven, where he was laid to rest in Les Invalides.