These checks, following on rash promises and high hopes, had alarmed public opinion. A campaign was conducted against the commander-in-chief, on the one hand by the friends of Gen. Gallieni, who accused general headquarters of having stolen the glory of the Marne; and on the other by the yet more powerful friends of Gen. Sarrail, whom Gen. Joffre had relieved of his command in July 1915. They reproached general headquarters for their blind confidence in 1914. They accused Joffre of re jecting all superior authority and organizing a regular government at Chantilly. So long as Millerand was minister for war he pro tected the commander-in-chief. But Millerand was replaced on Oct. 3o, 1915, by Gen. Gallieni, Joffre had served under the latter at Madagascar, and Gallieni had suggested Joffre to Messimy in 1911 for the post of chief of general staff. But at the beginning of the War, Gallieni, although designated successor to Joffre, had been left as military governor of Paris instead of being called to general headquarters. Then came the battle of the Marne, followed by rivalry, if not between the two com manders, at least among their general staffs. On Dec 3, 1915, however, Gen. Joffre received, instead of the simple command of the north and north-east, the supreme command of all the French armies, an appointment which put under his authority the Army of the Orient, commanded by none other than Gen. Sarrail. But trouble was not slow in arising. On Dec. 16 the minister for war demanded information on the state of the de fences before Verdun. On the 18th he received a stiff reply from Gen. Joffre, who offered to resign. Gallieni answered on the 22nd that Joffre enjoyed the complete confidence of the Government. Nevertheless, two months later, on Feb. 21, 1916, the Germans attacked in front of Verdun, and the defences, which were in complete, were forced in as far as the line of forts, to a depth of 8km. in four days. On March 7 Gallieni read to the council of ministers a memorandum pointing out the necessity of ref orm ing the high command. His advice was not accepted; he was also ill; he therefore resigned, and was replaced on March 17 by General Rocques.
The new minister was a personal friend of Gen. Joffre. Never theless, the campaign against him lasted throughout 1916 This was partly due to the apparently indecisive result of the great Allied battle on the Somme, and the personal quarrel between Sarrail and Joffre continued. Finally, Gen. Nivelle, commander of
the 2nd Army operating bef ore Verdun, having retaken the fort of Douaumont, appeared as a possible successor to Joffre. A decree of Dec. 13, 1916, conferred on Joffre the title of technical adviser to the Government in matters concerning the direction of the War. He continued to hold the title of commander-in chief of the French Armies. Gen. Nivelle received the command of the north and north-east—that is to say, of the French front. The Army of the Orient again became independent of general headquarters.
What was this post of commander-in-chief and technical ad viser? The Senate demanded an explanation. In a secret com mittee, which sat from Dec. 19-23, M. Briand, as prime minister, explained the decree of the 13th. The title of commander-in chief was left to a man who had played an historic part and who deserved every consideration but it implied no authority either over Gen. Nivelle or Gem Sarrail, who remained free to conduct operations as they wished. Joffre would be consulting member in the War committee, which was merely an organ of preparatory work, its decisions being submitted to the council of ministers. However, on Dec. 13, M. Briand had made changes in the cabinet, and had called Gen Lyautey to the ministry for war in place of Gen. Gallieni. Lyautey arrived in Paris on the 24th. He con sidered the post of commander-in-chief and technical adviser granted to Gen. Joffre as incompatible with the authority of the minister for war. These two offices were suppressed, but in com pensation Gen. Joffre was created Marshal of France on Dec. 26. In the spring of 1917 he made a journey to North America. The Academie francaise made him a member on Feb. 14, 1918.
Gen. Joffre died Jan. 3, 1931. (H. BO See J. J. C. Joffre, Operations de la Colonne Joffre avant et apres l'occupation de Timbouctou (1895) ; My March to Timbuktu . . . with introduction by E. Dimnet (1915) ; 1914-15, La Preparation de la guerre et la conduite des operations (1920) . See also C. Dawbarn, Joffre and his Army (1916) ; Mermeix (Gabriel Terrail), Fragments d'histoire, 1914-19 . . . (vol. i. Joffre: la premiere crise du com mandement, etc.) (1919) ; G. Hanotaux and J. G. A. Fabry, Joffre (1921) ; and the article on WORLD WAR.