Joseph Joffre

French general (1852–1931)

Source-basedRising

Lived 1852–1931, aged 79France

France Historical Figures

Fame37.3
Momentum6.8
France rank#117
Historical Figures rank#105
Wikipedia17.5K

Wikipedia
54 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in France
#117
Historical Figures
Era
1852–1931
Aged 79

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

French military commander who rallied retreating Allied forces to turn back the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. Led French armies on the Western Front through most of World War I.

Biography

About

Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in September 1914.

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