Joseph Joffre

Joseph Jacques Cesaire Joffre was born on the 12th of January, 1852, in Roussillion, France. Joffre was an engineer by trade and upon graduating from the Ecoloe Polytechnique, he decided to use his skills in the French military. Although acting as an engineer in the military is not a position that will normally warrant a Medal of Honor, Joffre was please simply to be able to serve his country. After accepting the position of Commander in Chief of the French Army, Joffre began to show that his analytical engineering skills would certainly aide the French military.

Joffre earned great respect among his colleagues and troops alike and was nicknamed “Papa Joffre” due to his gentle nature, kind heart, and snow white moustache. When the French troops began to become disorganized Joffre quickly sprung into action in order to make the unit cohesive once again – something that was crucial to military strategy. Joffre knew that a divided military meant an opening for German attackers, and he wasn’t going to witness that on his watch. Swiftly, Joffre combined the 9th and 10th platoons into one organized group and sent them as a team unit to serve under Joseph Gallieni. Later, Joffre was awarded the title of Marshal of France where he headed up the France/U.S.A initiative. Joffre also accepted the title of Supreme War Council leader in 1918 and gathered the respect of all the countries that came across his path, Canada even named a mountain in his honor. War heroes can gather numerous medals, but without the respect of nations they will quickly be forgotten. Joseph Joffre’s legacy will live on in Europe, Canada, and in the United States -- an accomplishment like no other.

Labels: leaders, war heroes