grand grand abbreviated spoken french general headquarters world war served wartime equivalent extensive powers area defined french parliament activated parliament august violation french borders german military patrols remained existence october commanded chief staff assisted varying number subordinate generals representatives french government president headquarters originally department rapid german advances early stages war forced withdrawal near paris november remained rest war general served chief staff start war december replacement general replaced failure spring offensive succeeded general retained command dissolution april grand des established general equivalent organisation authority allied operations france organised complex series departments changed frequently war structure criticised historians failing encourage operation departments widespread concerns autonomy power french policy laid important field armies north north east retain operational independence assumed control armies december retained replacement minister war raised concerns pre war policy violated failed accurately assess german casualties basing military operations wildly optimistic assessments weakness german units reserves origins structure grand origins reforms instituted france defeat franco prussian war position supporting staff chief staff created responsibility training peace formation army high command times war establishment situation wartime counterpart vice president chief staff received extensive military powers area defined zone army control control remainder armed forces retained minister war activated parliament defined zone army control chief staff assisted état major ran general staff officers saw commander chief orders carried aides majors responsibilities individual departments originally organised departments bureau responsible organization personnel equipment intelligence information political affairs bureau planning military operations called lines transport communication supply bureau considered far powerful control active military operations staff consisted mainly liaison officers embedded individual unit headquarters officers junior rank generals commanding armies held significant power careers reports operations officer bureau french government president said considerable political power wide responsibility management military railways motor vehicles water transport financial offices post offices chief called director rear lines addition responsible allied armies world war activation french chief staff general convinced outbreak world war july began organising personnel staff persuaded french government enact august day parliament following violation french borders german military patrols gave wartime powers activated zone army control initially limited departments france august expanded departments metropolitan france area absolute authority civilian president ministers enter permission authority exclude press government parliamentary commission military affairs zone control activation major general aides majors general aide major responsibility oversaw second oversaw bureau day day control lower ranking officer activation bureau headed general president liaison officer officers generally selected excelled staff college representatives allied powers present structure times included officers united_kingdom russia usa japan italy belgium serbia romania established physical headquarters department august location chosen halfway paris nancy roughly miles headquarters french armies staff occupied school building second bureau located classrooms bureau sports equipment pushed wall staff use detachment 8th company 19th companies company anti aircraft sections carrier units unit medical detachment military police escort squadron war played key role start war illness delegated role increasing power influential bureau officers department particularly recent staff college graduates known favoured strong offensive action having failed initially perceive german advance belgium officers key attack exposed german right flank great retreat result german advances late forced relocate headquarters progressively westwards moved bar sur august september sur september november paris metropolitan area remain years location suited operations proximity seat government paris found new command difficult able dismiss army commanders generals time battle unable remove officers reasons lack action unknown historian speculated vast power granted staff desire staff officers isolated direct effects war engaged intrigue grand scale little operation rival departments incapable estimating strength german forces committed action start war took august realise german army corps deployed alongside numbered reserve corps effectively doubling strength corps field war maintained inadequate means calculating german casualty figures simply assuming killed battle germans fallen reality figures reverse means calculated germany run manpower reserves early bureau found directing french generals undertake military operations based wholly inaccurate assessments strength opposing units french set backs forced december replaced general expand entirely new formed external theatres war bringing direct control french armies field major appointed general army general reformed censorship counter espionage intelligence gathering duties passed new retained intelligence responsibilities despite reorganisation remained dysfunctional described perennial responsible providing assessments german casualties point simply adding thousand fortnight figures confused responsibility intelligence second police led delays providing intelligence armies field battle bureau responsible withdrawing half batteries artillery fortresses months leading close fought battle despite receiving requests reinforcements local commander general stated hold attacked force autonomy power afforded worried minister war death successors ordered reorganisation ministerial decree december sidelined position technical adviser government defined responsibilities led resignation december replacement general fall grace entitled staff officers new post find volunteer removed direct control course action justified essential step restoring independence armies key pre war policy established ministerial decree october ordered reorganisation january returning control external theatres february 2nd united remained informal division intense rivalry officers old new 2nd bureau division remained arrival prime minister minister war november moved headquarters forward january april stage staff numbered officers enlisted personnel failure april led downfall replacement general expanded operations establishing new section relations civil authorities later reformed absorbing newly formed section relations civil authorities new responsibility minor change february saw expansion bureau gaining liaison march gained control anti aircraft matters army medical departments organisation armistice germany february offices hit bomb squadron german bombers damage caused building officers killed captain dead officers buried saint church fourteen additional officers injured flying glass hospitalised headquarters moved eastwards march armistice moved newly department december returned january dissolved october accordance request october abolished zone army control powers previously delegated returned chief staff army second world war german army took control archives sent secret documents berlin analysis documents recovered ussr end war taken moscow processing returned france dissolution soviet_union 1990s equivalent bodies nations war general headquarters british italian american armies german army forces allowed constitution japanese army operate general headquarters war april allied troops western placed command grand des multi national general staff developed similar lines came general ferdinand overall command allied troops evolution responsibilities
Grand Quartier Général (1914–1919)