General Maurice Sarrail, 1856-1929: The French Army and Left-Wing Politics

Commander of the French Third Army at the Battle of the Marne, commander of the Allied Eastern Army in 1916-17, and high commissioner to Syria and Lebanon in 1924-25, Sarrail was one of the most controversial figures of the Third French Republic because of his deep involvement with domestic politics. Unlike the majority of twentieth-century military officers, however, he was an ardent supporter of Republican ideals and closely associated with the political Left.

Originally published 1974.

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