Marie Émile Fayolle

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Marie Émile Fayolle (1858 - 1928) was a Marshal of France.

Fayolle studied at the École polytechnique, where he graduated with the class of 1873. During his career he served in the artillery. From 1897 to 1908 he taught artillery at the École supérieure de Guerre. He retired in 1914 with the rank of brigadier general.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Fayolle was recalled from retirement by the French commander in chief Joffre and given command of the 70th Infantry Division.

In 1916, Fayolle was given command of the French 6th Army, which he commanded at the battle of the Somme. In early 1917, Fayolle was transferred to command the 1st Army. When Robert Nivelle was replaced by Philippe Pétain in May 1917, Fayolle was put in command of the Army Group Center.

On November 16, 1917, after the Italians met disaster at Caporetto, Fayolle was transferred to Italy with six divisions and made commander in chief of the French troops supporting the Italians. Fayolle stayed in Italy until March 1918, when he was recalled to France and put at the head of the 55 division strong Army Group Reserve, with which he played a role in stopping the last big German offensives. After the allied victory in the Second Battle of the Marne, he took part in the allied counteroffensive until the end of the war.

He commanded occupation forces in the Palatinat and was a member of the allied Control Commission. Fayolle was named in 1920 a member of the French Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre, the highest French military council. The next year he was promoted to Marshal of France.