France
Robert Nivelle
1856–1924 Commander-in-chief of the French armies, December 1916–May 1917
An artillery officer, Nivelle came to prominence at Verdun in 1916, where his rolling barrage and well-rehearsed infantry attacks retook Douaumont. A confident, persuasive speaker, fluent in English thanks to his English mother, he impressed Lloyd George and the French cabinet, and replaced Joffre in December 1916. He promised a breakthrough in two days on the Chemin des Dames, and the failure of 16 April, with its heavy casualties, brought down his reputation and led to the mutinies. He was dismissed on 15 May 1917 and sent to North Africa. His memory in France is overshadowed by the success of his successor, Pétain, and the failure of his own promise.