Hubert Lyautey

Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey (November 17, 1854 - July 27, 1934) was a French general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.

Early life

Lyautey was born at Nancy (Lorraine).

He graduated from the French military academy of Saint-Cyr in 1873. He made his career by serving in the colonies and not in the more prestigious metropolitan France. The first years after graduating, Lyautey served as a cavalry officer in Algeria. He served from 1894 to 1897 in Indochina. He served from 1897 to 1902 under Joseph Galliéni, whom he had met in Indochina, in Madagascar. Lyautey reached general officer's rank in 1902 when he was made général de brigade.

Madagascar

Louis Lyautey played a key role in the invasion of Madagascar (1896-1898), in which he commanded the French forces. His military skill and success in this campaign greatly contributed to his promotion to general de brigade.

Morocco

The murder of French citizens in Casablanca was used as a pretext for Lyautey to occupy Oujda in eastern Morocco at the Algerian border in 1907. Having been promoted to général de division, Lyautey was Military Governor of French Morocco from 4 August 1907 to 28 April, 1912. After the Convention of Fez established a protectorate over Morocco, Lyautey served as Resident-General of French Morocco from April 28, 1912 to 25 August, 1925.

He is considered to have been an apt colonial administrator. During the First World War, he continued the occupation of the country, regardless of the fact that France needed most of her resources in the struggle against the Central Powers. Lyautey served as France's Minister of War for three months in 1917. In 1925, Lyautey lost military command of the French forces engaged against Abd-el-Krim to Pétain and resigned to return to France.

See also

• Lycée Lyautey (Casablanca)

Miscellaneous

• He died in Thorey, was buried in Morocco but reinterred in Les Invalides in 1961
• The town of Kenitra was called "Port Lyautey" for a while, after him.
• The Garrison of the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment is named after him.

Quote

Lyautey has been suggested as the author of the famous quote about dialects stating that "a language is a dialect which owns an army, a navy and an air force" ("Une langue, c'est un dialecte qui possède une armée, une marine et une aviation."). A separate article discusses the origin of this aphorism in greater detail.

John F. Kennedy and Lloyd Bentsen were said to tell a story about him:

The great French Marshal Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshal replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!'

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