GAMELIN - The Tragedy of Ambition

Gamelin, or the quintessence of military disaster.

Maurice Gamelin (1872–1958) remains a figure indelibly associated with the crushing defeat of May 1940. It is worth looking beyond that commonplace and asking: how did this officer, regarded as one of the most brilliant of his generation, for whom everything had succeeded since his earliest youth and who enjoyed the confidence of political leaders, manage to lead the Allied armies to disaster?

To answer this central question — the subject of the present work, which has received only partial answers over the past 80 years — the author reviews the factors that influenced the generalissimo's tactical and strategic choices. He examines closely his behaviour, his flaws and his fractures. He also addresses essential questions, notably the reasons why Gamelin was chosen to occupy the supreme post, as well as the motivations of those who appointed him.

Finally, he attempts to define a particularly complex personality by recounting his public and private life, his experiences, his inner drives and what motivated and impelled him to act. He unravels the intrigues, alliances and ambitions of the various protagonists, and sheds new light on aspects that have remained in the shadows until today.