Henri Giraud

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Henri Honoré Giraud (French: [ɑ̃ʁi ɔnɔʁe ʒiʁo]; 18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French Army general best known for his escape from German captivity in 1942 and subsequently as one of the leaders of the French Resistance and a rival of Charles de Gaulle. He was outmanoeuvred by de Gaulle and sidelined in April 1944, leading to his resignation. Giraud also escaped from German captivity during the First World War, having been wounded and captured during the Battle of St. Quentin in 1914. He further distinguished himself at the Battle of La Malmaison in 1917, where he commanded the battalion that captured the Fort de Malmaison, and during the Rif War in 1925. Between 1930 and 1934, Giraud commanded the pacification of tribes in the High Atlas and was appointed military governor of Metz in 1936, during which time de Gaulle was his subordinate. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Giraud was placed in command of the Seventh Army and, despite his objections, was tasked with executing...

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