Home > World War I > Ferdinand Foch Biography

October 4, 1851
Tarbes, France
March 20, 1929
Paris, France

Military leader

Marshal Ferdinand Foch had a great influence on the French military during his lifetime. Head of the national military academy for three years, he led several French regiments in many of the critical battles of World War I. Near the end of the war he was made head of all the Allied armies, and his bold strategies and strong will helped ensure the victory over Germany in 1918. Though many have disagreed with his philosophy and his tactics, Foch is still viewed as the single person most responsible for the Allied victory in World War I.

Dreams of War

Ferdinand Foch was born in the town of Tarbes, at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France, on October 4, 1851. His family was solidly middle class and had lived in the region for generations before Ferdinand and his...