Major General of the Defence Staff (France)
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Major General
| body = the Defence Staff
| native_name = {{small|Major général des armées}}
| insignia = Emblème de l'État-Major des armées (EMA).svg
| insigniasize =
| insigniacaption = Insignia of the Armed Forces Staff
| flag =
| flagsize =
| flagborder =
| flagcaption =
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| incumbent = Admiral Jean Casabianca
| acting =
| incumbentsince = 1 September 2018
| department = Ministry of the Armed Forces
| style =
| type = Part of a military staff
| status =
| abbreviation = M.G.A.
| member_of = Chiefs of Staff Committee
| reports_to = Chief of the Defence Staff
| residence =
| seat = Hexagone Balard, Paris
| nominator =
| appointer = President of the Republic
| appointer_qualified = Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
| termlength = No fixed term
| termlength_qualified =
| constituting_instrument =
| precursor =
| formation = 28 April 1948
| first = Henri Zeller
| website = [https://www.defense.gouv.fr/ema/chef-d-etat-major-des-armees/biographie/biographie-du-cema www.defense.gouv.fr]
}}
The Major General of the Defence Staff ({{langx|fr|Major Général des Armées}}, {{literally|Major General of the Armies}}, acronym: M.G.A.) is a high ranking general officer of the French Armed Forces and the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As such, it is the second highest position in the armed forces. Major Generals are nominated by the Minister of the Armed Forces and appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the French Republic. The designation of Major General is not indicative of any rank but is rather a position, as the most recent office holders were all four star generals (OF-9).
History
The office was established on 28 April 1948, during the reorganization of the French higher hierarchy.{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1576584k/f10.item|title=Décret portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées|language=French|date=28 April 1948|accessdate=20 August 2019|website=gallica.bnf.fr|last=Government of the French Republic|archive-date=16 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816043817/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1576584k/f10.item|url-status=live}}
Duties
The major general leads the Defence Staff and is assisted by three general officers: the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (OPS), the Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning (PLANS) and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance (PERF).
They replace the chief of staff when necessary. As a flag officer, they are the commanding officer of the Site of Balard, headquarters of the French Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
Office holders
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%" |
| style="width:2%" rowspan=2| {{abbr|No.|Number}}
! style="width:5%" rowspan=2| Portrait ! style="width:15%" rowspan=2| Rank & Name ! colspan=3| Term ! style="width:7%" rowspan=2| Branch ! rowspan=2| Minister ! style="width:15%" rowspan=2| Commander-in-Chief ! style="width:2%" rowspan=2| Ref.{{efn|Upper references are the official decree of nomination in French. Lower references are press articles in English.}} |
|---|
| style="width:12%" | Took office
! style="width:12%" | Left office ! style="width:12%" | Duration |
| bgcolor="lightblue"
| colspan="10" | Office established |
| 1
| 80px | Division general | {{nowrap|29 April 1948}} | {{nowrap|8 July 1949}} | {{ayd|1948|04|29|1949|07|08}} | 40px | Pierre-Henri Teitgen | rowspan=2 | Vincent Auriol |
| rowspan=2 | 2
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Air brigade general | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|8 July 1949}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|11 May 1954}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|1949|07|08|1954|05|11}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | Paul Ramadier |
| rowspan=4 | René Coty |
| 3
| 80px | Division general | {{nowrap|11 May 1954}} | {{nowrap|20 October 1955}} | {{ayd|1954|05|11|1955|10|20}} | 40px |
| 4
| 80px | Air division general | {{nowrap|20 October 1955}} | {{nowrap|8 October 1958}} | {{ayd|1955|10|22|1958|10|08}} | 40px | Pierre Billotte |
| rowspan=2 | 5
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Army general | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|8 October 1958}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|28 March 1959}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|1958|10|08|1959|03|28}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | Pierre Guillaumat | rowspan=2 | JORF #236 - P9221 - 8 October 1958 |
| rowspan=2 | Charles de Gaulle |
| 6
| 80px | Air corps general | {{nowrap|28 March 1959}} | {{nowrap|15 March 1960}} | {{ayd|1959|03|28|1960|03|15}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| ... | | | | | | | |
| | 80px
| Air corps general | {{nowrap|1 May 1977}} | {{nowrap|26 August 1979}} | {{ayd|1977|05|01|1979|08|26}} | 40px | ... | rowspan=2 | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing |
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Air corps general | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|26 August 1979}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|1 October 1983}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|1979|08|26|1983|10|01}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | ... |
| rowspan=7 | François Mitterrand |
| | 80px
| Squadron vice-admiral | {{nowrap|1 October 1983}} | {{nowrap|10 March 1985}} | {{ayd|1983|10|01|1985|03|10}} | 40px | ... |
| | 80px
| Squadron vice-admiral | {{nowrap|10 March 1985}} | {{nowrap|30 January 1987}} | {{ayd|1985|03|10|1987|01|30}} | 40px | ... |
| | 80px
| Squadron vice-admiral | {{nowrap|30 January 1987}} | {{nowrap|20 November 1990}} | {{ayd|1987|01|30|1990|11|20}} | 40px | André Giraud |
| | 80px
| Division general | {{nowrap|20 November 1990}} | {{nowrap|1 October 1992}} | {{ayd|1990|11|20|1992|10|01}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| Air corps general | {{nowrap|1 October 1992}} | {{nowrap|15 June 1994}} | {{ayd|1992|10|01|1994|06|15}} | 40px |
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Air corps general | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|15 June 1994}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|1 September 1995}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|1994|06|15|1995|09|01}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | François Léotard |
| rowspan=7 | Jacques Chirac |
| | 80px
| Corps general | {{nowrap|1 September 1995}} | {{nowrap|28 August 1996}} | {{ayd|1995|09|01|1996|08|28}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| Air corps general | {{nowrap|28 August 1996}} | {{nowrap|9 April 1998}} | {{ayd|1996|08|28|1998|04|09}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| Air corps general | {{nowrap|9 April 1998}} | {{nowrap|1 September 1999}} | {{ayd|1998|04|09|1999|09|01}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| Air corps general | {{nowrap|1 September 1999}} | {{nowrap|1 September 2002}} | {{ayd|1999|09|01|2002|09|01}} | 40px |
| | 80px
| Counter admiral | {{nowrap|1 September 2002}} | {{nowrap|15 July 2005}} | {{ayd|2002|09|01|2005|07|15}} | 40px |
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Admiral | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|15 July 2005}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|1 September 2007}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|2005|07|15|2007|09|01}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | Michèle Alliot-Marie |
| rowspan=3 | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| | 80px
| Admiral | {{nowrap|1 September 2007}} | {{nowrap|12 March 2010}} | {{ayd|2007|09|01|2010|03|12}} | 40px |
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Army general | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|12 March 2010}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|15 February 2014}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|2010|03|12|2014|02|15}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | Hervé Morin |
| rowspan=3 | François Hollande |
| | 80px
| Air army general | {{nowrap|15 February 2014}} | {{nowrap|1 September 2016}} | {{ayd|2014|02|15|2016|09|01}} | 40px |
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | 80px | rowspan=2 | Admiral | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|1 September 2016}} | rowspan=2 | {{nowrap|1 September 2018}} | rowspan=2 | {{ayd|2016|09|01|2018|09|01}} | rowspan=2 | 40px | rowspan=2 | Jean-Yves Le Drian |
| rowspan=2 | Emmanuel Macron |
| | 80px
| Admiral | {{nowrap|1 September 2018}} | Incumbent | {{ayd|2018|09|01}} | 40px | {{cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037182160|title=Décret portant affectation d'un officier général|last=Government of the French Republic|language=French|website=legifrance.gouv.fr|date=11 July 2018|accessdate=1 March 2020|archive-date=2 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094812/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000037182160|url-status=live}} |
References
{{reflist}}