“Quietude, serene peace reign in this mansion [the HQ].
The peace of a Benedictine abbey where everyone
works fervently under their leader’s influence.”
Gustave Babin
In This Chapter
Gen. Weygand describes, and Dr. Plinio comments on, the ambiance in Marshal Foch’s headquarters. He provided the leadership that led to victory in World War I (1914-18).
This headquarters is a fine example of a great truth: heroism and calm are related. The general’s headquarters was the heart of the war and a model of calm.
Calm’s Unequaled Efficacy
“Our General Staff sought the calm of small towns or isolated castles.”[1]
A General Staff that seeks calm during the war. Many may find this strange: How so!? Should they not be in the middle of the fire? No! Anyone going to do a command job and act intensely must sink into calmness and stay off the highways near a quiet road that makes it easy to communicate with the troops.
Foch changed places several times during the war, as required by military operations. As he looked for a place to set up his General Staff, one would say he was looking for a spot to make a retreat. He consistently did so and won one of the greatest wars in history.
Historia magazine’s article states: “If a new event requires making a decision or giving an instruction, the matter is immediately settled whether it takes only a moment or several hours of work.”
In other words, in this situation, everything is unforeseen and variable, but there is no disorderly attachment to the routine.
“I was often surprised by this phrase [from the marshall]: ‘Here is an idea I had while shaving.’”
He wanted a quiet life so that he could think even while shaving. This is very different from being an “electric monkey,” I think one could never sufficiently emphasize this difference.
Calm and Serenity, Conditions for Serious Work
“Along with our chief’s imperturbable calm, this regularity creates a benign atmosphere of trust and serenity and draws the attention of the officers attending our General Staff during those busy periods.”
That is how things were. Everything created a climate of calm and serenity, which is presented as an essential condition for serious work—and much more than serious work, a serious war. Fighting is much more than working. Only thinking is more than fighting. And only praying is more than thinking.
“Marshal Foch enjoys an excellent appetite and forbids work subjects during meals.”
The work is war; the world is exploding, and France is cracking, but let us change the subject at mealtimes.
“[The Marshall’s] Classic allusions to the cuisine’s obnoxious quality and lack of imagination of culinary combinations avoid silences that are too heavy sometimes. The excellent Lieutenant Boutal, who combines his functions with an ordinance officer’s, knows what value to give these censures and accepts them well. After lunch, the marshal visits his room momentarily and returns to the general staff at about half past one. If no visit to the front is planned, this is the time for the walking tour.”
A calm and well-eaten lunch, a little rest. Then what does this man do? He goes for a short walk. I think that is admirable. Note that his style worked out. Had he lost the war, many would say, ‘Well, he was defeated because of that.’ It is the exact opposite because he won the war.
Note:
[1] All texts in italics here are excerpts from the article by General Weygand, “In the General Staff of Marshall Foch,” published in the magazine Historia, nº 218, January 1965. It was about the General Staff of French Marshall Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), commander in chief of the Allied Forces and one of the winners of the First World War (1914-1918).