During the last half of his career he was a pillar of a backward looking establishment that was to give way to Nicolas Bourbaki, a namesake of a general who was one of his boyhood heroes.
Sa panahon ng huling kalahati ng kanyang karera siya ay isang poste ng isang pabalik na naghahanap na pagtatayo ay upang bigyan ng paraan upang Nicolas Bourbaki, isang sangay ng isang general na ay isa ng kanyang kabataan heroes.