Gallieni was designated as Joffre's successor “in case of emergency” on 31 July. Joffre refused to have him at his headquarters, saying "He is difficult to place. I have always been under his orders. "Il m’a toujours fait mousser" [He always riled me]." On 14 August (the day the Lorraine offensive began) Gallieni (at the insistence of War Minister Messimy, who felt intimidated by Joffre and that the latter would be more likely to listen to his former superior) visited Joffre but was quickly palmed off onto the staff officer General Belin and his deputy Berthelot.