Chef détat-major des Armées
Maurice Schmitt took which position from Nov 1987 to Apr 1991?
Maurice Schmitt Maurice Schmitt , born on 23 January 1930 at Marseille ( Bouches-du-Rhône ) , is a French general and chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies ( CEMA ) from 16 November 1987 until 23 April 1991 . He was then appointed as Governor of Les Invalides until 1996 . Biography . Early life . Maurice is the son of général Gaston Schmitt . Military career . He entered the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in October 1948 . After attending a course at the artillery school , he was assigned to the 1st Colonial Artillery Regiment ( 1 RAC ) , Troupes coloniales ( known as Troupes de marine since 1958 ) , whose barracks was at Melun . Designated to serve in the Far East on January 1953 , he was assigned to the 4th Colonial Artillery Regiment 4 RAC , then the North-West Operational Artillery Group ( GONO ) , the designated name of the garrison of Dien Bien Phu . During the subsequent battle , he was taken as a prisoner of war on 7 May 1954 . He was released on 2 September 1954 . Knight Order of the Order of the Légion dhonneur at 25 , he became a military instructor at the infantry application school until September 1956 , he was then assigned to the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment ( 3 RPC ) in North Africa where he commanded a combat support company from 1958 until October 1959 . In 1959 , he was made an Officer of the Order of the Légion dhonneur at 29 . Following these engagements , his name often came up and was cited when the torture practices were evoked during the Algerian war . Promoted to Colonel in 1974 , then Général de brigade in 1979 , he became Chief of Staff of the French Army in 1985 , then Chef détat-major des Armées in 1987 responsible for French forces during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991 . He was replaced by Admiral Jacques Lanxade on 23 April 1991 . In 1990 , he was elevated to the dignity of Grand-Cross of the Légion dhonneur and became Governor of Les Invalides in 1991 , until 1996 . Recognitions and Honors . - Knight Order of the Légion dhonneur : 1955 - Officer Order of the Légion dhonneur : 1959 - Grand Officier of the Légion dhonneur : 1986 - Grand-Croix of the Order of the Légion dhonneur : 1990 - Commander Order of National Order of Merit - Croix de guerre des théâtres dopérations extérieures - Cross for Military Valour - Colonial Medal - Commemorative Medal 39-45 - Commemorative Medal of Indochina - Commemorative Medal of the North Africa ( AFN ) - Commander Order of the Legion of Merit ( United States ) - Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ( Germany ) - Grand Croix of the merit of Norway ( Norway ) - Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar ( Lebanon ) - Grand Officier de la Rose blanche de Finlande ( Finland ) - Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia - Order of Merit of Venezuela - Medal Order of the Legion of Oman - Medal Order of Intiaz of Pakistan - Merit Medal of the National Security of the Republic of Korea Publications . - Deuxième bataille dAlger , 2002-2007 , la bataille judiciaire ( The second battle of Algiers ) , LHarmattan , 2008 - Alger-été 1957 : une victoire sur le terrorisme ( Algiers summer of 1957 : a victory against terrorism ) , LHarmattan , 2002 - Le double jeu du maréchal : légende ou réalité ( The double game of the marshal : legend or reality ) , Presses de la Cité , 1996 - De Diên Biên Phu à Koweït City ( From Dien Bien Phu to Kuwait City ) , Grasset , 1992