serviceyears commands death_place death_date birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date rank image article_title name
1869 -- 1914 fifth army neuilly-sur-seine , france january 18 , 1925 july 31 , 1852 pointe-à-pitre , guadeloupe france france grand the order of the crown -lrb- belgium -rrb- cross of the légion d'honneur grand cross of franco-prussian war world war i july 31 , 1852 général de division charles lanrezac.gif charles lanrezac
 charles lanrezac
charles lanrezac

charles lanrezac -lrb- july 31 , 1852 -- january 18 , 1925 -rrb- was a french general , formerly a distinguished staff college lecturer , who commanded the french fifth army at the outbreak of world war i. his army , originally intended to strike the germans on their western flank , faced the brunt of the german march , stronger and further west than anticipated , through belgium at the battle of charleroi .
he was frustrated by the reluctance of his superior , general joseph joffre , who was initially preoccupied by french attacks into lorraine and the ardennes , to appreciate the danger of the german march through belgium .
forced to retreat , at joffre 's insistence he made a successful counterattack at the battle of guise , but his apparent reluctance to counterattack led him to be relieved of command prior to the battle of the marne .
he is particularly remembered in british writing as his army fought on the right of the small british expeditionary force , with whose commander-in-chief , sir john french , he had a poor relationship .
