Ferdinand Foch led the French army to prevent the German army from attacking at the Marne River in 1914. He then formulated a military plan in World War I and led the Allied Powers to launch a decisive attack on the Central Powers and gain control of the West. Victory on the front. Although Foch's aggressive approach to victory was met with mixed reviews at the cost of heavy casualties, the French general was known for his extraordinary ability to inspire combat morale and maintain the fighting spirit of retreating troops. In the world.

Foch experienced war very late in his military career, and did not start contacting war until he was promoted to a general officer. Foch was born in Tarbes into a civil servant family on October 2, 1851. He enlisted in the French Infantry Regiment in 1870, but did not participate in any military operations during the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871, he entered the Military Academy in Nancy and served in the artillery regiment in 1873.

While other generals of his generation returned with great success in France's colonial wars, Foch remained in the French Military Academy, engaged in research and teaching of military theory and tactics. In 1885, Foch entered the French Army University as a lecturer in military history and became the president of the university in 1908. Foch greatly admired and supported Carl von Clausewitz and his theories. In 1903, he published "Principles of War" and established his own path to study the art of war.

The core content studied in Foch's books revolves around strategy and tactics, and these theories proved effective in his future battlefield command. He believed that the key to victory in war lay in the "belief of victory" among soldiers and leaders. In addition to the fighting spirit of the soldiers who participated in the battle, Foch also emphasized the importance of precise strategic deployment and maximum utilization of firepower and terrain. According to his combat theory, defense is only preparation for renewed attack. His creed was "attack with brutality or death," which emphasized the necessity of attacking at all costs to win the war, regardless of other factors or casualties. He also believed that "offense is the basic principle of war. A great commander has the ability to instill this concept in his soldiers."

After the outbreak of World War I, the 61-year-old Foch served as the commander-in-chief of the French 20th Corps and experienced his first war. On August 8, 1914, Germany launched an offensive in an attempt to capture Nancy. The retreating army, frustrated in the early stages of Foch's reorganization, launched a counterattack against Germany. He practiced his military command and combat philosophy with his famous saying: "My left wing is surrendering, my right wing is retreating, my center is collapsing, the situation is great, I will launch an attack."

Although Foch's counterattack brought a large number of casualties, he won the war and saved Nancy. In October 1914, Foch was promoted to commander-in-chief of the Ninth Army. He led the army to stop the German offensive along the Marne River towards Paris. This victory gave him the task of coordinating the Allied forces in the northern battlefield such as France, Britain and Belgium. Although he did not have the authority to directly dispatch non-French troops, he did have control over the entire reserve army composed of French troops. His harsh control provided some means and methods for him to fully control the power of the Allied Powers.

Although Foch's leadership proved successful among the Allied armies, his continued strategy of taking heavy casualties angered the leaders of the Allies and France. The Battle of the Somme led by Foch in 1916 suffered heavy casualties. The total losses of the Allied forces exceeded 600,000 people. After that, Foch was transferred to a secondary leadership position and served as a low-ranking military advisor for two years. .

In March 1918, Germany launched another round of offensive, driving the Allied troops from the trenches back to France and arriving in Paris. On April 3, Foch assumed the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, with the support of the British Army and the newly entered American Army. He immediately reorganized his frontline troops and planned a renewed offensive against Germany.

Foch had learned the lessons of his earlier wars in brutal fighting and high casualties, and now formulated a plan of attack accordingly.

In August 1918, Foch, who was promoted to field marshal, changed his battle plan to attack the main force of the German army and instead attacked the railway lines that transported German military supplies to the front line. After they cut off the German logistics transportation routes, the German troops were defeated and withdrew, and Foch ordered a fierce pursuit. In November, the Allies forced the German army to declare an armistice.

After the First World War, Foch was appointed field marshal of Poland and Britain. On March 20, 1929, Foch died in Paris at the age of seventy-seven. After his death, he was buried in the tomb of Napoleon I and Henri de la Tour Auvergne de Touronny at the Invalides in Paris. beside.

Regardless of the number of casualties caused by Foch's troops, no one doubts Foch's influence on the outcome of the First World War. His fighting style of winning wars came at a high price. Future commanders took into account Foch's experience in World War I, and no one ever again plunged their armies into bloody battles like static trench warfare. Yet Foch was a hero and general of his time, and even those who opposed his tactical strategy acknowledged his ability to thwart the German offensive early in the war and ultimately defeat them completely.

The United Kingdom later erected a statue of Foch at the Victoria Underground Station outside London, which was the frontline battlefield where many British soldiers fell. A quote from Foch is engraved on the base of the statue: "When I fight for England, I fight for my own country."