Nivelle, Robert Georges

Related Category: French History: Biographies

(rôbĕr´ zhôrzh nēvĕl´), 1856–1924, French general. His services in World War I gained him the post of chief assistant to General Pétain at Verdun, and he was later given the command of the Verdun sector. He succeeded (1916) General Joffre as commander in chief of the French armies, but the signal failure of the 1917 Aisne offensive lost him the post; he was given a command in North Africa.