born Feb. 17, 1877, Paris, France
died Jan. 7, 1932, Paris
French politician.
He was elected to the French Chamber of Deputies (1910) and fought in World War I, where he was severely wounded. He twice served as France's minister of war (192224, 192931) and was a strong advocate of military preparedness against Germany. He directed the beginning of construction of the defensive barrier in northeastern France that was later named the Maginot Line in his honour.