Charles Huntziger

Charles Léon Clément Huntziger (French: [ʃaʁl œ̃tsiʒe]; 25 June 1880 – 12 November 1941) was a French Army general best known for his role in the Battle of Sedan in May 1940 and as Minister of War of Vichy France until his death in a plane accident in 1941. He also headed the French delegations to the Franco-German and Franco-Italian armistice negotiations in June 1940, signing them on behalf of France. Huntziger distinguished himself during the First World War as head of operations for the Allied Army of the Orient on the Macedonian front from January 1918, where he served as a key architect behind the Vardar offensive that knocked Bulgaria out of the war that September. Between 1924 and 1928, he commanded French troops in the French concession in Tianjin before heading the French military mission to Brazil from 1930 to 1934. Between 1934 and 1938, Huntziger commanded French troops in the Levant, where he assisted in negotiating the 1936 Franco-Lebanese and Franco-Syrian independence treaties. In command of the Second Army during the Battle of France, he was faced with the Schwerpunkt (main effort) of the German offensive through the Ardennes. Overwhelmed at Sedan, Huntziger opted to cover the rear of the Maginot Line, leaving the way clear for the German Panzer divisions to advance northwards to the English Channel. The decisions Huntziger made leading up to and during the battle have been criticised by historians. Alongside his ministerial position, Huntziger also served as commander-in-chief of the Armistice Army. Though largely forgotten, he remains a controversial figure in France.