The War of Positions - Paul Azan

Biography

Paul Azan (1874-1951)

The War of Positions

Paul-Jean-Louis Azan was born on January 22nd, 1874 in the eastern region of France to his parents Joseph Azan (1846-1895) and Marie Card (1853-1914). He would grow to be a decorated military man and well known scholar amongst French intellectuals. His signature was found in one of the books that he himself wrote: “The War of Positions” which is a deepdive into the then-recent history of the first world war.

During WWI general Paul Azan was sent to the US to provide aid in shipping their ally across the sea. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and earned a croix de guerre, a medal for his service during the first world war. He also received a similar commendation for his service in the military during the French conquest of Morocco after the first world war had concluded. He also served in the Rif war in Morocco as well.

Paul Azan was awarded with the highest commendation for any military personnel: a seat in the Lègion d’honneur, an order in Paris that was initially established by Napoleon Bonepart in 1802. As a military leader, he rose up the ranks quickly: in 1923 he was appointed as a Colonel, in 1928 he was again promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, serving as the head of the historical service in the ministry of war. In 1933 he was promoted to the rank of Major-General, serving as the assistant general officer commander in chief for Tunisia. Then a year later, he was given the position of general officer commander in chief for Tunisia. He held that position for two years before retiring in 1936. In 1940, he was recalled and given the position of Lieutenant-General and the head of recruiting, organizing and training the Norwegian forces in French territories. He retired two months later.

Paul Azan was also well known as an author. He wrote several books on history. Many of his writings also involved the subject of France’s influence in North Africa, examining it from an analytical lens as well as how it could improve France itself. One such book was called L’Armee Indigene Nord-Africaine which was published in 1925. The subject of the book was concerning military powers in the French-controlled regions of North Africa. After the decimation of the French population from the first world war, he suggested that it was time for an army of North-African born soldiers. This notion induced much heated debate as there were many people who were for and against the idea.

Azan married his first wife, Henriette Marie Bouley on April 16, 1912. They would divorce just over three years later on September 9, 1915. Azan would not remarry for another five years until he met Françoise Henriette Preveraud de La Boutresse and married her on September 10, 1920. The two would have a son together, by the name of François Azan, born on October 9, 1921.

Paul Azan would die on August 16, 1951 in Lons-le-Saunier, leaving behind a decorated military career, a series of academic historical and political books, and a family.

Sources:

Drut, Olivier. n.d. “CTHS - AZAN Paul Jean Louis.” Cths.fr. Accessed November 21, 2024.


Cooke, James. n.d. “Paul Azan and L’Armee Indigene Nord-Africaine.” Jstor.org. Accessed November 18, 2024.

“Family Tree of Paul AZAN.” n.d. Geneanet. Accessed November 21, 2024.


“Biography of Lieutenant-General Paul-Jean-Louis Azan (1874 – 1951), France.” n.d.
Generals.Dk. Accessed November 21, 2024.

“Paul Jean Louis AZAN.” n.d. Geneanet. Accessed November 21, 2024.

“François AZAN.” n.d. Geneanet. Accessed November 21, 2024.

“About: Paul Azan.” n.d. DBpedia. Accessed November 21, 2024.

Photo:

Harvard. n.d. “Paul Jean Louis Azan (1874-1951).” Harvardartmuseums.org. Accessed November 18, 2024.

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