Fernand de Langle de Cary

Fernand Louis Armand Marie de Langle de Cary (4 July 1849 – 19 February 1927 ) was a French general during World War I. He commanded Fourth Army when the war began.

Early life
de Langle de Cary joined the French Army in 1869, joining the Chasseurs d'Afrique. He participated in the Franco-Prussian War, during which he was wounded. After the war he received staff training and served for a time as a professor at the French military academy. He was promoted to general in 1900 and given the command of a cavalry brigade in Algeria, later he was made a member of the Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre.

World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, de Langle de Cary was placed in command of the Fourth Army. In concert with Pierre Ruffey and the Third Army, he was ordered to attack the Ardennes. He and Ruffey were defeated in the Battle of the Ardennes, but managed to withdraw and form a line of defence to halt the German counter-offensive.

He commanded the French forces in the Second Battle of Champagne the following year, a failed and costly French offensive. Nevertheless he replaced Edouard de Curieres de Castelnau as commander of the Central Army Group in December, 1915, when Castelnau was promoted to Joffre's second-in-command.

The unpreparedness of the defence of Verdun for the German offensive in 1916 led Joffre to remove de Langle de Cary from command. The official reason for him being removed was his age, and he was retired the following year.

He died on 19 February 1927