July 25, 2025 • 11 mins
Embark on a journey through the past two centuries as you delve into the personal stories of twelve renowned soldiers. Discover their early lives and how their formative years influenced their extraordinary military careers. This podcast offers an intimate exploration into the making of these great soldiers, as compiled from the book’s preface. (Summary by philchenevert)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section twenty of Boy's book a Famous Soldiers. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Boy's book Are Famous Soldiers by J. WALKEM. Mac spadden
Joffre Part two. In eighteen ninety one, he paralleled the
(00:22):
career of General Fox somewhat by taking a professor's chair.
He was appointed instructor in fortifications at the Military School
of Fontainebleau, where he remained for two years. The work
did not appeal to him particularly, and he is spoken
of there as a thorough teacher, but not popular. He
had not mingled enough with others to get their point
(00:43):
of view. A welcome change from this was a summons
from headquarters to go to Timbuctoo and help suppress a
native rebellion. It was all the more welcome, as here
for the first time he was promised a chance to
do some real fighting. Timbuctoo was then being overrun by
the Tuaregs, a tribe of terrible brigands called the Veiled
(01:06):
Men of western Soudan. They had massacred the European settlers
and ended by killing two French officers, Colonel Bonnier and
Lieutenant Botois, who had recently headed expeditions against them. It
was a wild and treacherous land, and the relief expedition
would scarcely have child's play of it. Joffre went at
(01:27):
it without the slightest misgiving. Like many another soldier, he
was a firm believer in luck, and here certainly the
fates were propietus. He set forth on his journey from
Segaux on Christmas Day eighteen ninety three, commanding a force
of thirty French and three hundred natives. They crossed deadly
swamps and dry trackless deserts. There were some depths by
(01:51):
the wayside, but Joffre pushed on. His progress was slow,
as he stopped to make friends with native chiefs and
enlist their aid where possible. At last they reached Timbuctoo,
only to find orders awaiting them to prepare for evacuation.
In the face of the threatening Tuareg army. Joffre for
once disobeyed orders and decided instead to attack. He did
(02:13):
so and administered a crushing defeat to the brigands. He
followed this up so thoroughly that the whole district was
restored to peace. Then the soldier gave place to the engineer.
He cleaned up the town in another sense, and returned home.
Luck was on my side, he said briefly, after receiving
official congratulations and the rank of lieutenant colonel. I might
(02:36):
have met the fate of Bonniere or Boeu, had the
goddess of good fortune not attended me. But those who
knew him believed that it was something more than luck.
That Chaffra was a fatalist is evinced by another incident
of this march in Soudan, an insect's sting had poisoned
his left eye so severely that the sight was threatened.
(02:57):
The doctor of the force advised him to wear a
bandon which Joffre would not agree. I could not command
my troops if I were blindfolded, he said. Then it
must be blue glasses, said the doctor. But eyeglass shops
are not found in the desert, and Joffre went on
without protection. A few days later, a soldier received to
pack it from home and brought it to him. It
(03:18):
was a pair of blue glasses. I told you I
was in luck, said Choffra. However, he narrowly escaped blindness,
and ever afterward a thin veil like film covered the
injured eye. One result of the Timbuctoo campaign was an
official report written by Joffre and afterwards published in book
form under the title Translated Operations of the Joffre Column
(03:42):
Before and After the Capture of Timbuctoo. The story is
a straightforward, soldierly narrative. One French critic recently said of it,
a propos of Jeoffre's election to the French Academy, a
rather unique honor. I defy anybody who knows the pleasure
which words can give us in a vogue things to
deny that this report is a piece of most effective
(04:03):
writing with Joffre, who has no idea or desire to
give us fine writing. The effect produced is that of
reality itself. The names of the tribes he meets or
describes take on a strange virtue, as if we heard
them on the spot. Even the French officer's names, scattered
over a narrative from which all attempt at picturesqueness is banished,
(04:24):
produce picturesqueness on the whole. He is a primitive, and
with all the primitive simple charm and power. After the
Soudanese adventure came a trip to Madagascar, this time more
fork constructing, from which it seemed that he could never
escape the problem. Down there was a vexatious one due
to a do nothing policy of a predecessor. Things were
(04:47):
in bad shape. Schaffra arrived after a long sea voyage,
gave one look around, and then things began to happen.
If men are responsible for the soda, he said sentaneously,
it is easy to suppose that man can restore the
needed order, and the forts and baroxes went up in
record time. We never expected to see that job done,
(05:08):
reports one soldier. The thing was so old that it
had cobwebs over it. When Joffre took hold, it went
up by magic. They concocted another saying about him down
in the distant island, which was there goes old man system.
At another time, an officer remarked, Joffra wants what he
wants when he wants it, and furthermore, he knows why
(05:30):
he wants it. In nineteen o one, at the century's turn,
and when he was rounding off his half century, his
long delayed promotions began to arrive. He was made brigadier general,
and henceforth began to force rapidly to front. One reason
for his slow advancements was that he was no politician
(05:52):
or time server. He never pushed himself forward, and so
much work of his was done in the remote promises
that the General morcerf hardly knew him at all. We remember,
too that he had made no friends at school who
would follow his career or speak a good word for
him in official ears. When he did at last receive recognition,
(06:13):
it was upon absolute merit. But when he reached the
general staff, the remark was frequently heard, who is the chaffra?
We never heard of him. It was not long, however,
before he made his presence felt in Paris official circles.
They came to depend more and more upon this stocky,
hard headed gascon and his opinions. He never minced words,
(06:34):
and he went to the root of the matter. In
nineteen eleven, when the need was universally felt of a
thorough reorganization of the French army, a much needed house cleaning,
they cast about for some man big enough for the job.
In a conference, General Pau, a warm adherent of Joffre,
shook his single good fist in the faces of the
(06:54):
staff officers and exclaimed, there is only one man who
can do the job. So they sent for Joffre and
made him Chief of the General Staff, with full power
to reorganize. It was well for France that they did so,
and fortunate that he had three full years of work
before the blow fell and the invaders were again at
their gates. No German could be more thorough than Joffre,
(07:17):
said one officer, for no lasting results can be obtained
without the utmost care. He has limitless patience, joined with
a wonderful breadth of view. His methods resemble the head
of a great business. In his intricate work of reconstructing
the army, he revealed another and surprising side to his nature.
(07:37):
From being cold and aloof, he showed a human sympathy
for his men, down to the last private. It was
as though the man who had held himself aloof from
the intimates wanted to take the whole French army into
his heart, and the men responded with an affection and
confidence which were later to produce the fine results of
leadership in the war. He was no longer Joffre the silent,
(07:59):
but Happa Joffre, says one writer. Choffre is a soldier
of democracy. That is why he sets America a flame
with enthusiasm as he did France. His thickest frame, firmly
knit and vigorous, His clear eyes, which observe you from
beneath bushy eyebrows, his firm and kindly mouth, his bristling mustache,
(08:20):
the simplicity of his manners, his clean cut, reserved language.
All that goes to show there is nothing in him
of bluster and affectation. He is truly Papa Joffre, the
father and even the grandfather of the Polius. It is
the Polu himself beneath the white panache of this unique
marshal of France. When in nineteen fourteen the Germans struck,
(08:45):
they anticipated an easy march upon Paris, such as that
of forty years before. This time, a different Chaffra stood
in their path. In place of the young lieutenant not
yet out of his teens, they found a grizzled veteran
who matched them with their methods, as thorough going as
their own, but who preferred to control his men with
love rather than fear. Your French soldiers are brave, said
(09:09):
one German officer contemptuously. But as for discipline, Bah, our
legions will brush you aside. Our men may not have
the machine like discipline that you effect was the French
officer's reply. But we replace it with something far better,
a love of country that will cause us to sacrifice
the last drop of blood. But your great generals, where
(09:30):
are they asked the other? They will make themselves felt
in due time. At their head stands one who is
yet to fight his first great battle. Yet I advise
you not to arouse him. The world knows the rest
of the story of that mighty invasion. How the black
invading line curved onward and inward until it threw its
shadow upon Paris. Then, when the final blow was about
(09:52):
to be struck the coup de grace, as the Germans
firmly believed, up from the south came the army of Chaffra.
It had retreated and retur until a moment for its
counter blow. Now, with the precision of a sledgehammer, it
struck and struck again, until a surprised enemy turned and
fell back. Paris was saved. In the gallery of the
(10:12):
world's great soldiers, the homely, kindly figure of Joffrey may
well find place. He seems to occupy a niche quite
by himself. He is not spectacular nor a hero, but
a simple man among men whose results are built upon
a lifetime of patient endeavor. He is Rodin's statue of
the Thinker come to life. Important dates in Jeoffrey's life
(10:37):
eighteen fifty two January the twelfth, Joseph Jackson's heir. Jeoffrey
born eighteen sixty seven. Entered preparatory military School, Paris eighteen
sixty nine. Entered Polytechnic Academy eighteen seventy. Volunteered in army
to defend Paris against Prussians eighteen seventy. Commissioned second lieutenant
(11:01):
eighteen seventy six. Commissioned captain for work on fortifications eighteen
eighty four. Sent to Formosa to construct barrackses and trenches
eighteen eighty five. Decorated Legion of Honor Tonkin eighteen ninety one.
Professor in Military School Fontainebleau eighteen ninety three, sent to
(11:22):
Madagascar on construction work eighteen ninety four, headed expedition to
Timbucti nineteen oh one. Brigadier general nineteen eleven, Chief of
General Staff nineteen fourteen Commander in Chief French Army and
nineteen sixteen the Marshal of France. End of Joffre, Part two,
(11:44):
recording by Adam Tonkins,
Section twenty of Boy's book a Famous Soldiers. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Boy's book Are Famous Soldiers by J. WALKEM. Mac spadden
Joffre Part two. In eighteen ninety one, he paralleled the
(00:22):
career of General Fox somewhat by taking a professor's chair.
He was appointed instructor in fortifications at the Military School
of Fontainebleau, where he remained for two years. The work
did not appeal to him particularly, and he is spoken
of there as a thorough teacher, but not popular. He
had not mingled enough with others to get their point
(00:43):
of view. A welcome change from this was a summons
from headquarters to go to Timbuctoo and help suppress a
native rebellion. It was all the more welcome, as here
for the first time he was promised a chance to
do some real fighting. Timbuctoo was then being overrun by
the Tuaregs, a tribe of terrible brigands called the Veiled
(01:06):
Men of western Soudan. They had massacred the European settlers
and ended by killing two French officers, Colonel Bonnier and
Lieutenant Botois, who had recently headed expeditions against them. It
was a wild and treacherous land, and the relief expedition
would scarcely have child's play of it. Joffre went at
(01:27):
it without the slightest misgiving. Like many another soldier, he
was a firm believer in luck, and here certainly the
fates were propietus. He set forth on his journey from
Segaux on Christmas Day eighteen ninety three, commanding a force
of thirty French and three hundred natives. They crossed deadly
swamps and dry trackless deserts. There were some depths by
(01:51):
the wayside, but Joffre pushed on. His progress was slow,
as he stopped to make friends with native chiefs and
enlist their aid where possible. At last they reached Timbuctoo,
only to find orders awaiting them to prepare for evacuation.
In the face of the threatening Tuareg army. Joffre for
once disobeyed orders and decided instead to attack. He did
(02:13):
so and administered a crushing defeat to the brigands. He
followed this up so thoroughly that the whole district was
restored to peace. Then the soldier gave place to the engineer.
He cleaned up the town in another sense, and returned home.
Luck was on my side, he said briefly, after receiving
official congratulations and the rank of lieutenant colonel. I might
(02:36):
have met the fate of Bonniere or Boeu, had the
goddess of good fortune not attended me. But those who
knew him believed that it was something more than luck.
That Chaffra was a fatalist is evinced by another incident
of this march in Soudan, an insect's sting had poisoned
his left eye so severely that the sight was threatened.
(02:57):
The doctor of the force advised him to wear a
bandon which Joffre would not agree. I could not command
my troops if I were blindfolded, he said. Then it
must be blue glasses, said the doctor. But eyeglass shops
are not found in the desert, and Joffre went on
without protection. A few days later, a soldier received to
pack it from home and brought it to him. It
(03:18):
was a pair of blue glasses. I told you I
was in luck, said Choffra. However, he narrowly escaped blindness,
and ever afterward a thin veil like film covered the
injured eye. One result of the Timbuctoo campaign was an
official report written by Joffre and afterwards published in book
form under the title Translated Operations of the Joffre Column
(03:42):
Before and After the Capture of Timbuctoo. The story is
a straightforward, soldierly narrative. One French critic recently said of it,
a propos of Jeoffre's election to the French Academy, a
rather unique honor. I defy anybody who knows the pleasure
which words can give us in a vogue things to
deny that this report is a piece of most effective
(04:03):
writing with Joffre, who has no idea or desire to
give us fine writing. The effect produced is that of
reality itself. The names of the tribes he meets or
describes take on a strange virtue, as if we heard
them on the spot. Even the French officer's names, scattered
over a narrative from which all attempt at picturesqueness is banished,
(04:24):
produce picturesqueness on the whole. He is a primitive, and
with all the primitive simple charm and power. After the
Soudanese adventure came a trip to Madagascar, this time more
fork constructing, from which it seemed that he could never
escape the problem. Down there was a vexatious one due
to a do nothing policy of a predecessor. Things were
(04:47):
in bad shape. Schaffra arrived after a long sea voyage,
gave one look around, and then things began to happen.
If men are responsible for the soda, he said sentaneously,
it is easy to suppose that man can restore the
needed order, and the forts and baroxes went up in
record time. We never expected to see that job done,
(05:08):
reports one soldier. The thing was so old that it
had cobwebs over it. When Joffre took hold, it went
up by magic. They concocted another saying about him down
in the distant island, which was there goes old man system.
At another time, an officer remarked, Joffra wants what he
wants when he wants it, and furthermore, he knows why
(05:30):
he wants it. In nineteen o one, at the century's turn,
and when he was rounding off his half century, his
long delayed promotions began to arrive. He was made brigadier general,
and henceforth began to force rapidly to front. One reason
for his slow advancements was that he was no politician
(05:52):
or time server. He never pushed himself forward, and so
much work of his was done in the remote promises
that the General morcerf hardly knew him at all. We remember,
too that he had made no friends at school who
would follow his career or speak a good word for
him in official ears. When he did at last receive recognition,
(06:13):
it was upon absolute merit. But when he reached the
general staff, the remark was frequently heard, who is the chaffra?
We never heard of him. It was not long, however,
before he made his presence felt in Paris official circles.
They came to depend more and more upon this stocky,
hard headed gascon and his opinions. He never minced words,
(06:34):
and he went to the root of the matter. In
nineteen eleven, when the need was universally felt of a
thorough reorganization of the French army, a much needed house cleaning,
they cast about for some man big enough for the job.
In a conference, General Pau, a warm adherent of Joffre,
shook his single good fist in the faces of the
(06:54):
staff officers and exclaimed, there is only one man who
can do the job. So they sent for Joffre and
made him Chief of the General Staff, with full power
to reorganize. It was well for France that they did so,
and fortunate that he had three full years of work
before the blow fell and the invaders were again at
their gates. No German could be more thorough than Joffre,
(07:17):
said one officer, for no lasting results can be obtained
without the utmost care. He has limitless patience, joined with
a wonderful breadth of view. His methods resemble the head
of a great business. In his intricate work of reconstructing
the army, he revealed another and surprising side to his nature.
(07:37):
From being cold and aloof, he showed a human sympathy
for his men, down to the last private. It was
as though the man who had held himself aloof from
the intimates wanted to take the whole French army into
his heart, and the men responded with an affection and
confidence which were later to produce the fine results of
leadership in the war. He was no longer Joffre the silent,
(07:59):
but Happa Joffre, says one writer. Choffre is a soldier
of democracy. That is why he sets America a flame
with enthusiasm as he did France. His thickest frame, firmly
knit and vigorous, His clear eyes, which observe you from
beneath bushy eyebrows, his firm and kindly mouth, his bristling mustache,
(08:20):
the simplicity of his manners, his clean cut, reserved language.
All that goes to show there is nothing in him
of bluster and affectation. He is truly Papa Joffre, the
father and even the grandfather of the Polius. It is
the Polu himself beneath the white panache of this unique
marshal of France. When in nineteen fourteen the Germans struck,
(08:45):
they anticipated an easy march upon Paris, such as that
of forty years before. This time, a different Chaffra stood
in their path. In place of the young lieutenant not
yet out of his teens, they found a grizzled veteran
who matched them with their methods, as thorough going as
their own, but who preferred to control his men with
love rather than fear. Your French soldiers are brave, said
(09:09):
one German officer contemptuously. But as for discipline, Bah, our
legions will brush you aside. Our men may not have
the machine like discipline that you effect was the French
officer's reply. But we replace it with something far better,
a love of country that will cause us to sacrifice
the last drop of blood. But your great generals, where
(09:30):
are they asked the other? They will make themselves felt
in due time. At their head stands one who is
yet to fight his first great battle. Yet I advise
you not to arouse him. The world knows the rest
of the story of that mighty invasion. How the black
invading line curved onward and inward until it threw its
shadow upon Paris. Then, when the final blow was about
(09:52):
to be struck the coup de grace, as the Germans
firmly believed, up from the south came the army of Chaffra.
It had retreated and retur until a moment for its
counter blow. Now, with the precision of a sledgehammer, it
struck and struck again, until a surprised enemy turned and
fell back. Paris was saved. In the gallery of the
(10:12):
world's great soldiers, the homely, kindly figure of Joffrey may
well find place. He seems to occupy a niche quite
by himself. He is not spectacular nor a hero, but
a simple man among men whose results are built upon
a lifetime of patient endeavor. He is Rodin's statue of
the Thinker come to life. Important dates in Jeoffrey's life
(10:37):
eighteen fifty two January the twelfth, Joseph Jackson's heir. Jeoffrey
born eighteen sixty seven. Entered preparatory military School, Paris eighteen
sixty nine. Entered Polytechnic Academy eighteen seventy. Volunteered in army
to defend Paris against Prussians eighteen seventy. Commissioned second lieutenant
(11:01):
eighteen seventy six. Commissioned captain for work on fortifications eighteen
eighty four. Sent to Formosa to construct barrackses and trenches
eighteen eighty five. Decorated Legion of Honor Tonkin eighteen ninety one.
Professor in Military School Fontainebleau eighteen ninety three, sent to
(11:22):
Madagascar on construction work eighteen ninety four, headed expedition to
Timbucti nineteen oh one. Brigadier general nineteen eleven, Chief of
General Staff nineteen fourteen Commander in Chief French Army and
nineteen sixteen the Marshal of France. End of Joffre, Part two,
(11:44):
recording by Adam Tonkins,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!