4th Army (France)

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The 4th Army (French: IVe Armée), nicknamed the Army of Fontainebleau, was a French Army field army that fought in World War I and World War II. It was created in August 1914 as one of five mobilized armies when Plan XVII began.

World War I
- Mobilization and structure: On mobilization in August 1914, the 4th Army was commanded by General de Langle de Cary. It included the 12th and 17th Corps, the Colonial Army Corps, and a cavalry division. The first staff group arrived at Saint-Dizier on August 5, and the second from Fontainebleau on August 6. The Colonial Army Corps was led by General Jules Lefèvre, who was replaced in January 1915 by General Henri Gouraud. The 9th Cavalry Division from Tours was commanded by General Jean de l’Espée. The army totaled about 4,689 officers, 154,899 other ranks, and 58,491 horses, and it was organized into three infantry corps (four divisions each), two colonial infantry divisions, and one cavalry division. It was concentrated in reserve between Saint-Dizier and Bar-le-Duc in the Argonne region.
- Early battles and actions: In 1914 it fought in the Champagne battles, the Ardennes and Meuse campaigns, and the Marne (Vitry). In October 1914, with I Corps, it carried out pincer actions that helped force German withdrawals. The corps later fought around Vouziers and the Aisne, establishing a bridgehead north of the river.
- Later battles: The 4th Army took part in the continued Champagne offensives in 1915, 1917, and 1918, and in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918. It also fought at Chesne and Buzancy as the front shifted and Allied forces advanced.

World War II
- In May 1940, during the German invasion, the Fourth Army was commanded by General Édouard Réquin. It was positioned in the Champagne region as part of Army Group 2. France’s overall leaders at the time were Maurice Gamelin and later Maxime Weygand.