[Augustin Yvon Edmond]. French general, born at Belfort in April 1851. At the age of seventeen he entered the military academy at St. Cyr, and on July 15, 1870, was appointed a sub-lieutenant of infantry, having passed seventh out of 310 candidates. He took part in the Franco-German War and was captured at Metz in October 1870. Released in April 1871 he rejoined his regiment, and served with the army of Versailles in the operations against the Commune. He was appointed captain and transferred to the 81st Infantry Regiment in November 1878. From October 1880 to February 1883, and again from November 1883 to January 1886, he had an appointment as professor at the École Spéciale Militaire St. Cyr. In June 1886 he was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour. In November, while serving in Algeria, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel; and in October 1901, while still in Algeria, was made a colonel and given command of the 1st Regiment of Zouaves. On returning to France he took over the Alpine Brigade at Grenoble. In 1906 he became commandant of St Cyr—an appointment which he held for three years. He was made a divisional commander on December 25, 1908, being appointed to the 14th Division at Belfort. He later commanded the IX. Army Corps. In 1911 he was made chief of the general staff and a member of the Superior War Council. On the outbreak of the World War Gen. Dubail took over the I. Army, which (with the II. Army under Gen. de Castelnau on the left) was responsible for the offensive into Lorraine, and later for the defence of the eastern fortress line against the armies of Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria. The stubborn resistance of Dubail and Castelnau not only nullified the threat of invasion but insured a pivot for future French manœuvres; it prepared the way indeed for the Marne victory. Gen. Dubail was given the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (Sept. 18, 1914). On the withdrawal of the II. Army to the Somme, Dubail took charge of the whole line between Verdun and the Vosges, and when in January 1915 the armies along the front were grouped under three headquarters of groups of armies, Dubail was placed in charge of that of the east, comprising the III. of Verdun, his old I., and the Vosges force. In October of the same year he was awarded the médaille militaire. On April 6, 1916, he was made military governor of Paris. He was placed in the “Second Section”—on reaching the age limit—in April 1916, but retained his appointment as military governor of Paris. After his final retirement he was appointed Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour.
