Henri Mathias Berthelot was born on December 7, 1861, in Feurs, a town in the Loire department of France. A graduate of the prestigious Saint-Cyr Military Academy, class “Egypt” (1881), he began his career as a young officer serving in Algeria, followed by a period in Tonkin, a French colony in Southeast Asia. His solid education and leadership skills soon brought him to the attention of the French military elite.

The beginnings of a brilliant military career

In 1893, he graduated from the Higher School of War, one of France’s most demanding institutions for advanced military studies. Over the following years, he steadily rose through the ranks. 

In January 1906, Berthelot became aide-de-camp to General Brugère, who was vice president of the Superior Council of War, and served as secretary of the General Staff Committee. His career was marked from the beginning by discipline, professionalism, and a strong sense of duty.

By December 1913, he had been promoted to brigadier general and was called to the Ministry of War by the French generalissimo, Joseph Joffre, who appointed him deputy to General Castelnau, the first assistant to the Chief of the General Staff of the Army. 

Joffre also entrusted him with a difficult and delicate task: reforming the French army and retiring a large number of generals considered ineffective. This decision earned Berthelot numerous enemies but also demonstrated his courage and integrity in the service of modernization and efficiency.

From the Battle of the Marne to Verdun – the making of a leader

At the outbreak of World War I, Berthelot served as Joffre’s deputy and was deeply involved in drafting the early war plans, which were built on an offensive strategy. He played a key role in directing military operations during the critical first months of the conflict. 

Despite some differences with Joffre, Berthelot contributed decisively to the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne in 1914, one of the turning points of the war.

Promoted to divisional general on November 30, 1914, he took command of the 5th Group of Reserve Divisions and later, starting from August 3, 1915, led the 32nd Army Corps in the Champagne region. 

His troops were later sent into the inferno of Verdun, one of the most devastating battles in human history, where they fought with extraordinary bravery and endurance. His leadership during these battles earned him a reputation as one of the brightest officers in the French army.

The mission to Romania – rebuilding a defeated army

In late 1916, following the catastrophic defeat of the Romanian army in its campaign against the Central Powers, the Romanian government requested urgent assistance from France. General Joffre decided to send one of his most capable officers to Bucharest: General Henri Mathias Berthelot. His task was nothing less than to reorganize, retrain, and rearm the Romanian army from the ground up.

Berthelot arrived in Romania accompanied by a large French military mission, and during the harsh winter of 1916–1917, he undertook the monumental effort of rebuilding an army in retreat. His organizational skills, energy, and confidence revitalized the morale of Romanian soldiers.

By the summer of 1917, thanks to the efforts of the “Berthelot Mission,” the Romanian army stood reborn and ready to fight again. The victories at Mărăști, Mărășești, and Oituz — where Romanian troops resisted massive German and Austro-Hungarian attacks — were the direct result of this tireless work. Although political and strategic circumstances later prevented Romania from sustaining the fight after Russia’s collapse and the Bolshevik Revolution, the achievements of Berthelot and his men left a deep and lasting impression.

Despite his best efforts, Berthelot could not form a new army in Russia capable of joining the Romanian forces, nor could he prevent the disintegration of the Eastern Front. Still, his diplomatic and organizational work extended the front’s resistance for several crucial weeks, buying the Allies valuable time to prepare for the German offensive on the Western Front.

Exile, return, and triumph in Bucharest

After the signing of the forced peace treaty between Romania and the Central Powers in the spring of 1918, Berthelot and the French mission were expelled from Romania at the demand of the Germans. He was reassigned to the Eastern Front, under the command of General Sarrail. 

From there, he managed to secretly inform King Ferdinand of Romania about the imminent signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany on November 11, 1918. This crucial message enabled Romania to reenter the war on the Allied side just one day before the armistice, thus ensuring its place among the victors and securing its right to participate in the peace negotiations at Versailles and Trianon.

On December 1, 1918, General Berthelot triumphantly reentered Bucharest alongside King Ferdinand, Queen Marie, Romanian generals, and victorious troops. His total dedication to the Romanian cause would later bring him into conflict with his superior, General Franchet d’Esperey, and even with French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, who viewed his enthusiasm for Romania with skepticism.

Later years and continued service to France

In July 1918, before returning to the Balkans, Berthelot was sent on a diplomatic mission to the United States, after which General Foch entrusted him with command of the French 5th Army, which took part in the decisive battles of Reims and Épernay. Following Germany’s defeat, Berthelot served on various military assignments in the Balkans before being appointed military governor of Metz until 1922, and later of Strasbourg from 1923 onward.

Throughout the 1920s, he remained a strong supporter of Franco-Romanian friendship. He played an essential role in establishing several Romanian memorial sites in France, including the cemetery at Soultzmatt, where over 680 Romanian prisoners of war are buried. There, he welcomed King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania, with whom he maintained a close and warm friendship. He also visited Romania several times, always being received as a national hero.

Decorated with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor and the French War Cross, and declared an honorary citizen of Romania, General Henri Mathias Berthelot passed away in Paris on January 29, 1931. His remains rest in Nervieux, near Saint-Étienne.

The legacy of the “Berthelot Mission” and its place in history

The memory of the “Berthelot Mission” remains one of the symbolic mirrors of Franco-Romanian relations throughout the 20th century. Between the end of World War I and the early 21st century, perceptions of Berthelot’s legacy have gone through several phases.

During his lifetime and in the years immediately following World War I, gratitude and admiration for his efforts dominated Romanian public opinion. Streets, schools, and monuments were named after him. However, after World War II, during the Stalinist period, this image was erased by the communist regime, which sought to minimize France’s influence and Romania’s historical ties with the West.

In the 1970s and 1980s, during the Ceaușescu era, the regime’s increasingly nationalist and anti-Soviet orientation led to a partial rehabilitation of Berthelot’s image. He was once again portrayed as a friend of Romania and as a symbol of the nation’s independence from foreign domination. After 1989, in post-communist Romania, historical interest in his figure was revived, and modern historians began to study his mission with greater objectivity, balancing national pride with academic rigor.

The “Poftim!” association – a lasting bond of friendship

Members of the Berthelot Mission formed an association called “Poftim!” — a Romanian word they often heard during their stay. This group kept the memory of their experience alive and continued to visit Romania for decades, attending commemorations such as the anniversary of the Battle of Mărășești.

However, the later attempts of the communist regime to exploit their presence for propaganda purposes, along with the poverty and hardship they found among their former Romanian comrades, gradually discouraged them. The last surviving member of the mission passed away in the 1980s, and with him ended the publication of their journal Poftim!, which had connected them for decades.

Why Henri Mathias Berthelot is remembered in Bucharest

Today, one of Bucharest’s central streets, near Cișmigiu Garden, bears his name, a well-deserved tribute to a man who gave his heart and soul to Romania in one of its darkest moments. For Romanians, Berthelot symbolizes loyalty, courage, and the spirit of solidarity between nations. 

His contribution to rebuilding the Romanian army and his unwavering support for Romania’s cause during World War I left an indelible mark on history.

General Henri Mathias Berthelot was more than an ally; he was a true friend of Romania. His name continues to evoke respect, not only among historians but also among those who understand the profound importance of Franco-Romanian friendship — a bond forged in war, strengthened in peace, and honored today on the streets of Bucharest that carry his memory forward.

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