as chosen and
almost immediately he began to justify the choice.

Joffre and his associates of the council not only foresaw the war, but
they quite clearly previsioned its extent and something of its
character. In 1912 Joffre declared "the fighting front will extend
from four hundred to five hundred miles." He talked little, but he
worked prodigiously; and always his insistence was: "We must be
prepared!"

"With whole nations," he said, "engaged in a mortal combat, disaster is
certain for those who in time of peace failed to prepare for war." And
"To be ready means, to-day, to have mustered in advance all the
resources of the country, all the intelligence of its citizens, all
their moral energy, for the purpose of attaining this one aim--victory.
Getting ready is a duty that devolves not only upon the army, but upon
all public officials, upon all organizations, upon all societies, upon
all families, upon all citizens."

This complete readiness was beyond his power to effect. But in his
province--the army--he achieved marvels that were almost miracles.

It was France's good fortune (and that of her allies) that in all he
undertook for the purification and strengthening of the army Joffre
had, from January, 1912, the complete co-operation of the Minister of
War, M. Millerand. Together, these two men, brilliantly supported by
some of Joffre's colleagues in the Superior Council--notably Pau and
Castelnau--achieved results that have been pronounced "unparalleled in
the history of the Third Republic." They freed the army from the worst
effects of political influence, made it once more a popular
institution, and organized it into an effectiveness which needs, now,
no comment.

When Foch was put in command of the Twentieth army corps at Nancy it
was in the expectation that Nancy would sustain the first shock of the
German invasion when it came. The opinion prevailed that Nancy could
not be held. Whether Joffre was of this opinion or not, I do not know.
If he was, he probably felt that Foch would give it up only after
harder fighting than any other general. But Foch believed that Nancy
could be defended, and so did his immediate superior, the gallant
General Castelnau, in command of the Second Army of Lorraine.

For nearly a year following upon his appointment to Nancy, Foch labored
mightily to strengthen Nancy against the attack which was impending.
He seems never to have doubted that Germany would make her firs