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Jean-Louis Georgelin
Jean-Louis Georgelin
	Georgelin in 2007
Born	30 August 1948; Aspet, Haute-Garonne, France
Died	18 August 2023 (aged 74); Bordes-Uchentein, Ariège, France
Allegiance	France
Service / branch	French Army
Years of service	1967–2010
Rank	General; Chief of the Military Staff; Chief of the Defence Staff
Unit	153rd infantry regiment
Awards	Légion d'honneur; Ordre national du Mérite; Bundesverdienstkreuz; Legion of Merit
Other work	Grand Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur (2010–2016)

Jean-Louis Georgelin (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃lwi ʒɔʁʒ(ə)lɛ̃]; 30 August 1948 – 18 August 2023) was a French Army general who was Chief of the Defence Staff (Chef d'état-major des armées, CEMA) between 4 October 2006 and 25 February 2010. From 9 June 2010 until 31 August 2016 he served as Grand Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur, the French national order.

On 17 April 2019, Georgelin was appointed the special representative to oversee the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris after it was severely damaged by fire, and continued in this role until his death.

Biography

After nine years at the Prytanée National Militaire, Georgelin joined Saint-Cyr in 1967. As a lieutenant, he was Chef de Section (Platoon Commander) at the École d'application de l'infanterie (Infantry School) from 1975 to 1976, responsible for the training of non-commissioned officers. He served with the 153rd Infantry Regiment as a Captain.

As a Commandant (Major), he graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and then from the Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) in Paris.

From 1985 to 1988, as a lieutenant-colonel, he was in charge of a class at Saint-Cyr (promotion Cadets de la France Libre). He then served as the chief of staff of the Army in the financial department from 1988 to 1991. He was an aide to the chief of cabinet of the Prime Minister from 1994 to 1997. From 1998 and 2002 he served at the general staff of the Army, directing the "plans, programmes and evaluations" division.

Georgelin was the personal chief of staff of President Jacques Chirac from 25 October 2002 to 4 October 2006. He was promoted to général d'armée on 3 October 2003.

Georgelin was promoted to Chief of the Defence Staff by the ministerial council on 20 August 2006. He became the Great Chancellor of the French national order of the Legion of honor by the ministerial council of 9 June 2010.^[1]

On 17 April 2019, Georgelin was appointed special representative to oversee the reconstruction of Notre-Dame-de-Paris after it was severely damaged by fire.^[2]

On 18 August 2023, Georgelin died after falling off a mountain during an alpine hike.^[3]^[4] His body was discovered at Mont Valier peak in the Pyrenees mountains straddling the France-Spain border.^[4]^[5] Georgelin was 74, and his death was ruled as having likely been due to an accident.^[5] Civil servant Philippe Jost (fr) succeeded Georgelin in leading the reconstruction.

Honours

French Parachutist Badge
Grand Cross of the Légion d'Honneur (France)
Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite (France)
French Order of Academic Palms, Commander
French Order of Arts and Letters, Commander
French commemorative medal
NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia with bar
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Commander's Cross
Commander of the US Legion of Merit
Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico)^[6]
Order pro Merito Melitensi (Order of Merit of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), Grand Cross with swords
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Cross of Merit with Gold Star (Holy See)
Distinguished Service Order (Military), Singapore
Order of Excellence, Grand Cross (Pakistan)
Order of Bernardo O'Higgins, Grand Cross (Chile)
Order of King Abdulaziz, Grand Officer (Saudi Arabia)
Order of Aviz, Grand Officer (Portugal)
Order of Saint-Charles, Grand Officer (Monaco)
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Grand Officer (Italy)
Military Order of Morocco, 2nd class
Order of the British Empire, Honorary Knight Commander (Military)
Order of Isabella the Catholic, Commander (Spain)
Order of Léopold, Commander (Belgium)
Order of the Crown, Commander (Belgium)
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Commander
Order of the Southern Cross, Commander (Brazil)
Order of Merit of the Central African Republic, Commander
National Order of Merit of Benin, Commander
National Order of Mali, Commander
National Order of Niger, Commander
National Order of Chad, Commander
Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, Commander
Order of Valour, Commander (Cameroon)

Notes

^ Conseil des ministres du 9 juin 2010, mesures d’ordre individuel Archived 13 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
^ Jean-Louis Georgelin, un général pour veiller sur Notre-Dame
^ Décès en montagne du Général Jean-Louis Georgelin (in French)
^ ^a ^b Willsher, Kim (19 August 2023). "French general in charge of Notre-Dame rebuild dies in mountain fall". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
^ ^a ^b "French general in charge of Notre-Dame reconstruction found dead in Pyrenees". France 24. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
^ "DOF – Diario Oficial de la Federación".

External links

(in French) Biographie du Général d'armée Jean-Louis Georgelin, grand chancelier de la Légion d'honneur
(in English) French national Order of Legion of Honnor, official website
(in French) – Biographie du CEMA
(in French) Article du journal Libération
(in French) Discours du chef d'état-major des armées
(in French) Visite officielle du CEMA aux Etats-Unis

Military offices
Preceded by Henri Bentégeat	Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic 10 May 2002 – 2 September 2006	Succeeded by Édouard Guillaud
Preceded by Henri Bentégeat	Chief of the Defence Staff 4 October 2006 – 24 February 2010	Succeeded by Édouard Guillaud
Political offices
Preceded by Jean-Pierre Kelche	Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour 9 June 2010 – 31 August 2016	Succeeded by Benoît Puga