 | The article's lead section may need to be rewritten. (May 2022) |
Louis Félix Thomas Maurin | |
|---|---|
 Maurin in 1934 | |
| Minister of War | |
| In office 8 November 1934 – 7 June 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Philippe Pétain |
| Succeeded by | Jean Fabry |
| Minister of War | |
| In office 24 January 1936 – 4 June 1936 | |
| Preceded by | Jean Fabry |
| Succeeded by | Édouard Daladier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 January 1869 Cherbourg, France |
| Died | 6 June 1956 (aged 87) Paris. France |
| Occupation | General |
Louis Félix Thomas Maurin (French pronunciation: [lwi feliks tɔma moʁɛ̃]; 5 January 1869 – 6 June 1956) was a French army general who was twice Minister of War in the 1930s. Before and during World War I (1914–18) he was a strong advocate of motorization. In the inter-war period from 1919 to 1939 he advocated a policy of passive defense against the growing German threat. He thought that with all the money that had been spent on the Maginot Line fortifications it would be madness to go on the offensive. He saw little value in tanks as a weapon. He advised against a limited military reaction when Germany reoccupied the Rhineland in March 1936, calling for general mobilization or nothing. He did not consider that the 1936 pact with Russia would help France militarily.