Description
The State Funeral invitation for Marshal Foch, former Chief of Staff of the French Army and Supreme Allied Commander during World War I.
Printed on cardstock, black mourning boarders. Full piece measures 21.5cm x 13.5cm. The State Funeral was held on Tuesday, March 26, 1929 at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. This invitation directs entrance through the Middle Grand Portal. A scarce piece of World War I ephemera, with no other known copies appearing on the public market.
Provenance: Private archive of Marshal Joseph Joffre, who attended the funeral at Notre-Dame, but did not walk in the funeral procession.
At the Treaty of Versailles, Foch believed the terms were too lenient on Germany, and said to Winston Churchill: “This is not Peace. It is an Armistice for twenty years.” Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929) would not live to see his prophetic vision realized, dying on March 20, 1929. He was buried at Les Invalides, next to Napoleon Bonaparte and other distinguished French military figures. His state funeral was held at Notre-Dame and was followed by a funeral procession down Rue de Rivoli. The procession was led by General John J. Pershing, Marshal Petain, and representatives of the French Armed Forces.
