WWI Poll - Best of the French Army Commanders

[Nytram01]

Another WWI poll asking who was the best of the French Army Commanders. Again I ask only for their service as Army Commanders to be judged.

August Dubail - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Dubail
Emile Fayolle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Émile_Fayolle
Henri Gouraud - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Gouraud_(soldier)
Francois Anthoine - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Anthoine
Marie-Eugene Debeney - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Eugène_Debeney
Nole Edouard - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noël_Édouard,_vicomte_de_Curières_de_Castelnau
Phillipe Petain (1915-1916) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Pétain
Robert Nivelle (1915-1916) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nivelle
Adolphe Guillaumat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolphe_Guillaumat
Pierre Ruffey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Ruffey
Maurice Sarrail - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Sarrail
Fernand de Langle de Cary - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_de_Langle_de_Cary
Charles Lanrezac - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lanrezac
Louis Franchet d'Esperey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Franchet_d'Espérey
Henri Mathias Berthelot - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Mathias_Berthelot

 

[usertron2020]

Petain: "Fire kills"

Doesn't change my opinion of him in WWII though.
Deserved a soldier's execution: Shoot him

 

[David S Poepoe]

My personal favorite is Joseph Gallieni. He would have been better than Joffre.

 

[Anaxagoras]

My personal favorite is Joseph Gallieni. He would have been better than Joffre.

He certainly deserves at least an honorable mention.

I myself voted for Fayolle, who I have always felt is underrated.

EDIT: By purely WWI criteria, it's easy to vote for Petain. But it's hard when considering his behavior twenty-two years later, isn't it?