attack on the Chemin des Dames was a "disaster". Nivelle is also considered positively in some ways. In The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War, he is described as "a competent tactician as a regimental colonel in 1914", that his creeping barrage tactics were "innovative", and that he was able to galvanize "increasingly pessimistic public opinion in France" in December 1916". J Rickard believes Nivelle's push for a greater development of the tank contributed to its improvement by 1918, and he also says that Nivelle was a "gifted artilleryman". Some historians blame the Nivelle Offensive for starting the French army mutinies of 1917. Tim Travers states that "the heavy French casualties of the Nivelle offensive resulted in French army mutinies", and David Stevenson proposes that "the Nivelle offensive-or more precisely the decision to persist with it-precipitated the French mutinies of May and June [1917]". Mount Nivelle on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies was named for him in 1918; summits with the names of other French generals are nearby: Cordonnier, Foch, Joffre, Mangin, and Pétain. Decorations Légion d'honneur Knight (9 July 1895) Officer (21 December 1912) Commander (10 April 1915) Grand Officer (13 September 1916) Grand Cross (28 December 1920) Médaille militaire (30 December 1921) Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with 3 palms Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire 1901 China expedition commemorative medal Médaille commémorative du Maroc with "Oudjda" and "Haut-Guir" clasps Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918 Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Croix de guerre (Belgium) Officer of the Nicham Iftikhar (Tunisia) Distinguished Service Medal (US) Other honours In 1993, botanists published Nivellea nivellei , a flowering plant from Morocco, belonging to the family Asteraceae, with the two names in his honour. See also Battle of Verdun Nivelle Offensive Second Battle of the Aisne Philippe Pétain Chemin des Dames References Notes General references Blake, Robert (editor); The Private Papers of Douglas Haig 1914–1918, London 1952 Grigg, John. Lloyd George: War Leader, 1916–1918 (2002) pp 35–44, 81–98 Hattersley, Roy. David Lloyd George (2010) pp 426–33 Lloyd George, David. War Memoirs (2nd ed. 1938) vol 1 ch 50 on "The Nivelle Offensive" pp 873–908 Woodward, David R. Field Marshal Sir William Robertson (Westport Connecticut & London). Praeger, 1998, External links 1856 births 1924 deaths People from Tulle French military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion French military personnel of World War I École Polytechnique alumni French generals Recipients