Géraud François Gustave Réveilhac (16 February 1851 – 26 February 1937) was a French général de division during World War I. He gained infamy for the Souain corporals affair in 1915 when four non-commissioned officers were executed as an example to other troops he commanded who had refused to attack a heavily-defended position on the Western Front. His actions were an inspiration for Humphrey Cobb's novel Paths of Glory; the 1957 film of the same name was made by Stanley Kubrick. In 1916 he was relieved of front line duty. He was made a commander in the French reserves until the end of the war. Early life and career Born on 16 February 1851 in Aurillac, France, Réveilhac went on to graduate from the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in August 1870, as a sub-lieutenant. He became a prisoner of the Prussians in December the same year, but was released on 8 January the following year. He took part in putting down the uprising in Limoges in April 1871, garnering praise from his superiors. Réveilhac was subsequently regularly promoted, being sent to Indochina to command a company in 1889, and was made général de brigade on 21 December 1909 as commanding officer of the 42nd Infantry Brigade. He was preparing for retirement by 1914 when World War I broke out. World War I At the beginning of World War I, Réveilhac was commanding the 119th Infantry Brigade, part of the 60th Infantry Division, under Général de division Maurice Joppé, whom he replaced on 25 September 1914 as commanding officer of the division. Réveilhac was promoted to acting général de division on 6 October 1914. Souain corporals affair In March 1915, after two attempts to take a strong German position near Souain-Perthes-lès-Hurlus had failed, he ordered the 21st company of the 336th Infantry Regiment to make a bayonet charge against the position. But before the attack began, a preceding French barrage shelled their own side's trenches. Unscathed German machine guns quickly cut down the first wave. The remaining troops in the 21st company then refused to leave their trenches. On hearing this, Réveilhac ordered his divisional artillery to shell them in order to force them to attack. However, the artillery commander, Colonel Raoul Berube, refused to obey without a written order. Réveilhac did not issue one. After the assault's failure, Réveilhac quickly ordered that 24 men from the infantry units involved