Editing Maxime Weygand (section)

==== Head of the army ====
[[File:Maxime Weygand, Joseph Paul-Boncour, Maurice Gamelin, 1932.jpg|thumb|Weygand, second from left, with Gamelin, on right, in 1932.]]

The opening of the question of succession as chief of the general staff from 1927 placed Weygand again in the spotlight: Foch, for his part, supported his protégé and made his views clear before his death in 1929. The left-wing war minister [[Paul Painlevé]] supported [[Louis Maurin]]. But after Petain's announced his support for Weygand and buttressed it with the recommendation that Weygand should be further appointed inspector-general on Petain's retirement (designating Weygand as commander-in-chief on mobilisation), the topic of the appointment became thoroughly politicised.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|pp=59–60}} The end of Briand's government in November 1929 led to a right-wing government under [[André Tardieu]] until February 1930 that made [[André Maginot]] war minister. Attacked as a right-wing Catholic cavalry officer with aristocratic haughtiness and designs against the Third Republic with profligate plans for military expenditure in a time of austerity, Weygand was forced to disavow in a statement to Parliament any political activities and affirm his loyalty to the republican regime.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|pp=60–61}} The eventual compromise saw Weygand made chief of staff with the more politically-safe [[Maurice Gamelin]] as deputy; Weygand was appointed chief of staff on 3 January 1930 at the age of 63.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|p=61}}<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6584966q/f13.image |title=Décret portant affectation d'un officier général |journal=Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et décrets |volume=62 |issue=2 |page=101 |language=fr |date=3 January 1930 |via=Gallica }}</ref> On Petain's retirement to the post of air defence inspector on 10 February 1931, Weygand took up the vice presidency of the ''[[Conseil supérieur de la guerre]]'' as well as inspector-general of the army; Gamelin was appointed chief of staff in his place.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65429912/f72.image |title=Conseil supérieur de la guerre et inspection général de l'armée |date=10 February 1931 |language=fr |journal=Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et décrets |volume=63 |issue=34 |page=1776 |via=Gallica }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65429912/f72.image |title=État-major général de l'armée |date=10 February 1931 |language=fr |journal=Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et décrets |volume=63 |issue=34 |page=1776 |via=Gallica }}</ref>

Weygand's remained as vice president of the ''Conseil'' until his mandatory requirement at the age of 68 in February 1935.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|p=70}}<ref name="generals.dk">{{cite web  |title=Biography of General Maxime Weygand |website=Generals.dk |url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Weygand/Maxime/France.html |access-date=2007-07-30 }}</ref> During his years in charge of the military, he attempted to push for military modernisation and increased service requirements to match the threat posed by Germany. However, the [[Great Depression in France|Great Depression]] came with substantial political instability, including street violence, and fourteen prime ministers between January 1930 and 1935. Attempts to broker international disarmament agreements were collapsed and the politicians were unwilling in depressed economic conditions to invest in new equipment or expand military pay.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|pp=63–66}} Amid the breakdown in French civil-military relations in the 1930s, Weygand was neutral and "never indicated any support for any such projects" to replace the republican system with a military dictatorship.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|p=69}} He was, however, able to successfully lobby for creation of a [[Division Legere Mecanique|light mechanised division]] as well as creation of a seven motorised infantry division in the early 1930s; he was also able to lobby for extension of conscripts' service to two years in 1934.{{sfn|Clayton|2015|pp=67, 70}}<ref>{{cite web |last=House |first=Jonathan M |title=Toward combined arms warfare: a survey of 20th-century tactics, doctrine, and organization |year=1984 |publisher=Combat Studies Institute |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/house.pdf |page=61 |quote=Chief of Staff Maxime Weygand took significant steps towards motorization and mechanization during the early 1930s... seven infantry divisions became motorized... In 1934, Weygand continued the trend towards armored cavalry by forming the first "light mechanized division" (Division Légère Mèchanique, or DLM...) }}</ref>