A French general with a brass hand – Paul Pau.

Paul Marie Cesar Gerald Pau, born was 29 November in 1848, Montélimar – died 2 January 1932 in Paris. French soldier and general who served in the Franco-Prussian War and in World War I.

He took part in the Franco-Prussian War, suffering the loss of his lower right arm. By 1903, he had reached the rank of General, but he retired from active service in 1911. He was offered the position of Army Chief of Staff by War Minister Adolphe Messimy, but was removed from consideration due to his anti-republican political views and his insistence on the authority to personally nominate generals for high commands. The position instead passed to Joseph Joffre, who would become the French commander-in-chief during World War I.

When war broke out in 1914, General Joffre recalled Pau from retirement to command the Army of Alsace to participate in the attacks towards Alsace called for by Plan XVII.

After serving in the French Supreme War Council, he was sent in January 1916 as French representative to the Russian high command, known as the Stavka. Pau also toured Australia and New Zealand between September 1918 and January 1919 with the French Mission on a post-war diplomatic visit.