Bernard Janvier


Bernard Janvier is a former general of the French Army who served in the French Foreign Legion, primarily spearheading and putting in place effective resolving forces.
He first took part in the Algerian War. He then spearheaded at the head of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP in a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. He was later designated as the commander of Division Daguet during the First Gulf War. Four years later, he was assigned UNPROFOR in charge of peacekeeping during the Bosnian War.

Biography

His father Pierre, was an officer in the gendarmerie. Bernard conducted his studies at the Orange College, at schools in Nice and Algeria and the University of Rennes.

Military career

Admitted to the École militaire interarmes at Coetquidan, on October 1, 1958, in quality of a Saint-Cyrien, « Général Bugeaud », he conducted his course application at the infantry school in Nimes, on September 15, 1960.
On December 1, 1960, he joined the center of perfection of the infantry cadres 2 at Philippeville in Algeria, then was assigned to on January 1, 1961 to the 1st battalion of the 1st Tirailleurs Regiment in quality as a commando chief.
Assigned to the 1st Foreign Regiment 1e RE during the month of July 1962, he was assigned on August 1, 1962 to the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP, regiment with which he conducted a tour in North Africa from August 1962 to September 1964.
From 1964 to 1967, he served in Madagascar and at the Comoros at the corps of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3e REI, successively as assistant officer in a combat unit then a corps general staff headquarters officer. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on January 1, 1967. Repatriated, he followed the Captain's course at the infantry application school, then the 33rd promotion of the generals staff headquarters school in quality as a candidate, as of December 1, 1968.
He commanded from 1968 to 1970, a company of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment 9e RCP, then from 1970 to 1972, as a company officer at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr at Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan. Following, he occupied at the corps of the school, the functions of assistant chief of general information and general military formation during two years.
Candidate at the 88th promotion of superior war school, from September 1974 to May 1976, he served later, from June 1976 to August 1978, as an officer treating the bureau of personnel effectifs of the general staff headquarters of the French Army. He was promoted to Chef de bataillon on October 1, 1974.
Successively, assigned as bureau chief of instruction and operations, then second commanding officer at the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP, from August 1978 to September 1981, he participated to « Operation Tacaud » in Tchad in quality as the inter-arm group commandant « Phœnix », from November 1979 to April 1980. He received his Lieutenant-colonel rank on October 1, 1978.
In 1981, he was assigned as general staff headquarters officer of the general inspection of the French Army.
Designated as regimental commander of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP at Calvi, in 1982, he spearheaded the regiment in « Operation Épaulard I », within the cadre force of the Multinational Force in Lebanon from August to September 1982, in Beirut, Lebanon, charged in repatriating President Arafat. He was accordingly promoted to the rank of Colonel on October 1, 1982. He then participated to « Operation Manta » in Tchad, as commandant in the inter-arm group from January to May 1984.
From 1984 to 1987, he exercised the functions of section chief of personnel, in the bureau of personnel-effectif at the general staff headquarters of the French Army.
On August 1, 1987, he was the assistant general commanding officer of the 6th Light Armoured Division 6e DLB, at Nimes, and on March 1, 1988, he was admitted to the 1st section of officer generals.
On July 1, 1989, he was the chief of the division of the organization and logistics at the general staff headquarters of the Armies.
In May 1990, he commanded « Operation Requin » at Port-Gentil in Gabon.
On February 7 to April 30, 1991, he commanded Division Daguet in Saudi Arabia, then Iraq. At this title, he had under his commandment 4300 U.S. soldiers. He was promoted the Général de division on April 1, 1991.
, and général Janvier at As Salman on March 10, 1991.
On May 1, 1991, he was designated in charge of missions near the chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies before assuming command of the 6th Light Armoured Division 6e DLB, at Nîmes, on June 1, 1991 until September 5, 1993.
He was designated as chief of the general staff headquarters of the inter-arm operational planning, on December 6, 1993. He was accordingly elevated to the rank designation of Général de corps d'armée on July 1, 1994.
On February 1, 1995, he was placed at the disposition of the Chief of Staff of the French Army and received on March 1, 1995, the chief commandment of the peacekeeping force of the united Nations for ex-Yugoslavia and simultaneously, assured the in second commandment functions of the force placed for the peace plan in Bosnia.
Towards the end of the mission, he was placed at the disposition of Chief of Staff of the French Army, on February 19, 1996. On July 1996, he was nominated as a member of the superior council of the French Army.
On September 1, 1996, he was nominated as director of the Institute of High Studies of National Defense and of the Center of High Military Studies, of the superior military teachings. He received his 5th Star on July 1, 1998 and joined the 2nd section of officer generals on January 1, 1999.

Role in events surrounding the Srebrenica Massacre

On 16 November 1995, the International Association for the Prevention of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes applied to indict General Janvier for:
It has been alleged that an agreement was reached in June 1995, during a meeting between General Janvier and Ratko Mladic, that airpower would not to be used if the Serbs freed the dozens of UN soldiers taken hostage a month earlier.
In 2001, he was interrogated by the French Investigative Commission on the Srebrenica massacre for his role in refusing the use of airpower requested by the Dutch Battalion charged with defending the enclave.

Recognitions and Honors

On another hand, he is decorated with numerous Foreign decorations out of which:
He was wounded on December 14, 1961 at Aïn Ogra by a mine blast.