1917 in France

See also: 1916 in France, other events of 1917, 1918 in France.

Events from the year 1917 in France.

Events

• 9 April - Battle of Arras, a British offensive, begins.
• 16 April - Second Battle of the Aisne begins, the main action of the French Nivelle Offensive.
• 29 April - Architect of the Second Battle of the Aisne and the French Commander-in-Chief, General Robert Nivelle, is sacked.
• 9 May - Second Battle of the Aisne ends in failure, leading to desertions.
• 27 May - French Army desertions turned to mutiny as up to 30,000 soldiers left the front line and reserve trenches and returned to the rear
• 16 May - Battle of Arras ends.
• 8 June - French military authorities took action with mass arrests, followed by mass trials.
• 15 August - Anglo-Canadian offensive, Battle of Hill 70 starts.
• 25 August - Battle of Hill 70 ends.
• 15 November - Georges Clemenceau becomes prime minister of France.
• 20 November, British campaign, Battle of Cambrai begins. First successful use of tanks in a combined arms operation.
• 6 December - Battle of Cambrai ends.

Births

January to June

• 3 January - Pierre Dervaux, operatic conductor and composer (died 1992).
• 24 January - Marcel Hansenne, middle distance runner (died 2002).
• 16 April - Lucienne Delyle, singer (died 1962).
• 22 April - Yvette Chauviré, prima ballerina assoluta.
• 25 April - Jean Lucas, motor racing driver (died 2003).
• 29 May - Élie de Rothschild, banker (died 2007).
• 31 May - Jean Rouch, filmmaker and anthropologist (died 2004).

July to December

• 14 June - Gilbert Prouteau, poet.
• 18 July - Henri Salvador, singer (died 2008).
• 25 July - Philippe De Lacy, actor (died 1995).
• 27 July - Bourvil, actor and singer (died 1970).
• 15 August - Philippe Viannay, journalist (died 1986).
• 24 September - Jean Hermil, Roman Catholic bishop of Viviers (died 2006).
• 20 October - Jean-Pierre Melville, filmmaker (died 1973).
• 30 October - Maurice Trintignant, motor racing driver (died 2005).
• 5 November - Jacqueline Auriol, aviatrix who set several world speed records (died 2000).
• 11 November - Madeleine Damerment, World War II heroine (executed) (died 1944).
• 19 November - Philippe Ragueneau, journalist and writer (died 2003).

Full date unknown

• Philippe Charbonneaux, product designer (died 1998).
• Bernard Destremau, tennis player (died 2002).
• Annette Laming-Emperaire, archeologist (died 1977).
• Maurice Lauré, creator of taxe sur la valeur ajoutée (TVA) (died 2001).
• Jean-Etienne Marie, composer (died 1989).
• Paul Tessier, surgeon (died 2008).

Deaths

January to June

• 16 February - Octave Mirbeau, journalist, art critic, pamphleteer, novelist and playwright (born 1848).
• 23 February - Jean Gaston Darboux, mathematician (born 1842).
• 26 February - Joseph Jules Dejerine, neurologist (born 1849).
• 10 May - Louis Théophile Joseph Landouzy, neurologist (born 1845).
• 30 June - Antonio de La Gandara, painter and draughtsman (born 1861).

July to December

• 8 September - Charles-Edouard Lefebvre, composer (born 1843).
• 27 September - Edgar Degas, artist (born 1834).
• 3 November - Léon Bloy, novelist, essayist, pamphleteer and poet (born 1846).
• 5 November - Henri Amédée de Broglie, nobleman (born 1849).
• 15 November - Émile Durkheim, sociologist (born 1858).
• 17 November - Auguste Rodin, sculptor (born 1840).
• 20 December - Lucien Petit-Breton, cyclist, winner of 1907 and 1908 Tour de France (born 1882).

Full date unknown

• Auguste Chauveau, professor and veterinarian (born 1827).
• Carolus-Duran, painter (born 1837).
• François-Victor Équilbecq, author (born 1872).

References