Marshall Ferdinand Foch is considered a 20th century French military genius. Foch fought back German attacks at the beginning of World War I and led the allied forces against Germany in the final stages of the war. He wished to dictate peace terms after the war that would not allow the defeated Germany to threaten France again. He considered the Treaty of Versailles not as a peace but as an armistice for 20 years and his words proved to be all too prophetic.