Foch, who held the titles of marshal of France, Britain and Poland, is regarded in Poland as a strong supporter of the country’s sovereignty.
He backed the formation of Gen. Józef Haller’s Polish Army in France in 1917.
In 1923, Foch was named a marshal of Poland, becoming the only foreign national to receive the rank.
He was also awarded Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, as well as the Virtuti Militari, the country’s top military decoration.
The planned three-metre statue will depict a ceremony held on February 5, 1921, at the Saint-Cyr military academy in France, when Foch received the Virtuti Militari from Poland’s leader, Marshal Józef Piłsudski.
The sculpture will show Foch opening his coat to allow Piłsudski to pin the cross to his uniform.
Foch also supported Poland during the 1920 Polish-Soviet War and was instrumental in dispatching a French military mission to the country.
The monument is scheduled to be unveiled in April 2027 near Piłsudski Square, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the National Opera in Warsaw’s city centre.
The project has received backing from France’s defence ministry and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and will be financed in part by French companies operating in the Polish capital.
(mk/gs)