[1] The CSG was created by President Adolphe Thiers by executive decree on 27 July 1872.
It is not to be confused with the Conseil de Défense created on 29 June 1872, which was charged with planning the construction of fortifications and was composed solely of military officers.
When the Chief of the General Staff of the Army (Chef d'État-Major Général de l'Armée) was created in May 1890, its holder became the only ex officio member of the CSG and in charge of war planning.
Finally in 1911, the offices were merged, so that the chief war planner in peacetime would also have operational command of the army upon mobilization.
The first vice president with combined powers was Joseph Joffre, who also appointed a separate army chief of staff beneath him (Auguste Dubail).