François Jean Antonin Gonzalez de Linarès was born in Guérande, Loire-Atlantique on 7 July 1897.

He enlisted as a volunteer for an eight-year term on 9 August 1917 as a pupil at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr.

On the eve of World War II on 2 September 1939 he was assigned to the General Staff of the 3rd Army.

[1] On 27 October 1939 Linarès was made commander of the 15th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins.

[2] In August 1945 Linarès was made chairman of a committee to revise the regulations for infantry regiments.

On 15 January 1951 he was given command of the French Forces in the Tonkin region of North Vietnam.

He was given interim command of all forces in Indochina from July to September 1952 during the absence of General Raoul Salan.

From 1 January 1954 until his death he was a full member of the Supreme Council of War.