André Zeller was born on January 1, 1898 at Besançon.
In May 1915 after the First World War broke out, while he was barely 17, he abandoned preparations for studies in polytechnic and opted to go to the front.
Thus, within the 59th artillery regiment, he fought several battles at Verdun and the Somme and equally participated in the Flanders offensive and the second battle of Marne. During the last offensive in the summer of 1918, Lieutenant Zeller was battery commander.
In 1920, Lieutenant Zeller, having developed interest in warfare, left for Syria where he took part in various operations at Aïntoub and along the banks of River Euphrates. In 1931, Captain Zeller was admitted into Ecole Supérieure de guerre and later became army chief of staff.
During the Second World War, André Zeller escaped being caught by boarding a submarine chaser bound for London. He later served in Algeria where he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in August 1942. He participated in the Tunisian (November 1942 to May 1943) and Italian (December 1943 to July 1944) campaigns as deputy commanding officer of the French Expeditionary Force under Field Marshall Juin. Finally, he landed in Provence on August 16, 1944 with de Lattre’s B Army. As commander of the 3rd D.I.A artillery and then of the 1st D.B, he fought the Vosges and Colmar battles.
Made brigadier general in 1946, André Zeller was promoted to major general in 1950. From July 1, 1958 to October 1, 1959, Lieutenant General André Zeller served as Army Chief of Staff. In 1961, he was one of the four generals who, opposing General de Gaulle, launched and coordinated the April 21 to 25 Algiers coup aimed at preserving French Algeria. When the coup failed, he was discharged, jailed and sentenced to 15 years criminal detention with deprivation of civic rights. He was released in 1966 and reprieved in 1968.
General André Zeller died on September 18, 1979 in Paris. He authored several works: le dialogue avec un lieutenant, un colonel (Editions Plon), un général (Presses de la Cité) les hommes de la Commune, and Soldats perdus (Librairie Perrin).
This volunteer serviceman was Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and holder of ten commendations that earned him four war crosses :