In the spring of 1931, as his posting in Beirut drew to a close, de Gaulle once again asked Pétain for a posting to the "École de Guerre". Pétain tried to obtain an appointment for him as Professor of History there, but once again the faculty would not have him. Instead de Gaulle, drawing on plans he had drawn up in 1928 for reform of that institution, asked Pétain to create a special post for him which would enable him to lecture on "the Conduct of War" both to the "École de Guerre" and to the "Centre des Hautes Études Militaires" (CHEM – a senior staff college for generals, known as the "school for marshals"), and also to civilians at the "École Normale Supérieure", and to civil servants.