61-604: Michel Ney, 1st Prince de la Moskowa, 1st Duke of Elchingen ( pronounced [miʃɛl nɛ] ; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars . The son of a cooper from Saarlouis , Ney worked as a civil servant until 1787 when he enlisted in a cavalry regiment, right before
122-539: A Peer of France by the newly enthroned King Louis XVIII . Although Ney had pledged his allegiance to the restored monarchy, the Bourbon court looked down on him because he was a commoner by birth. When he heard of Napoleon's return to France, Ney, determined to keep France at peace and to show his loyalty to Louis XVIII, organized a force to stop Napoleon's march on Paris. Ney also pledged to bring Napoleon back alive in an iron cage. Aware of Ney's plans, Napoleon sent him
183-543: A few received financial endowments from the Emperor, with two of them – Louis-Alexandre Berthier and André Masséna – receiving more than one million Francs each. Two Marshals – Joachim Murat and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte – went on to become kings, with the latter being the direct ancestor of the current Swedish royal family . Most of the Marshals held significant commands during the Napoleonic Wars , winning some of
244-643: A letter which said, in part, "I shall receive you as I did after the Battle of the Moskowa ." On 14 March, on the main square in Lons-le-Saulnier (Jura) Ney joined Napoleon with a small army of 6,000 men. Ney’s reconciliation with Napoleon was a body blow to the monarchy’s hopes of retaining control of the army and with it, France, and the King abandoned Paris just two days after Ney’s ‘treason’ became known in
305-648: A purely civil dignity reserved to distinguished generals and not a military rank, a Marshal displayed four stars, while the top military rank of the time, the General of Division displayed three. Contrary to a well-established idea and to the representation on most paintings of the time, the Marshal's four stars were silvered, not gilded. A Marshal was required to wear a standard uniform, which was established through decree on 18 July 1804 and designed by painter Jean-Baptiste Isabey and designer Charles Percier . Nevertheless,
366-458: A result of battle wounds. During his five years as a Marshal of the Empire (1809–1814), Nicolas-Charles Oudinot received seven of a total of 34 battle wounds suffered throughout his career, but went on to live to the then venerable age of 81. Often formidable when serving under the direct command of Napoleon, the Marshals proved to be less effective when having to cooperate in the Emperor's absence. Some repeatedly acted in bad faith when placed under
427-573: A series of rearguard actions ( Pombal , Redinha , Casal Novo , and Foz de Arouce ) through which he managed to delay the pursuing Coalition forces long enough to allow the main French force to retreat in 1811. He was ultimately removed from his command for insubordination. Ney was given command of the III Corps of the Grande Armée during the invasion of Russia in 1812. At Smolensk , Ney
488-476: A single person, but three decades after Bouvines, Louis IX of France set sail for the 1248 Crusade with two Marshals. As early as the 15th century, the Marshals no longer cared for the King's horses and stables, and were simply military leaders, a role that they would retain through to modern times. Although the position remained highly prestigious, their number grew throughout the centuries, with Louis XIV naming as many as 51 Marshals during his 72-year reign. In
549-463: A stable supervisor who took care of the king's horses. With the growing importance of the battle horse during the early Middle Age , the role came to acquire some prestige and began to be known as Marshal of France . Albéric Clément , who led King Philippe-Auguste 's vanguard during the victory over the English at Bouvines in 1214, was the first recorded incumbent. At first, the role was granted to
610-629: A young general, possibly bitter that he had not been nominated also observed that: "If Bessières is a Marshal, then anyone can be." Ironically, Marmont himself was made a Marshal of the Empire in 1809, though it was said he was awarded the distinction for his close friendship with Napoleon as opposed to any great generalship. Battle of Arcole , Battle of Rivoli , French invasion of Switzerland , Cisalpine Coup , Battle of Castricum , Battle of Monzambanno , Battle of Pollozzo , Siege of Stralsund , Hundred Days Chief of Rivoli Peer of France Peer of France Peer of France ( Bas-Rhin ), Staff of
671-596: Is questionable if Ida Saint-Elme , 'Courtisane de la Grande Armée', was a lover of Michel Ney. Ney has been portrayed by (among others): Ney has been portrayed by (among others): Rumors that a school teacher in Rowan County, North Carolina was Marshal Ney in exile circulated in Carolina in 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Records in Charleston, South Carolina indicate the arrival of one "Peter Stewart Ney"
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#1732783210000732-472: Is still debate as to what time Napoleon actually ordered Ney to capture the town. At Ligny, Napoleon ordered General Jean-Baptiste d'Erlon to move his corps (on Napoleon's left and Ney's right at the time) to the Prussians' rear in order to cut off their line of retreat. D'Erlon began to move into position, but suddenly stopped and began moving away, much to the surprise and horror of Napoleon. The reason for
793-551: The Chamber of Peers . In order to save Ney's life, his lawyer André Dupin declared that Ney was now Prussian and could not be judged by a French court for treason as Ney's hometown of Sarrelouis had been annexed by Prussia according to the Treaty of Paris of 1815 . Ney ruined his lawyer's effort by interrupting him and stating: "Je suis Français et je resterai Français!" ("I am French and I will remain French!"). On 4 December, when
854-545: The First French Empire . It was established by Sénatus-consulte / Napoléon Bonaparte on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France . According to the Sénatus-consulte , a Marshal was a grand officer of the Empire, entitled to a high-standing position at the court and to the presidency of an electoral college . Although in theory reserved "to
915-466: The detachment and wounded who could not go on. The river, 110 m wide and of a depth that could reach up to 2 m, was only frozen for a couple of days, leaving it fragile, and the ice broke in several places. When Ney and his men reached the other bank, they had to climb a twelve feet (3.7 m), very steep slope:. The elements and the Cossacks reduced Ney's contingent to only 800 (900, 2,000?) diehards. In
976-417: The firing holes ) while they were under French control (during the cavalry attack, the crews of the cannon retreated into the squares for protection, and then re-manned their pieces as the cavalry withdrew). Ney's cavalry carried the equipment needed to spike cannons, and spiking the cannons would probably have made them useless for the rest of the battle. The loss of a large number of cannon would have weakened
1037-787: The officer corps of the French Army was restricted to those with four quarterings of nobility ( i.e. , two generations of aristocratic birth). However, Ney rapidly rose through the non-commissioned officer ranks. Following the French Revolution, Ney continued to serve in what was now the French Revolutionary Army , in the Army of the North . In September 1792 he saw action at the Battle of Valmy and in October
1098-585: The "honorary" title of Marshal. Six other promotions ensued, with eight other generals elevated to the Marshalate. The title often ensured a highly privileged social status – four Marshals were created Counts of the Empire and 17 received either the title of Duke or Prince . With two exceptions – Jean-Baptiste Bessières and Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier – the Marshals led a sumptuous lifestyle and left behind significant, at times immense, fortunes. Several of them received significant annuities; in addition,
1159-562: The 1805 campaign, Ney took command of the VI Corps of the Grande Armée and was praised for his conduct at Elchingen . In November 1805, Ney invaded Tyrol, capturing Innsbruck from Archduke John . In the 1806 campaign, Ney fought at Jena and then occupied Erfurt. Later in the campaign, Ney successfully besieged Magdeburg . In the 1807 campaign, Ney arrived with reinforcements in time to save Napoleon from defeat at Eylau . Later in
1220-809: The Army of Moselle, Adjutant General Brigade Chief, Active in the Army of the Rhine , Brigadier General, Deputy and Command of the Right wing in the Army of Italy, Defense of Genoa, Colonel General of Consular Guard , Governor General of Camp Boulogne , Corp in Austria , and Prussia , II Corp in Spain , Chief of Forces in Spain, IV Corps (1813), Command of French Forces at the Pyrenees Frontier , Chief of Staff for
1281-668: The Danube. At Winterthur , Ney received wounds in the thigh and wrist. After recovering he fought at Hohenlinden under General Jean Victor Marie Moreau in December 1800. From September 1802, Ney commanded French troops in Switzerland and performed diplomatic duties. On 19 May 1804, Ney received his marshal's baton , emblematic of his status as a Marshal of the Empire , the Napoleonic era's equivalent of Marshal of France . In
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#17327832100001342-586: The Empire and coincided with the proclamation of the First French Empire and was used as an opportunity for the new Emperor to strengthen the new regime. The list included 14 names of generals who had served in the armies of the Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars: seven of them were generals who had served directly under Napoleon during his campaigns in Italy and Egypt. Moreover, he
1403-529: The French rearguard during the disastrous invasion of Russia , for which he was lauded "the bravest of the brave" by the emperor. After Napoleon's defeat by the Sixth Coalition in 1814, Ney pressured the emperor to abdicate and pledged his allegiance to the restored Bourbon monarchy . He rejoined Napoleon during the Hundred Days but met defeat at the Battle of Waterloo (1815), after which he
1464-476: The Marshals often chose to wear either variants of the official uniform or costumes of totally different design. The ultimate distinctive sign of a Marshal was his baton. It was cylindrical, 50 centimetres long and 4 centimetres and a half in diameter, made of wood and covered in dark blue velvet, decorated with golden eagles or honey bees, both Imperial symbols. The creation of the new civil dignity allowed Napoleon to strengthen his newly created regime by rewarding
1525-668: The Peers were called to give their verdict, 137 voted for the death penalty and 17 for deportation; five abstained. Only a single vote, that of the Duc de Broglie , was for acquittal. On 6 December 1815, Ney was condemned, and on 7 December 1815 he was executed by firing squad in Paris near the Luxembourg Gardens . He refused to wear a blindfold and was allowed the right to give the order to fire, reportedly saying: Soldiers, when I give
1586-571: The Russian at Mankovo, following the brook Losvinka for two hours, about 13 km north. At midnight he was informed that the enemy was approaching. In the middle of the night Ney decided to cross the Dnieper , supposedly near the remote hamlet Alekseyevka at a spot which could be used in summer to cross the river but with an almost vertical slope. Ney literally got down on all fours. One by one, but not without heavy losses, leaving guns, horses, part of
1647-472: The army and could have caused the Anglo-Allied Army to withdraw from the battle. Ney was seen during one of the charges beating his sword against the side of a British cannon in furious frustration. During the battle, he had five horses killed under him, and at the end of the day, Ney led one of the last infantry charges, shouting to his men: "Come and see how a marshal of France meets his death!" It
1708-405: The campaign, Ney fought at Güttstadt and commanded the right wing at Friedland . On 6 June 1808, Ney was made Duke of Elchingen . In August 1808, he was sent to Spain in command of the VI Corps and saw action in a number of minor engagements. In 1809, he skirmished with an Anglo-Portuguese force under Sir Robert Wilson at Puerto de Baños . In 1810, Ney joined Marshal André Masséna in
1769-496: The capital. On 15 June 1815, Napoleon appointed Ney as commander of the left wing of the Army of the North. On 16 June, Napoleon's forces split up into two wings to fight two separate battles simultaneously. Ney attacked the Duke of Wellington at Quatre Bras (and received criticism for attacking slowly) while Napoleon attacked Marshal Blücher 's Prussians at Ligny . Although Ney was criticized for not capturing Quatre Bras early, there
1830-565: The command of another Marshal, with conflicts sometimes leading to fatal military consequences. After Napoleon's downfall, most of them swore allegiance to the Bourbon Restoration and several went on to hold significant commands and positions. The most active Marshal's in the Napoleonic war, Napoleon Campaign: The French word Maréchal traces its origins back to the Carolingians , from the ancient German word marascahl ,
1891-547: The command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her ... Soldiers, fire! Ney was buried in Paris at Père Lachaise Cemetery . Ney married Aglaé Auguié (Paris, 24 March 1782 – Paris, 1 July 1854), daughter of Pierre César Auguié (1738–1815) and Adélaïde Henriette Genet (1758–1794, sister of Henriette Campan and Citizen Genêt ), at Thiverval-Grignon on 5 August 1802. they had four sons: It
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1952-416: The court-martial comprised the marshals Jourdan, Masséna , Augereau , and Mortier , and the generals Gazan de La Peyriere (instead of Maison who refused), Claparède and Villatte . After long deliberation, the court-martial voted 5-2 to declare itself "non-competent". After the court-martial decided on 11 and 12 November that it did not have jurisdiction, Ney was tried on 16 November for treason by
2013-419: The enemy cannons but found the infantry formed in cavalry-proof square formations which – without infantry or artillery support – he failed to break. The action earned Ney criticism, and some argue that it led to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Debate continues as to the responsibility for the cavalry charge and why it went unsupported. Ney's cavalry also failed to spike the enemy cannons (driving iron spikes into
2074-411: The following names, in an order which to this day remains unclear: Four additional names were mentioned on the list: these were former senior generals who had held commands of armies and had been elected senators of the Republic. Their status was honorary due to their age and they weren't set to be given field commands. Three new marshals were created in the aftermath of the Battle of Wagram . Among
2135-740: The grand officers of the Empire, among which the highest-standing were the Marshals. In the Imperial court hierarchy, they came in the fifth rank, behind the Emperor and Empress, the Imperial family, the great dignitaries and the ministers. They were entitled to a special etiquette: whenever the Emperor would write to them, he would call them Mon Cousin ("Cousin"), when a third party would write to them, they would be called Monsieur le Maréchal ; and when spoken to, they would be called Monseigneur ("My Liege"). They were greeted with 13 cannon shots when at their headquarters and 11 when away. They were also entitled to their own personal coat of arms . Although
2196-678: The invasion of Portugal, where he captured Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida , and saw further action on the River Côa , and a defeat at the Bussaco . The French army followed the retreating allies to the Lines of Torres Vedras , a scorched earth trap prepared by Wellington in absolute secrecy. After losing 21,000 men of 61,000 in several months of hunger, Masséna and Ney were forced to retreat due to lack of food and supplies, see also attrition warfare against Napoleon . Ney engaged Wellington 's forces in
2257-503: The last of the invaders to cross the bridge and exit Russia. On 25 March 1813, Ney was given the title of Prince de la Moskowa . During the 1813 campaign, Ney fought at Weissenfels , was wounded at Lützen , and commanded the left wing at Bautzen . Ney later fought at Dennewitz and Leipzig , where he was again wounded. In the 1814 campaign in France , Ney fought various battles and commanded various units. At Fontainebleau , Ney became
2318-423: The men who were offered the Marshalate, there was a mix of famous generals, who had commanded the armies of the Republic (Brune, Jourdan, Kellermann, Lefebvre, Masséna, Moncey), as well as more junior generals, whose command never exceeded division-sized forces (Mortier, Ney, Soult). It even included relatively obscure generals from Napoleon's Italian or Egyptian expeditions, who had recently secured their promotion to
2379-485: The most brilliant victories of the entire Napoleonic Wars. Three of them – Jean Lannes , Louis-Nicolas Davout and Louis-Gabriel Suchet were virtually never defeated in pitched battle, despite fighting in dozens of engagements. While they were not normally expected to lead from the front, they often exposed themselves to great dangers on the battlefields of Europe; three Marshals – Jean Lannes, Jean-Baptiste Bessières and Józef Poniatowski – were killed in action or died as
2440-449: The most distinguished generals", in practice Emperor Napoleon I granted the title according to his own wishes and convictions and made at least a few controversial choices. Although not a military rank, a Marshal displayed four silver stars, while the top military rank, General of Division , displayed three stars. Furthermore, the Marshalate quickly became the prestigious sign of the supreme military attainment and it became customary that
2501-545: The most significant commands be given to a Marshal. Each Marshal held his own coat of arms, was entitled to special honours and several of them held top functions within the army. They wore distinctive uniforms and were entitled to carry a baton , which was a symbol of their authority. Throughout his reign from 1804 to 1815, Napoleon appointed a total of 26 Marshals, although their number never exceeded 20 at any one moment. The initial list of 1804 included 14 names of active generals and four names of retired generals, who were given
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2562-451: The most valuable of the generals who had served under his command during his campaigns in Italy and Egypt or soldiers who had held significant commands during the French Revolutionary Wars . Subsequently, other senior generals were promoted on six occasions, mainly following major battlefield victories. With hindsight, Napoleon's choices for the Marshalate were not always well inspired. The first promotion created eighteen new Marshals of
2623-411: The mêlée, Ney was thrown from his horse and captured in the vicinity of the municipality of Dierdorf ; on 8 May he was exchanged for an Austrian general. Following the capture of Mannheim , Ney was promoted to général de division on 28 March 1799 and was given brief command over the Army of the Rhine from 25 September to 23 October. Later in 1799, Ney commanded cavalry in the armies of Switzerland and
2684-413: The new Imperial regime. Overall, the first promotion included 14 names of generals. An initial list was drafted by State Secretary Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke and later altered by the Emperor. Napoleon added in his own handwriting Murat 's name, which was conspicuously absent from Clarke's draft. This was possibly an omission, but there seems to be no evidence to that effect. The final list included
2745-686: The outbreak of French Revolution . Distinguishing himself as a cavalry officer in the War of the First Coalition , he quickly rose through the ranks and, by the Battle of Hohenlinden (1800), he had been promoted to divisional general . On Napoleon 's proclamation of the French Empire , Ney was named one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire. He played an instrumental role during Napoleon's subsequent campaigns, seeing action at Elchingen (1805), Jena (1806) and Eylau (1807). Ney commanded
2806-628: The predominantly German region of Saarland , and Ney grew up bilingual, due to his German roots. He was educated at the Collège des Augustins in Sarrelouis until 1782, when he began working as a clerk in a local notary's office, and in 1784 was employed in mines and forges. Life as a civil servant did not suit Ney, and he enlisted in the Colonel-General Hussar Regiment in 1787. Under the Bourbon monarchy, entry to
2867-554: The previous 24 hours, 3,000 armed men and 4,000 stragglers had either died or strayed from its ranks. Armand de Briqueville increased the number of abandoned cannons to 6 and increases the number of people who cross to 5–6000. Ney ordered everyone to move to the Dnieper in the hope of crossing to the opposite bank on the ice. Everyone, from soldiers to officers, was amazed by this decision. To surprised and incredulous stares, Ney declared that if no one supported him, he would go alone. And
2928-511: The soldiers knew very well that this was not posturing. When, finally, the lucky ones reached the opposite shore and already considered themselves saved. To get to the shore, they had to climb another steep icy slope. Many fell back on the ice. Of the three thousand soldiers who accompanied Ney, 2,200 drowned during the crossing. Ney fought at the Berezina and helped hold the vital bridge at Kovno (modern-day Kaunas ), where legend portrays Ney as
2989-473: The spokesperson for the marshals' revolt on 4 April 1814, demanding Napoleon's abdication. Ney informed Napoleon that the army would not march on Paris; Napoleon responded, "the army will obey me!" to which Ney answered, "the army will obey its chiefs". When Paris fell and the Bourbons reclaimed the throne , Ney, who had pressured Napoleon to accept his first abdication and exile, was promoted, lauded, and made
3050-492: The sudden change in movement is that Ney had ordered d'Erlon to come to his aid at Quatre Bras. Without d'Erlon's corps blocking the Prussians' line of retreat, the French victory at Ligny was not complete, and the Prussians were not routed. At Waterloo on 18 June, Ney again commanded the left wing of the army. At around 3:30 p.m., Ney ordered a mass cavalry charge against the Anglo-Allied lines. Ney's cavalry overran
3111-421: The top military rank of General of Division, but had never held significant commands (Bessières, Davout, Lannes). Unsurprisingly, this created a certain degree of discontentment among the more senior commanders. André Masséna was noted for his sardonic remark, "There's fourteen of us..." , which he muttered when his friends came to congratulate him for his nomination. Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont , then
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#17327832100003172-559: The year following Michel Ney's execution (Michel Ney's father was named Peter, and his mother's maiden name was Stewart). Peter Ney served as a school teacher in Rowan County until his death on 15 November 1846. According to legend, Peter Ney slashed his throat and almost died upon hearing of the death of Napoleon in 1821. His last words upon his death were reportedly "I am Ney of France", and he supposedly claimed to be Marshal Ney when drunk, although denying it when sober. However, there
3233-481: The years leading to the French Revolution , there were constantly 15–16 Marshals, but a law of 4 March 1791 reduced their number to six and a decree of 21 February 1793 abolished the dignity altogether. Eleven years later, Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of the French and wanted to institute a military elite for the new French Empire . Article 48 of Title of the 19 May 1804 sénatus-consulte set up
3294-549: Was also careful to reward several general officers who had acquired considerable fame and political influence while commanding the armies of the Republic, as well as several highly-promising generals who had held significant divisional commands in the Army of the Rhine . The latter were well known for their largely Republican sentiments and had never served under Napoleon's command. By rewarding them for their military accomplishments, Napoleon sought to gain their loyalty and make sure that they would be supporters, rather than opponents of
3355-495: Was as though Ney was seeking death, but death did not want him, as many observers reported. When Napoleon was defeated, dethroned, and exiled for the second time in the summer of 1815, Ney was arrested on 3 August 1815. Marshal Moncey was ordered to assume the presidency of a court-martial convened to try Ney but the marshal declined and was for a time imprisoned for it. The King's government then appointed Marshal Jourdan as president and when it finally convened on 9 November 1815,
3416-531: Was charged with treason by the restored monarchy and executed by firing squad . Ney was born in the town of Sarrelouis , in the French province of Lorraine , along the French–German border. He was the second son of Pierre Ney (1738–1826), a master cooper and veteran of the Seven Years' War , and his wife Marguerite Greiveldinger. His hometown at the time of his birth comprised a French enclave in
3477-771: Was commissioned as an officer under the Republic. As an officer he participated in the Battle of Neerwinden in 1793 and was wounded at the Siege of Mainz , also in 1793. in June 1794, he was transferred to Army of Sambre-et-Meuse . Ney was promoted to brigadier general in August 1796, and commanded cavalry on the German fronts. On 17 April 1797, during the Battle of Neuwied , Ney led a cavalry charge against Austrian lancers trying to seize French cannons. The lancers were beaten back, but Ney's cavalry were counter-attacked by heavy cavalry. During
3538-514: Was evidence contradicting this legend, the main being that the execution of Michel Ney is well documented and verified. And Marshal Ney, though fluent in German, is not known to have spoken English. One researcher claims evidence exists that Peter Stewart Ney was one Peter McNee, born in 1788 in Stirlingshire , Scotland. Peter Stewart Ney's body was exhumed twice, in 1887 and 1936, but both times no conclusive proof emerged. A new investigation
3599-508: Was given the nickname "the bravest of the brave" by the emperor. Ney lost more than half his strength; almost all the cavalry and all the artillery, with the exception of two guns, had disappeared. The terrible defeat of the III Corps was thorough enough to induce the chivalrous Miloradovich to extend another honorable surrender to Ney. In the early evening during a heavy fog Ney decided to draw back with 3,000 men. Ney escaped passing around
3660-474: Was made in 2022, and while third exhumation found no usable remains, DNA was extracted from a flute that had belonged to Peter Stewart Ney. According to the researchers, this proved conclusively that Peter Stewart Ney was not Michel Ney, although it is possible that he had believed he was. Marshal of the Empire Marshal of the Empire ( French : Maréchal d'Empire ) was a civil dignity during
3721-661: Was wounded in the neck but recovered enough to later fight in the central sector at Borodino . During the retreat from Moscow, Ney commanded the rearguard (and was known as "the last Frenchman on Russian soil" when he passed the Niemen on 14 December). After being cut off from the main army during the Battle of Krasnoi , Ney managed to escape in a heavy fog over the Dnieper River , but not without heavy losses, and to rejoin it in Orsha , which delighted Napoleon. For this action Ney
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