Louis-Nicolas Davout. Invincible Marshal Bonaparte
Davout, portrait by an unknown artist, 1820s, Paris
Among all the marshals of Napoleon, Louis-Nicolas Davout occupies a special place.
Throughout his career as a military leader and commander, he has not lost a single battle. At the same time, Davout turned out to be an extremely talented administrator, known for his pedantry and love of order. Because of this, Leo Tolstoy even compared him with Arakcheev in his novel War and Peace. And in the army, Davout was nicknamed "the iron marshal".
A. Polyakov in the role of Davout, the film "Kutuzov", 1943
Marshal Marmont, who was hostile to Davout, wrote about him:
"A fanatic of order, maintaining discipline in his troops, approaching their needs with solicitude, he was just, but harsh towards the officers and did not win their love."
Count Molet is even more categorical:
"This man, so rude, was hated wherever he commanded."
Davout himself wrote to Berthier:
"I cannot help admitting to myself that often my exactingness and my severity alienate good officers from me even before they barely have time to assess my true intentions."
Davout's adjutant Jozef Szymanowski recalled that Marshal
“He punished severely for any robbery and forced the perpetrators to be shot. However, on the other hand, Davout was scrupulous in ensuring that every soldier had the right amount of food. "
Baron Dedem wrote that Davout
"I have always been a real father to my army."
Napoleon described this marshal as
"One of the most honest and impeccable warriors in France."
Stendhal named him
"A great man, yet underestimated."
Davout himself said before his death:
"I have lived the life of an honest man, I am dying unblemished."
Finally, among the mostly rootless marshals of Bonaparte, Davout stands out for his origins. He came from an old Burgundian family and can be traced back to the XNUMXth century. Military service was a common occupation of the men of this family, in Burgundy there was even a saying:
"When Davout is born, the sword leaves its scabbard."
The real surname of this marshal is d'Avou (d'Avou or d'Avout, after the name of the castle of Avo, which is located near the city of Dijon). With the outbreak of the French Revolution, he changed it, getting rid of the "de" particle that indicated the nobility. Now he wrote it as Davout or Davot. At present, in this version of the spelling, only the bearer of the title of the Dukes of Auerstedt bears this surname. All other relatives of the marshal retain their family name - d'Ave.
It is interesting that a certain general with a consonant surname Davoust served in the French army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was not a relative of Marshal Davout.
The first years of the life of the future marshal
The father of our hero, Jean-Francois d'Avou, was also a military man, took part in the Seven Years War, but did not achieve great success. After retiring, he married Maria-Adelaide Minar, who bore him three sons and one daughter.
The future marshal was born on May 10, 1770 and was the eldest of the children of this family. Two of his brothers also served in the army, and one of them one rose to the rank of brigadier general.
In 1779, the head of this family died while hunting. Later, Maria-Adelaide married the lawyer Louis Thurro de Linier. And Louis-Nicolas in 1779 entered the military school in the city of Auxerre (Auxerre).
Monument to Marshal Davout in Auxerre
According to the recollections of classmates and teachers, he showed the greatest success in the study of algebra and geometry. In addition, during his studies, he compiled two "historical notebooks "devoted to the analysis of the military history of France.
On September 27, 1785, d'Avoe entered the prestigious Paris military school, which Napoleon Bonaparte graduated from shortly before him.
In 1788, the future marshal begins his service in the army.
His first regiment was the Champagne Cavalry, where he arrived in the rank of junior lieutenant in February of that year. The father of our hero once served here, and at the same time with Louis-Nicolas - his uncle (who had the rank of major) and cousin. Major d'Avou was dissatisfied with his nephew and wrote to his family that it wouldn’t work as a soldier:
"Instead of studying military theory, he revels in the books of Montaigne, Rousseau and other philosophers."
A similar review was written about the future Marshal and his cousin François-Claude:
“Louis will never learn to do anything in our profession. He devotes all his time to Montaigne, Rousseau and other eccentrics like them. "
Passion for the works of philosophers and educators was not in vain.
Unlike many aristocratic officers, the future marshal immediately went over to the side of the revolution.
Later he showed himself as a supporter of the Girondins. At the suggestion of Davout, a delegation of the regiment was formed, which went to Paris to declare the commitment of his servicemen to the ideals of the revolution. Together with Davout, Sergeant Claude Perrin went to the capital, who would later become famous as Marshal Victor (he modestly asked to be called "The Winner") and received the nickname "Beautiful Sun" (Beau Soleil) in the army.
Georges Rouget. Claude-Victor Perrin in his youth
But sympathy for the republic did not save Davout from a short arrest in 1791. When he was released, he retired, but soon joined the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Yonne Department as a private. In September, thanks to his military education, he was elected captain, and then received the rank of lieutenant colonel and the position of battalion commander.
Alexis-Nicolas Perignon. Lieutenant Colonel Davout, 1792
On November 8 of that 1791, he married Marie-Nicole-Adelaide de Ségeno, but a month later his battalion was sent to the Northern Army, which was commanded by Dumouriez. In his absence, his wife behaved very relaxed, in January 1794 this marriage ended in divorce.
The beginning of Davout's battle path
For the first time, Davout took part in hostilities in the fall of 1792. It happened on the territory of the Austrian Netherlands, the first opponents were the Prussians.
On March 18, 1793, the French were defeated in the battle of Neervinden (the Austrians in this battle were commanded by a good friend of Suvorov - Prince Friedrich of Coburg, together they fought with the Turks at Fokshany and at Rymnik). After that, Dumouriez tried to move an army to Paris, hoping to restore a constitutional monarchy in the country. However, his subordinates did not support him (including Dumouriez's adjutant - Etienne Jacques Alexander MacDonald, future marshal).
And on April 4, Davout raised his battalion at all, trying to capture the traitor. But Dumouriez managed to break into the territory controlled by the Austrians. For his decisive actions, Davout was promoted on May 1, becoming a brigadier general.
However, at this time, the Jacobin purges of the former nobles began in the French army. Previous merits did not save anyone, and Davout, who understood the danger of the situation, chose to resign, even renounced the rank of divisional general. He tried to educate himself, read a lot, but failed to sit out in his parents' house.
At first, his mother was arrested, who helped to hide the property of some acquaintances of the aristocrats. Then Davout ended up in prison, trying to protect her. Mother and son were released after the coup of 9 Thermidor (July 27, 1794) and the fall of Robespierre.
Now Davout was able to continue his service. Initially, with the rank of brigadier general, he ended up in the Brest army, operating in the Vendée. Then, already in the Rhine-Moselle army of General Moreau, he took part in the siege of Luxembourg.
During the unsuccessful battles for the French army near besieged Mannheim on November 21, 1795, he was captured, but was released on parole not to take part in the hostilities.
At the same time, by the way, another future marshal, Nicola-Charles Oudinot, was also in Austrian captivity.
Davout returned to the army a year later - after the opposing sides exchanged prisoners, and the future marshal considered himself free of obligations.
Davout in Egypt
Davout met Bonaparte in Paris on March 22, 1798. General Desay acted as a mediator.
Louis Charles Antoine Dese
After this meeting, Davout received an invitation to take part in Napoleon's Egyptian expedition. He served in the cavalry under the command of Deset, fought at Alexandria and at the pyramids, was among those who entered Cairo, but then fell ill and did not take part in the Syrian campaign of Bonaparte.
But together with Deset, he went to Upper Egypt, where the detachments of the irreconcilable enemy of the French, Murad Bey, were destroyed.
In the second battle at Abukir, Davu managed to cut off the fortress from the coast, depriving the besieged of the opportunity to receive reinforcements and supplies.
After Bonaparte left the army, going to France, Davout came into conflict with the new commander - Kleber, who concluded a truce with the British. He even once again renounced the rank of divisional general.
In the end, in February 1800 Davout and Deze on the ships "Etoile" and "Santa Maria della Grazia" also left Egypt, but, unlike Bonaparte, they were unlucky - the ships were intercepted by the British. However, after about a month, an agreement with the British was still reached, and Davout and Deset were able to return to France.
Continuation of military service
Napoleon had already become First Consul by that time. Upon learning of Davout's return, he writes to him:
“It was with pleasure, citizen, that you have arrived in Toulon. The campaign (in Italy) has just begun; we need people with your talents. You can be sure that I have not forgotten the services that you rendered us under Abukir and in Upper Egypt. When your quarantine is over, come to Paris. "
However, unlike Deset (who will become famous, but will die in the Battle of Marengo on June 14, 1800), Davout is in no hurry.
Some believe that the reason was a resentment against Bonaparte, who left him in Egypt. Only in July 1800, having finally received the rank of divisional general, Davout arrived in the Italian army, which was commanded not by Bonaparte, but by General Brune, another future marshal, Nicola-Charles Oudinot, was the chief of staff.
And Davout was appointed commander of the cavalry and distinguished himself at the Battle of Pozzolo (December 26, 1800), where he personally led the attack of the dragoons, which decided the outcome of the battle.
Upon the conclusion of the Luneville Peace Treaty, he led the reorganization of the Cisalpine Republic, dependent on France.
On the way to the marshal rank
Davout arrived in Paris in the summer of 1801.
Here he was appointed inspector general of the cavalry, as well as curator of the cavalry units of the 1st, 14th, 15th and 16th military districts. This elevation caused surprise and discontent among Bonaparte's old associates, who believed that Davout had not yet "performed famous feats" (this murmur is reported, for example, by Napoleon's secretary Buryenne).
However, Bonaparte already appreciated Davout's administrative talents and was not mistaken in his choice: his appointee quickly put things in order. And on November 28, 1801, he was appointed commander of the grenadier units of the Consular Guard.
Bonaparte also facilitated the marriage of Davout and the maiden Louise-Amy-Julie Leclerc, a relative of the general who was married to one of his sisters (Pauline Bonaparte). Amy Leclerc was a friend of Napoleon's other sister, Caroline (Murat's wife) and his stepdaughter Hortense Beauharnais.
The First Consul clearly used this marriage as a way to tie the promising general to himself and his family. Amy came from a wealthy bourgeois family, and her parents gave her 150 thousand francs as a dowry. The wedding took place on November 9, 1801.
It is curious that this ordinary girl received a more refined upbringing than the aristocrat Davout, who shocked everyone by appearing in society in dirty boots and with unclean nails. According to Buryenne, Davout's unkempt appearance made an unpleasant impression on Bonaparte when he first met the future marshal.
However, it is possible that the hereditary nobleman Davout deliberately emphasized his democratic character in this way, showing everyone that he had broken with the old-regime past.
Davout was also surprised by the fact that he was not shy about wearing glasses: according to many of his contemporaries, this did not correspond to the image of a gallant commander.
B. Molchanov in glasses as Marshal Davout, a shot from the famous Soviet film "War and Peace"
In the marriage of Davout and Amy Leclerc, 8 children were born, but four of them died in infancy.
On August 30, 1803, Davout was promoted to commander of the III corps of the Boulogne military camp. And on May 19, 1804, the day after the coronation of Napoleon, he became a marshal (in Bonaparte's understanding, this was not a military rank, but the highest title in his empire).
"Sun of Austerlitz"
Davout became one of the main heroes of the Battle of Austerlitz.
It was his III corps in the first phase of this battle that held back the attacks of three columns of the Russian-Austrian troops, slowly retreating and dragging them along. After the fourth column of the allies descended from the Pratsen Heights, a number of counterattacks the coalition army was dismembered into several parts and lost control.
It all ended, as you know, with a terrible defeat for the troops of Austria and Russia. Davout pursued the withdrawing Russian units, but was deceived by Alexander I, who sent him a letter confirming the concluded truce. Davout believed the honest word of the anointed of God and then felt very hard about his mistake.
As a consolation, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Tilsit, Davout was handed over from the Russian emperor a snuffbox decorated with diamonds, but he never forgave Alexander this deception. Probably, he should have read more Plutarch during his training, who in "Table Conversations" claimed that even the Spartan commander Lysander said:
"Where a lion's skin is not suitable, you need to sew a fox to it."
And:
"Children are deceived while playing grandmother, and adults are deceived by taking vows."
In the next article we will finish the story about Louis-Nicolas Davout.
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