Iron Marshal by Louis Nicola Davou
Among other 26 Marshals of Napoleon, Louis Davout was the only person who could boast of the ancient origin of his surname. Davout belonged to the old Burgundian clan, leading its lineage from the XIII century, and this undoubtedly reflected in its character: being not only a brave soldier who managed to get through to the very top of the French military elite, he was also a noble man who kept faithful to the idea believed.Louis Nicola Davoux was born in 1770 year in the small town of Anna (province of Burgundy) and was the eldest child in the family of cavalry lieutenant Jean-François d'Avu and Francoise-Adelaide Minar de Velar.
At the age of 15, Davout enrolled in the Brienne Military School, which Napoleon Bonaparte graduated from a year before he entered. In the 1788 year, Davou graduated from high school and, with the rank of junior lieutenant, arrived in the cavalry Champagne Regiment, in which his grandfather and father had previously served.
During the outbreak of the French Revolution, Louis supported republican ideas and, yielding to fashion trends, changed his aristocratic surname (d'Avu) to the simple one - Davout.
After the revolutionary moods that broke out on the wave in the Champagne riot regiment, Davout fell into disgrace and was forced to resign. However, he didn’t have to sit around for a long time, and in the fall of XIVUMX, Davow, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, was appointed deputy battalion commander of the Volunteers of Yonne - this was how his military career began in the new republican state.
After the battles of Neervind, Dawoux made efforts not to let his soldiers go under the banners of General Dumouriez’s troops, who had already gone over to the side of the Austrians. For the suppression of the royalist uprising of the Chouans (peasants) under Vandee Davou, he received the rank of major of the commissary service, and after 17 days he became a brigadier general.
At this time, the Convention decides on the dismissal of all former royal officers from the service - Davout himself submits his resignation, and in April 1794 of the year he was arrested along with his mother, and only the overthrow of the Jacobins' regime saves his life. In the same year, 1794, Louis Davoux, is reinstated in military service with the rank of brigadier general.
Since 1798, General Davou has been participating in the Egyptian campaign by a cavalry brigade commander. During the war on the African continent, he managed to distinguish himself, contributing to the victory of the French at Fort Aboukir. His military successes could not be imperceptible to Napoleon, and little by little these two prominent men come closer.
In the 1801 year, Davou was granted the post of commander of the foot grenadier of the consular guard, and in the 1804 year (after Napoleon was crowned), he became a marshal and one of Bonaparte’s advisors.
Louis Davout is an active participant in the 1805-1807's Napoleonic campaign as commander of the 3 Corps of the Great Army. It was during this war that the military talents of Marshal Davout began to appear most clearly. A wonderful battle of Ulm, in which the commander-in-chief of the Austrian army, Baron Mack von Layberich, together with 30, thousands of men, surrendered to the French. Davout showed himself well during the Austerlitz battle.
Even more magnificent was the battle of Auerstedt, during which the 3 Corps of the French Army under the command of Davout, consisting of 26 thousands of soldiers, inflicted a crushing defeat twice on the superior forces of the Duke of Brunswick. Davout’s victory significantly surpassed Napoleon’s victory at Jena and played a key role in the capitulation of the Austrian troops. Here is what Napoleon himself wrote about Auerstedt: “... The battle of Auerstedt is one of the most beautiful days in stories France! I am indebted to this bold Third Corps and its commander. I am very glad that they were you! ” Louis Davou was given the title of Duke of Aurstedtsky, and at about the same time the nickname “Iron Marshal” was assigned to him.
The end of 1806 - the beginning of 1807 of the year was held for the Dawa Corps in battles with Russian troops. The 3 Corps, which came out to help the main forces of the French, literally saved Bonaparte from defeat at Preussisch-Eylau.
After the Treaty of Tilsit, Louis Davout was appointed Governor-General of the Great Duchy of Warsaw, and this was for him a short respite from the permanent European civil strife.
During the war with the Austrians in 1809, Davou's troops played a decisive role in the battles of Ekmühl and Wagram (he won the title of Prince Ekmülsky for the victory at Ekmühl, becoming one of the three marshals who simultaneously had two titles received in foreign campaigns).
23 June 1812 of the 1 Division of Marshal Davout's 1 Corps was one of the first to cross the Neman River: this was the beginning of the Russian campaign (as French historians call Patriotic War). Louis Davout’s corps, with a number of 72, a thousand and a half to two times the size of any other French corps.
In July, Davou took 1812, Minsk, a little later, Mogilyov, attacked the Molokhov Gate during the assault on Smolensk and entered the city after a stubborn battle.
In Borodino, Davout's cavalrymen attacked Bagration flash, and seeing the French attacks unsuccessful, the marshal personally led the 57 regiment into battle, it is not surprising that in this attack, the brave Davout, who carried on a horse in the front ranks, was wounded.
With the departure of Napoleon's troops from Moscow, Davou stood at the head of the rearguard, however, after the defeat at Vyazma he had to surrender command to Marshal Ney.
With the further withdrawal of the French into Europe, Davou headed the defense of Hamburg, and held the city until Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated the imperial throne in 1814 year.
Having remained a fiery ideological supporter of Napoleon, Davout became Minister of War during his return to the throne (during the famous “One Hundred Days”). Before leaving for the army, Napoleon told Davout that he could not take it with him, because he would be more necessary and more useful in defending Paris.
Davou was the only one who, after the Battle of Waterloo, demanded to amnesty all those who swore allegiance to Napoleon during his restoration, otherwise he was in danger of continuing resistance, and his condition was accepted.
Louis Davout is also one of those rare brave souls who refused to recognize the legitimacy of the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty, only in 1817, he was admitted to the court of Louis XVIII.
This one of the most worthy people of the Napoleonic era in 1823 died of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Despite the stern temper repeatedly noted by his contemporaries, sometimes reaching cruelty (even L. N. Tolstoy in the novel War and Peace characterizes him as the Arakcheyev Emperor Napoleon), this was a truly outstanding French commander who more than once boldly and successfully conducted brilliant military operations. And therefore it is not surprising that he was the only one of all 26 Marshals of Napoleon who did not suffer a single defeat on the battlefield.
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