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Posted by stuart (U3340781) on Monday, 6th March 2006
Who was Napoleon's most able marshal?? and why??
Ney
I thought Ney was a bit unreliable?
Maybe the question depends what is meant by able, and by whose standards. I get the feeling Napoleon didn't approve of cautious generalship, and despised it. (Hence coming a cropper from Wellington, who was very cautious.) I doubt N liked anyone who might be as good or better than him either!
However, on the opposite assessment, I believe Bernadotte is reckoned to have been a bit of a dolt? (Still, smart enough to get out in time and grab a permanent throne for himself, so can't have been that dim!)
Eliza.
Got to be Davout, his III Corps could march harder and faster than the others and still fight at the end of it
Ref: Battle of Teugen Hausen, Austerlitz, Auerstadt, Mohilev, the Russian Campaign and the defence of Hamburg for the further accomplishments of Davout, ignored because he never fought the British.
Cheers AA.
I would agree on Davout - especially if you look at the shoddy orders he received in 1806 and that confident claim that he only faced 3 regts in April 1809 (kudos to Bianchi for defeating him at Pressburg). However, Suchet and Massena would run him quite close - the latter certainly does not get much coverage and Nap was always disparaging about his siege defence of Genoa in 1800. Ney was a hothead, but I recently met a young American prof, who is writing a biog of him.
Davout
The reason I like Ney is because he was such a Hot-head. He wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.
To the person who put down Napoleon's military abilities; every historians list of the best generals in history have always listed him as number 2. Alexander the great is number one.
I would have thought Errol Flyn would have been at the top of the list, the number of battles he won on his own. LOL
EF never got drafted for some reason I can't remember. Possibly a social disease? Though I think it was quite respectable actually (the reason he didn't get drafted, not the social disease!)
Eliza.
, in reply to message 2.
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Tuesday, 7th March 2006
±·±π²βΜύ
being brave, which ill never doubt he was, doesnt make a marshall. then again, nap's marshalls didnt ever seem to good at tactical finesse above divisional level. though i would reckon messana meself
, in reply to message 10.
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Tuesday, 7th March 2006
im not sure if i got the terminology right is a few regiments a division or brigade (i thought a brigade was a group of divisions, but im not sure)
It goes platoon, company, regiment, Brigade, Division, Corps, Army
, in reply to message 12.
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Tuesday, 7th March 2006
thankyou. i meant brigade.
Marshall Davout by a mile. To undertsnad why you need to study his campaigns but his most outstanding victory was at Austendau (excuse atrocious spelling) when he defeated a much larger prussian force in 1806 while Napoleon had the easy victory at Jena. Napoleons big mistake was to leave Davout in paris and take Ney. Ney was great for rallying troops but as Napoleon once said you might as well explain the campaign to a drummer boy as to Ney or words to that effect.
Are there platoons in the British army? Sounds very American.
Eliza
Yes, as it derives from the French peleton. You just don't hear it much in a UK context beyond smaller non-regular units.
I agree totally. Davout was by far the best of Napoleon's subordinates and he more than anyone understood Napoleon's strategy. Why Napoleon left him in Paris during the 100 days campaign I will never understand and I believe that decision played a major part in him losing the campaign.
Ney was a blood and guts warrior who led from the front and was an inspiration to his men but I believe he was over-rated as a corps commander as his habbit of getting too involved in front line fighting left him blind to an overall strategic situation. In my opinion his abilities were more suited to command a brigade or at best a division.
I also agree with DaveMBA in that Suchet and Massena are not far behind Davout. Massena's reputation took a bit of a hit in the Peninsula but overall he was one of Naps best commanders. Suchet was one of the very few generals who came out of the Peninsula with his reputation enhanced and he was the only general to win his Marshals baton there.
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