拿破崙的將軍們 part2

探討東西方哲學 理解宇宙的神祕奧祕 Terror belli, decus pacis Terror in war, ornament in peace The words inscribed on every French marshal's baton In France, the title of marshal, or maréchal, goes back at least to the 13th century It represents the highest possible position of military authority Authority symbolised by a marshal's baton The title was abolished during the French Revolution, as incompatible with the egalitarian spirit of the age. But in 1804, Napoleon founded a new empire, and restored the ancient rank. This is Epic History TV's guide to Napoleon's Marshals. All 26 have been ranked according to our own evaluation of their achievements as Marshals, with expert guidance from retired Lieutenant-Colonel Rémy Porte, former Chief Historian of the French Army. So far, we've met Marshals Perignon, Brune, Sérurier, Kellerman, Grouchy, Moncey, Boniatowski, and Jourdan. Before we begin, a big thanks to our video sponsor, Displate. 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Other Displate partners include Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics, and the great history role-playing game Kingdom Come Deliverance, so you're sure to find art that reflects your passions and personality. What's more, Displate is an environmentally conscious company, which recently passed a milestone of helping to plant 10 million trees. Until 10th October, you can use the link in our video description to get 27% off when you buy one or two Displates, and a huge 37% off when you buy three or more. Thanks again to Displate for sponsoring this video. 18. Marshal Bernadotte Bernadotte enlisted in the French Royal Army aged 17, and proved a model soldier, rising to become the senior non-commissioned officer in his regiment in just 10 years. The French Revolution and active service opened the door to rapid promotion. He was made an officer, and thanks to exemplary leadership and courage, rose in rank from Captain to General of Division in a single year. Not even Napoleon rose through the ranks as quickly. He particularly distinguished himself at Fleurus, leading an attack that helped secure Jourdan's famous victory. As a professional soldier and ex-Sergeant Major, Bernadotte insisted on the highest standards of discipline and conduct from his men. He even fought a duel with his own Chief of Staff, whom he accused of taking a bribe. In 1797, Bernadotte was transferred to Italy, where he served under Napoleon's command for the first time. By this stage, both men had brilliant reputations, but despite a good first meeting, a clash of styles and jealous rivalry soon emerged between them. What's more, Bernadotte had immediately got on the wrong side of the future Marshal Berthier, Napoleon's Chief of Staff, by arresting one of his friends for insubordination. In 1798, Bernadotte married Napoleon's ex-fiancée, Désirée Clary. Her sister Julie was married to Napoleon's brother Joseph, meaning Bernadotte was now family. But when Napoleon asked Bernadotte to support his coup of 18 Brumaire, he refused, though he did not actively oppose it. Napoleon suspected Bernadotte of conspiring against him, but the Clary sisters helped to keep the peace. Throughout this period, Bernadotte held key posts, as Minister of War in 1799, Commander of the Army of the West in 1800, and Governor of Hanover in 1804, proving highly effective in each role. That year, Napoleon made Bernadotte a Marshal, and he commanded First Corps at the Battle of Austerlitz, playing a relatively minor part in the Emperor's great victory. Nevertheless, he was rewarded with the title Prince of Pontecorvo. But his relationship with Napoleon remained difficult. In 1806, as Napoleon took on Prussia, Bernadotte was blamed for failing to support Marshal Davout at the Battle of Auersten, and was nearly court-martialed, though Bernadotte partly redeemed himself with a vigorous pursuit of the beaten Prussians. The next year, he missed the Battle of Eylau, after his orders were intercepted by the Russians. And a gunshot wound to the neck meant he also missed the Battle of Friedland, with command of First Corps passing to General Victor. When war resumed with Austria in 1809, Bernadotte was given command of the 9th Saxon Corps. On the evening of the first day at the gigantic Battle of Wagram, his troops were in heavy fighting with the Austrians, but dressed in white like the Austrians, they came under devastating friendly fire, panicked and routed. The next morning, Bernadotte pulled his men back without orders, and when they later retreated again, he and the Emperor exchanged sharp words on the battlefield. Bernadotte then issued a proclamation to the Saxons, praising their conduct, and outraging Napoleon. Bernadotte was sent in semi-disgrace to the Dutch coast, to oversee the defeat of a major British landing at Walkeren. But another triumphant proclamation, effectively publicising the strength of his forces, further infuriated Napoleon. In an unlikely twist of fate in 1810, Swedish politicians invited Bernadotte to become Crown Prince of Sweden. The current king was old and childless, and Bernadotte was a proven general and administrator, member of the French imperial family, and well-regarded by Swedish army officers, who remembered his fair treatment of Swedish prisoners three years earlier in Pomerania. Napoleon was at first bemused, remarking that he could think of other Marshals who were better qualified, but he did give his assent, even when Bernadotte made it clear that as Crown Prince, he would pursue Swedish interests. He was true to his word. Three years later, with Napoleon on the ropes after his disastrous invasion of Russia, Crown Prince Bernadotte brought Sweden into the Sixth Coalition, and declared war on France. With his insider knowledge, he helped the Allies to devise the Trachenberg Plan, a strategy for defeating Napoleon in Germany, by avoiding battle with Napoleon himself, and targeting only his Marshals. In September, Bernadotte defeated former comrades, Marshals Oudinot and Ney, at Denevitz. Five weeks later, he played a major role in the great Allied victory at Leipzig. Bernadotte's legacy would prove the most lasting of any of Napoleon's Marshals. The Royal House of Bernadotte sits on the Swedish throne to this day. Bernadotte was labelled a traitor by Napoleon's supporters, though not by Napoleon himself. He was unquestionably a gifted soldier and administrator. But his personality clash, and long-running feud with the Emperor, meant he was never a great Marshal. 17. Marshal Augereau Augereau had, by his own account, an eventful younger life, serving at various times with the French, Russian and Prussian armies, deserting or being kicked out of all three in dubious circumstances. He briefly earned a living in Dresden as a fencing master, with a feared reputation as a dualist. He embraced the French Revolution and joined a volunteer cavalry regiment known as the German Legion, before holding various staff and training roles where his experience in the regular Prussian army proved valuable. Promoted to General, Augereau served in the Eastern Pyrenees, where his flair for tactics and bold, decisive action helped win a series of victories over the Spanish. Later, serving in Italy under Napoleon, Augereau proved a highly effective divisional commander. The future Emperor's reports were glowing – strong character, firmness, energy, has the habit of war, liked by his men, and lucky. In 1796, Augereau played a leading role in Napoleon's victories over the Austrians at Castiglione and Arcole. In fact, the painting of Augereau's heroism at Arcole Bridge long predates the more famous version by Vernet, in which Napoleon takes centre stage, and is an even greater work of fiction. Augereau's standing among fellow generals, however, was damaged by an enthusiasm for looting to rival General Brune, while others were irritated by his loud and boastful manner. Augereau was known to be a reliable republican, and in 1797, Napoleon sent him to Paris, to be the military muscle for the coup of 18 Fructidor. This was an army-backed purge of pro-royalist politicians, threatening to restore the French monarchy. A brief spell in charge of the Army of the Rhine demonstrated that Augereau was not suited for high command, as his unruly entourage and obsession with plunder caused chaos at headquarters. As a republican, Augereau initially opposed Napoleon's seizure of political power, but soon sensed which way the wind was blowing, and pledged support. Created a marshal in 1804, status, wealth and declining health served to mellow Augereau's behaviour. He commanded VII Corps in the 1805 campaign, but was held in reserve, and missed the great battles of Ulm and Austerlitz. The following year he was in the thick of the fighting at Jena, leading VII Corps against the Prussian southern flank. At Eylau in 1807, Augereau was so ill he had to be strapped to his horse, but led VII Corps into battle in terrible winter conditions. Ordered to advance, his corps lost its way in a blizzard, was mown down by Russian guns, charged, and virtually destroyed. Augereau himself was hit, and crushed under his own horse. He returned to France to recover, but was never the same again. His energy and zeal were gone. During Napoleon's war in Spain, he was sent to replace Saint-Cyr as commander of the Army of Catalonia. He completed the grim 7-month siege of Girona, but was soon replaced by Macdonald for his lacklustre performance. In 1812, Augereau commanded depots and reinforcements in the Ria, as the Grande Armée marched to its destruction in Russia. However, at Leipzig he was briefly back to his best, inspiring his small corps of conscripts to fight for several key villages in the south, in the face of relentless Austrian attack. In 1814, Napoleon gave Augereau command of the Army of the Rhône, but he surrendered Lyon without a fight, and on news of Napoleon's abdication, denounced his former emperor as a man who, having sacrificed millions of victims to his cruel ambitions, has not known how to die like a soldier. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815, Augereau proclaimed his loyalty once more, but the Emperor was not interested. Augereau was stripped of his baton, and died the next year. 16. Marshal Lefebvre François Lefebvre was a sergeant with 16 years' service in the elite Garde Française when the French Revolution broke out. When the Guard was disbanded, he became an officer in the Paris National Guard, and received the first of many wounds, protecting the royal family from an angry mob. Every inch the soldier, the Revolutionary Wars brought Lefebvre opportunity for active command and rapid promotion. In just two years he rose from captain to general, establishing a reputation as a formidable divisional commander – a good tactician, brave, energetic, and attentive to the needs of his men. His chief of staff, the future Marshal Soult, acknowledged that he learned much from Lefebvre's example. In 1799, Lefebvre commanded the Paris military district, not much impressed by politicians. When Napoleon asked him to support a coup, he was all for it, declaring, yes, let's throw the lawyers into the river. In 1804, Napoleon made Lefebvre an Honorary Marshal – Honorary because Napoleon assumed Lefebvre would prefer a quiet life in the Senate, after a decade's active service with the scars to prove it. But he'd underestimated Lefebvre, who pleaded for a frontline role. So the Emperor gave him command of the Imperial Guard infantry for the Jena campaign. The next year, Lefebvre commanded the Siege of Danzig, inspiring the troops of Tenth Corps by leading one counter-attack in person. After the successful conclusion of the siege, Napoleon awarded Lefebvre the title Duke of Danzig. Lefebvre's record as a corps commander was mixed. In Spain he exasperated Napoleon by twice ignoring orders. But in 1809, when Archduke Charles of Austria launched a sudden attack on Bavaria, Lefebvre's Bavarian Seventh Corps was crucial in slowing the enemy advance… until Napoleon arrived to take charge. He was then given the difficult task of suppressing a popular revolt in the Tyrol, led by Andreas Hoffer, which he achieved despite some early setbacks. For the invasion of Russia, Lefebvre commanded the infantry of the Old Guard. During the retreat from Moscow, the 57-year-old Marshal insisted on marching on foot, at the head of the Guard, all the way. At the end of the retreat, he was devastated to learn that his son, a 27-year-old general, was among nearly 100,000 men who had not survived the march. He had been Lefebvre's last surviving child, of 14. After a year recovering from exhaustion and grief, Lefebvre returned to lead the Old Guard one last time in the defence of France, and was in heavy fighting at Montmirail and Montereau. But in April 1814, he was one of the Marshals who confronted Napoleon with the reality of his position, and forced him to abdicate. Lefebvre and his wife, an ex-washerwoman turned Duchess, were famous for their lack of airs and graces, for honest, blunt speech, and for always helping out old comrades. When a friend commented on Lefebvre's wealth and titles, the Marshal invited him into the courtyard. I'll have ten shots at you with a musket at 30 paces, he told him. If I miss, the whole estate is yours. When the friend declined, Lefebvre added, I had a thousand bullets fired at me from closer before I got all this. Lefebvre was too exhausted to take an active role in the Waterloo campaign, though he accepted a role as a senator under Napoleon, which led to a brief period in disgrace when the Bourbons returned. His rank and honours were restored to him a year before his death, in 1820. 15. Marshal Mortier Édouard Mortier was from a prosperous middle-class background in northern France. When the French Revolution began in 1789, he volunteered for the National Guard, a new middle-class militia charged with preserving order and defending against counter-revolution. When war broke out with France's neighbours, Mortier's unit was sent to the front. Standing 6 foot 4, Mortier was conspicuous for his height and bravery, being wounded twice, and winning praise from his commander, the future Marshal Lefebvre. In 1799, Mortier fought under General Masséna's command at the Second Battle of Zürich, helping to defeat the Russians, and winning promotion to the rank of General of Division. Mortier then spent three years commanding the Paris military district. His efficiency impressed the new First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte, who chose him for an important mission in 1803 – the occupation of Hanover, a German state belonging to the Hanoverian Kings of Britain, with whom France was, once more, at war. Mortier carried out this assignment with tact and diplomacy, ensuring the occupation was unopposed. This delighted Napoleon, who rewarded him a year later with the rank of Marshal. Following Napoleon's victory over the Austrians at Ulm in 1805, Mortier and his new Eighth Corps led the pursuit of the retreating Russians, but became encircled by a much larger force at Dürrenstein. Mortier fought his way out of the trap with a night-time bayonet charge – a remarkable escape – but his corps suffered heavy losses. Mortier and Eighth Corps were in a supporting role for the Jena Campaign of 1806. But the next year at Friedland, his corps played an important role holding Napoleon's left wing, as the Emperor inflicted a devastating defeat on the Russians. Mortier was well-liked by all, and almost uniquely, did not engage in feuds and rivalries with the other Marshals. Oudinot was a particular friend. In East Prussia, their party trick was to snuff out the candles with pistol shots. They always paid generous compensation for damage caused. In 1808, Mortier joined Napoleon for the invasion of Spain, and commanded Fifth Corps at the brutal Siege of Zaragoza. He then helped win a series of victories over Spanish forces, including the crushing victory at Ocagna, operating alongside another friend, Marshal Soult. Mortier was recalled to France to organise and train the Young Guard, a new junior unit of the Imperial Guard, made up of the best conscripts from each year's intake. Mortier led the Young Guard in Russia in 1812, but was powerless to prevent the Corps' destruction on that campaign. First through exhaustion and disease on the march to Moscow, then on the retreat, where his surviving troops were effectively sacrificed to hold open the road at Krasny, and allow the army's escape. Mortier continued to command the Young Guard during Napoleon's campaigns in Germany and France, and was never far from the action. At Lützen, he was trapped under his wounded horse, was in heavy fighting at Leipzig, and had his hat shot through outside Paris. In 1814, the final defence of the French capital fell to troops under Mortier and Martenon, with support from Marshal Moncey's National Guard. Mortier told his men, We have not enough troops to resist their large armies for long, but today more than ever before we are fighting for our honour. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815, he wanted Mortier to resume his customary role at the head of the Young Guard, but a severe attack of sciatica prevented him joining the Emperor at Waterloo. Napoleon never regarded Mortier as suitable for major independent command, but his loyalty and conduct were always beyond reproach. He went on to serve the restored monarchy as ambassador to Russia, and briefly Minister for War. In 1835, he was riding beside King Louis-Philippe in a public parade, when an assassin opened fire with a homemade, multi-barrelled gun. The king received a minor wound, but Marshal Mortier, and 17 others, were killed. 14. Marshal Marmont Marmont, like Napoleon, was a trained artillery officer, and met the future Emperor for the first time at the Siege of Toulon, where Napoleon made his name. They formed a friendship, and when Napoleon was given command of the French army in Italy, he took Major Marmont with him as an aide-de-camp. Marmont distinguished himself at several of Napoleon's early victories in Italy, and was commanding his own artillery regiment by the age of 23. As part of Napoleon's inner circle, Marmont accompanied him on his expedition to Egypt in 1798, fighting in the battles of Alexandria and the Pyramids. Naturally he backed Napoleon's coup of 18 Brumaire, as Napoleon overthrew the Directory, and made himself First Consul of France. Six months later, Napoleon led an army over the Alps into Italy. It was his artillery commander, General Marmont, who figured out how to get the cannon through the mountain passes, using man-hauled sledges. At the ensuing Battle of Marengo, Marmont's skilled handling of the artillery helped Napoleon to win a decisive victory over the Second Coalition. Two years later, Marmont was made Inspector General of Artillery, working with Napoleon to implement reforms that improved firepower, mobility and supply. Marmont was bitterly disappointed not to be among the first Marshals created in 1804, but he was still only 29, and Napoleon assured him that time was on his side. He was further frustrated in 1805, when his corps was sent to guard the army's strategic southern flank, and so missed the great victory at Austerlitz. The spoils of that war included Dalmatia, which Marmont was sent to govern in 1806. Though he lived in extravagant luxury, his reforms and infrastructure projects were so effective that even the Emperor of Austria later admitted, it's a great pity that Marmont was not in Dalmatia two or three years longer. When war broke out with Austria again in 1809, Marmont marched north with Eleventh Corps to join Napoleon near Vienna. But at the Great Battle of Wagram, his troops remained in reserve, while the other corps were engaged in ferocious fighting. At last an opportunity to prove himself came, as Napoleon ordered him to pursue the retreating Austrians, but reckless over-enthusiasm nearly led to disaster at Znaim. A week later, Napoleon created three new Marshals – Macdonald, Oudinot and Marmont. Macdonald for France, it was said, Oudinot for the army, Marmont for friendship. Napoleon then rather undermined the moment by telling Marmont, Between ourselves, you've not yet done enough to justify my choice. His big chance came in 1811, when he was sent to Spain to replace Marshal Masséna. But after a promising start, and some bold manoeuvring against the British on the Douro River, he stumbled into disaster at Salamanca. Marmont himself was an early casualty of the battle, badly wounded by a shellburst, and carried from the field, as Wellington routed his army. After convalescing in France, Marmont was back with the Grande Armée in 1813, as Napoleon battled to save his empire. He commanded Sixth Corps throughout the campaign in Germany, fighting at Lützen, Bautzen and Dresden. At Leipzig he held the northern sector with skill and determination, making Blücher's Prussians pay a high price for the village of Moerker. Marmont played an important role in Napoleon's 1814 defence of France, shadowing Blücher's movements along the Marne River, and guarding the road to Paris. But by now he was showing signs of exhaustion and disillusion. At the Battle of Lens, he allowed his corps to be surprised by the enemy, with heavy loss. Napoleon's stinging criticism may have been the moment that ended Marmont's loyalty. He was the senior marshal in Paris when the Allies attacked on 30th March. After a day's fighting and facing inevitable defeat, he negotiated the city's surrender. Five days later, with Napoleon at Fontainebleau, still planning to march on Paris, Marmont marched his corps over to the Allied lines, and surrendered. Napoleon was shocked at this betrayal by one of his oldest comrades. He'd already been persuaded that he must try to abdicate in favour of his three-year-old son. Now he accepted that he must abdicate without conditions. Whether Marmont acted to save lives, out of self-interest or spite, or a combination of all three, remains the subject of heated debate. We do know that he was well-rewarded by the restored Bourbon king, and never forgiven by Bonaparte loyalists. As military commander of Paris in 1830, Marmont could not prevent the next revolution, and had to flee France. He spent the rest of his life in exile, becoming tutor, while he was in Vienna, to Napoleon's son, the Duke of Reichstadt. He was the last of Napoleon's marshals to die, in Venice, in 1852. Bernadotte, Augereau, Lefebvre, Mortier, Marmont. Thirteen down, thirteen to go. Join us for part three, when we'll continue the countdown, coming soon. Thanks again to our video sponsor, Displate. And don't forget you can check out the Epic History TV collection using the link in the video description. Thank you most of all to our Patreon supporters for making Epic History TV possible. Visit our Patreon page to find out how you can support the channel, get ad-free early access, and help to choose future topics. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for extra Epic History content, and regular updates.