26 Generals were made Marshals of France during Napoleon’s reign. R. P. Dunn-Pattison narrates their lifes and characterizes these outstanding personalities in a series of concise, vivid portraits. His remarkable book is presented by Major Intonio in 26 parts which can be heard independently of each other. Here is part 1, containing the introduction and chapter 1 about Louis Alexandre Berthier, the Emperor’s trusted chief of staff.
Overview of the chapters:
1) LOUIS ALEXANDRE BERTHIER
2) JOACHIM MURAT
3) ANDRÉ MASSÉNA
4) JEAN BAPTISTE JULES BERNADOTTE
5) JEAN DE DIEU NICOLAS SOULT
6) JEAN LANNES
7) MICHEL NEY
8) LOUIS NICOLAS DAVOUT
9) JACQUES ÉTIENNE JOSEPH ALEXANDRE MACDONALD
10) AUGUSTE FRÉDÉRIC LOUIS VIESSE DE MARMONT
11) LOUIS GABRIEL SUCHET
12) LAURENT GOUVION ST. CYR
13) BON ADRIEN JEANNOT DE MONCEY
14) JEAN BAPTISTE JOURDAN
15) CHARLES PIERRE FRANÇOIS AUGEREAU
16) GUILLAUME MARIE ANNE BRUNE
17) ADOLPHE ÉDOUARD CASIMIR JOSEPH MORTIER
18) JEAN BAPTISTE BESSIÈRES
19) CLAUDE VICTOR PERRIN
20) EMMANUEL DE GROUCHY
21) FRANÇOIS CHRISTOPHE KELLERMANN
22) FRANÇOIS JOSEPH LEFÈBVRE
23) NICOLAS CHARLES OUDINOT
24) DOMINIQUE CATHERINE DE PÉRIGNON
25) JEAN MATHIEU PHILIBERT SERURIER
26) PRINCE JOSEPH PONIATOWSKI
Chapter 2 about Joachim Murat, King of Naples, shall be published next week. We hope you’ll enjoy listening to this unique historical document. Stay tuned and subscribe to our channel!
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welcome to Major Antonio’s presentation of Napoleon’s Marshals by RP dun pison introduction it is a Melancholy but instructive fact to remember that in the opinion of him whom nature had adorned with the greatest intellect that the world has yet seen selfishness and self-interest lie at the root of all Human Action Four as Napoleon said in ambition is to be found the chief motive force of humanity and a man puts forth his best powers in proportion to his hopes of advancement it was on this cynical hypothesis therefore with a complete disregard of those higher aspirations of self-sacrifice and self-control which raise man above the mere brute that the corsac adventurer waited through Seas of blood to the throne of France and then attempted by the destruction of a million human beings to bind on his brow the Imperial Crown of Western Europe in spite of loud sounding phrases and constitutional slate of hand none knew better than Napoleon that by the sword alone he had won his Empire and by the sword alone he could keep it Keen student of History it was not in vain that again and again he had read and reread the works of Cesar and pondered on the achievements of charlan and the career of Cromwell the problem he had to solve was how to conceal from his lieutenants that his dynasty rested purely on their swords to bind their honors so closely to his own fortune that they should ever be loyal so to distribute his favors that his servants should never become so great as to threaten his own position it was with this object in view that at the time he seized for himself the Imperial Crown he reestablished the old role of Marshall of France frankly confessing to rorer that his reason for showering rewards on his lieutenants was to assure to himself his own dignity since they could not object to it when they found themselves the recipients of such lofty titles but with the cunning of the serpent while he gave with one hand he took away with the other he fixed the number of Marshals at 16 on the active list and added four others for those too old for active service hence he had it in his power to reward 20 hungry aspirants while he robbed the individuals of their Glory since each Marshall shared his dignity with 19 others plainly also he told told them that lofty though their rank might appear to others to him they were still mere servants created by Him and dependent for their position on him alone recollect he said that you are soldiers only when with the Army the title of Marshall is merely a civil distinction which gives you the honorable rank at my court which is your due but it carries with it no Authority on the battlefield you are generals at court you are nobles belonging to the state by the the Civil position I created for you when I bestowed your titles on you it was on May 19th 1804 that The Gazette appeared with the first creation of Marshals there were 14 on the active list and four honorary Marshals in the Senate two batons were withheld as a reward for future service the original 14 were berier morat mon Jordon Masa a bernot Sul Brun Lans mortier nay devu and besser while on the retired list were Kellerman lefer Perino and serua the list caused much surprise and dissatisfaction on the one hand there were those like Masa who received their congratulations with a grunt and yes one of 14 on the other hand were those like McDonald Marmont Victor and many another who thought they ought to have been included an examination of the names soon explains how the choice was made except Jordon who was too great a soldier to be passed over all those who could not forget their Republican principles were excluded Masa received his batan as the greatest soldier of France Bertier morat and Lans had won theirs by their talents as much as by their personal devotion Sut nay davu and mortier were Napoleon’s Choice from among the coming men who in the camps of the army of the ocean were fast justifying their selection besser was included because he would never win it at any later date but his doglike devot made him a Priceless subordinate AO and bernadat received their baton to keep them quiet the names of mon Brun Kellerman Perino and suier were intimately connected with glorious Feats of the Republican armies and so though only fortunate mediocrities they were included in the first creation while leev the Republican of Republicans now under the glamour of Napoleon’s power was placed on the list as a stalking horse of the extreme members of his party party at the time of the first creation of the great soldiers of the Republic Maro was branded as a traitor hos Maro clayber desay and pagu were dead Carno the organizer of victory was a voluntary Exile while staunch blades like ler Rish Pon lorb McDonald Victor St seir and suett were all more or less in disgrace by the end of the Empire death and the necessity of rewarding Merit added to the list of Marshals until in all 26 botans were granted by the emperor in 1808 Victor was restored to favor and received his Boton after Wagram McDonald Udo and Marmont received the prize while the Spanish War brought it to suchet and the Russian campaign to St seir in 1813 the Polish Prince poniatowski was sent his truncheon on the field of leig while last of all in 1815 gruchi was promoted to one of the vacancies caused by the refusal of many of the marshals to cast off their allegiance to the Bourbons it was a popular saying in the Napoleonic Army that every private Soldier carried in his knapsack a Marshall’s baton and the early history of many of these Marshals Bears out this saying but while the revolution carried away all the barriers and opened the highest ranks to Talent be it never so humble in its origin the history of the marshals proves that heaven-born soldiers are scarce and that the Art of War save in the of one out of a million can only be acquired by years of patient work in a subordinate position of the generals of the Revolutionary armies only four Moro mortier suette and Brun had no previous military training and of these four Moro and susha alone had claimed to Greatness the rough unlettered generals of the early years of the war soon proved that they could never rise above the science of the drill sergeant once discipline and organization were restored there was no room for a general like the Gallant Mard who when about to charge used to call out look here I am going to dress like a beast and thereon divest himself of everything save his leather breaches and boots and then like some great hairy baboon with strange Oaths and yells lead his Horsemen against the enemy a higher type was required than this Mard who could not understand that because an officer could sketch mountains he could not necessarily measure a man for a pair of boots of the 26 Marshals nine had held commissions ranging from Lieutenant General to Lieutenant in the old Royal Army one was a Polish Prince an ex Austrian officer while one had passed the artillery college but had refused to accept a commission 11 had commenced life as privates in the old service and of these nine had risen to the rank of Sergeant and four had had no previous military training it must also be remembered that the standard of of the non-commissioned rank in the Royal Army just before the Revolution was extremely high the reforms of St Germain and the popularity of the American war had enticed into the ranks a high class of recruits with the result that the authorities were able to impose tests and no private could rise to the rank of Corporal or from Corporal to Sergeant without passing an examination further since the officers of the ancient regime left the entire organization discipline and control in the hands of the non-commissioned officers and seldom if ever visited their companies either in Barracks or on the parade ground the non-commissioned officers in everything save actual title were really extremely well-trained officers it was this class which really saved France when the old officers immigrated and the incapable politicians in Paris did their best to ruin the Army hence it was that without prejudice to the service a sergeant might one day found quietly obeying the orders of his company officer and the next day with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel commanding his Battalion The Art of War can only be truly learned in the field and the officers of the French army had such an experience as had never fallen to the lot of any other Nation since the days of the 30 years war with continuous fighting winter and summer on every frontier military knowledge was easily gained by those who had the ability to to acquire it and the young generals of Brigade with but three years service in commissioned rank had gone through experiences which seldom fall to the lot of officers with 30 years service the cycle of War seemed unending from the day on which in 1792 France hurled her declaration of war on Austria till the surrender of Paris in 1814 with the exception of the year of Peace gained at amens war was continuous it began with a light-hearted Invasion of France by Austria and Prussia in September 1792 which ended in the canonade of valy when dumz and Kellerman with the remnant of the old Royal Army showed such a bold front that the Allies who had never expected to fight lost heart and ran home the ostr Prussian Invasion sealed the King’s death warrant and France in the hands of Republican enthusiasts went forth with a rabble of old soldiers and volunteers to preach the doctrine of the equality of man and the Brotherhood of Nations but the sovereigns of Europe determined to fight for their crowns and the license of the French soldiers and the selfishness of these profets of the new doctrine of equality soon disgusted the people of the Ry Valley so the Revolutionary mob armies were driven into France and for two years she was busy on every Frontier striving to drive the enemy from her soil it was during these years that the new French army arose the volunteer were brigaded with the old regular battalions the ranks were kept full by calling out all fit to bear arms and the incompetent and unfortunate were weeded out by the guillotine by 1795 France had freed her own soil and had forged a weapon whereby she could retaliate on the powers who had attempted to Annex her territory in the hour of her degradation the Rind now became her eastern Frontier but Austria whose Archduke was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire ire would not give up the provinces seized from her so from 1795 to 1797 on the headwaters of the danu and in Italy the representative of the feudal ages fought the new democracy it was the appearance of the great military Talent of bonapart which decided the day on the danu the austrians had found that under the excellent leading of the arch duuk Charles they were fit to defeat the best French troops under capable generals like Jordon and Moro but the military Genius of bonapart overbore all resistance and when peace came practically all Italy had been added to the Dominion of France unfortunately for the Peace of Europe the rulers of France had tasted blood they found in the captured provinces a means of making War without feeling the effects for the rich pillage of Italy paid the war expenses but grateful as the directors were to bonapart for thus opening to them a means of enriching themselves at the expense of Europe they rightly saw in him a menace to their own power and gladly allowed him to depart on the mission to Egypt from Egypt bonapart returned seized the Reigns of government and saved France from the imbecility of her rulers and by the Battle of Morango assured to her all she had lost in his absence unfortunately for France the Restless ambition of her new ruler was not satisfied with reestablishing the Empire of the West and Reviving the glories of ging but hankered after a vast oversea Dominion to include America and India hence it was that he found in Great Britain an implacable enemy ever stirring up against him European coalitions to cover his failure to rest the Dominion of the sea from its mistress Napoleon turned his wrath on Austria and soon she lay cowed at his feet after the catastrophe at MM and the Battle of australites Austria’s fall was due to the lethargy and hesitation of the Courts of Berlin Lin and St Petersburg but once Austria was disposed of Prussia and Russia met their punishment for having given her secret or open Aid the storm fell first on Prussia at one Fell Swoop on the field of Gina the famed military monarchy of The Great Frederick fell in pieces like a Potter’s vessel from Prussia the Invincible French Legions penetrated into Poland and after ISO and fredland the forces of Prussia and Russia could no longer face the enemy in the field the zar dazzled by Napoleon’s greatness threw over his ally Prussia and at tilset made friends with the great conqueror in June 1807 it seemed as if Europe lay at Napoleon’s feet but already in Portugal the seeds of his ruin had been sown the Portuguese Monarch the Ally of Great Britain fled at the mere approach of a single Marshall of the emperor the apparent lethargy of the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula and the unpopularity of the Spanish Bourbons tempted Napoleon to establish his brother on the throne of Spain it was a fatal error for though the Spanish people might despise their King they were intensely proud of their nationality for the first time in his experience the corsac had to meet the forces of a nation and not of a government the chance defeat of a French army at Balin was the signal for a general Rising throughout the peninsula and not only throughout the peninsula but for the commencement of a national movement against the French in Austria and Germany England gladly seized the opportunity of injuring her enemy and sent Aid to the people of Spain Austria tried another fall with her conqueror but was defeated at Wagram Wagram ought to have taught the emperor that his troops were no longer Invincible as of old but blind to this lesson he still attempted to Lord it over Europe and treated with kumali his only friend the Zar consequently in 1812 while still engaged in attempting to conquer Spain he found himself forced to fight Russia the result was appalling out of half a million troops who entered Russia a bare 70,000 returned Prussia and Austria at once made a bid to recover their independence Napoleon blinded by rage refused to listen to reason and in October 1813 was defeated by the Allies at leig even then he might have saved his throne but he still refused to listen to the allies who in 1814 invaded France and after a campaign in which the emperor showed an almost superhuman ability At Last by sheer weight of numbers they captured Paris thereon the French troops refused to fight any longer for the emperor such as a brief outline of what is called the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the finest School the world has yet seen for an apprenticeship in the trade of arms chapter one leis Alexander Bertier Marshall Prince of vagram sovereign Prince of new chel and venin to be content ever to play an inferior part to see all honor and Renown fall to the share of another yet loyally to a face self and work for the glory of a friend denotes a sterling character and an inflexibility of Purpose with which few can claim to be endowed nobody doubts that if it had not been for Napoleon berier good businessman as he was could never have risen to the fame he attained still it is often forgotten that without this admirable servant it is more than doubtful if the great emperor could have achieved all his most Splendid success berier controlled by a mastermind was an instrument Beyond price versed in the management of an army almost from his cradle he had the gift of drafting orders so clear so Lucid that no one could possibly mistake their meaning his memory was prodigious and his physical endurance such that he appeared never to require rest but above all he alone seemed to be able to Divine the thoughts of his Great Master before they were spoken and this wonderful intuition taught him how from a few disjointed utterances to unravel Napoleon’s most daring conceptions and work out the details in ordered Perfection Napoleon called his faithful aess a goling whom he had transformed into an eagle but history proclaims that long before the name of bonapart was known beyond the Gate of the military academy at Brienne Bertier had established a record as a staff officer of the highest promise while before the young corsac first met him in Italy the future Major General of the Grand Army had evolved that perfect system of organization which enabled the Conqueror of Italy to control every movement and vibration in the Army to be informed of events as soon as they happened and to be absolutely sure of the dispatch and performance of his orders Alexander Bertier had seen 23 years service in the old Royal Army before the Revolution broke out in 1789 born on November 20th 1753 at the age of 13 he received his Commission in the engineers owing to his father’s services in preparing a map of Royal hunting forests but the boy soon forsook his father’s old regiment for he knew well that the highest commands in the Army seldom if ever fell to the scient ific core when in 1780 the French government decided to send out an expeditionary Corp to assist the revolted colonies in their struggle with Great Britain berier after serving in the Infantry and Cavalry was employed as a staff Captain with the army of Normandy eager to see active service he at once applied to be attached to the Expedition and offered if there was no room for an extra Captain to resign his Rank and serve as sublant thanks to power ful family influence and to his record of service his desire was gratified and in January 1781 he found himself with the French troops in America employed on the staff of General count de R Ro Shambo returning from America in 1783 with a well-earned reputation for bravery and ability Captain berier was one of the officers sent to Prussia under the Marquee de custine to study the military organization of The Great Frederick continuously employed on the staff he had the advantage of serving as Brigade major at the great Camp of instruction held at St Omar in 1788 and in that year received as a reward for his Services the cross of St Louis the year 1789 saw him gazetted Lieutenant Colonel and chief of the staff to Baron de bessen Val commanding the troops around Paris when after the capture of the basti Lafayette undertook the work of organizing the National Guard he at once bethought him of his old comrade of American days and appointed berier assistant quartermaster General berier found the post well suited to him inspired by the liberal ideas which he had gained in America he threw himself heart and soul into the work soon his talent as an organizer became widely recognized many prominent officers applied to have him attached to their command and after holding several staff appointments he was entrusted in 1791 with the organization and in destruction of the 30 battalions of volunteers cantoned between the S and moose when war broke out in 1792 he was dispatched as Major General and chief of the staff to his old friend roshambo and when the count resigned his command berier was specially retained by rosh shambo’s successor luckner but the revolution while giving him his chance nearly brought about his fall his intimate connection with the Nobles of the old Royal Army his courage and protecting the king’s ants and his family connections caused him to become suspect it was in vain that the leaders at the front complained of the absolute disorder in their forces of the necessity of more trained staff officers and of their desire for the services of the brilliant soldier who had gained his experience in war time in America and in peace time in Prussia in vain custine wrote to the minister of war in the name of the Republic send berier to me to help me in my difficulties in vain the Commissioners with the Army reported that berier has gained the esteem and confidence of all good Patriots vain also was The Valor and ability he showed in the campaign against the royalists in Lavon bushot the incapable the friend of the brutish blockheaded habert the insulter of the Queen the destroyer of the army decreed that his loyalty to The Republic was not sincere and by a stroke of the pen dismissed him thus during the whole of the Year 1793 the French army was deprived of the service of an officer who owing to his powers of organization was worth 50,000 of the butcher Generals in 1795 with the fall of the Jacobin berier was restored to his Rank and sent as chief of the staff to Kellerman commanding the army of the Alps and before the end of the year the staff work of Kellerman’s Army became the pattern for all the armies of the Republic U when in March 1796 bonapart was appointed commander of the army of Italy he at once requisitioned berier as the chief of the staff and from that day till April 1814 berier seldom if ever left the future Emperor’s side serving him with a patience and cheerfulness which neither ill will nor neglect seemed to disturb though over 42 years of age and 16 years older than his new Chief the chief of the staff was still in the prime of his manhood short thick set and athletic his frame proclaimed his immense physical strength while his strong alert face under a mass of thick curly hair foretold at a glance his mental capacity a keen Sportsman in peace he spent all his leisure in the chase Hard Exercise and Feats of physical endurance were his Delight fatigue he never knew and on one occasion he was said to have spent 13 days and nights in the saddle to strangers and officials he was was silent and Stern but his aloofness of manner hid a warm heart and a natural sincerity and many a poor officer or returned emigra received secret help from his purse though naturally of a strong character his affection and respect for his great Commander became the dominating note in his career in fact it might almost be said that in later years his personality became merged to such an extent in that of Napoleon that he was unable to see the actions of the emperor in their proper perspective from their first meeting bonapart correctly guessed the impression he had made on his new staff officer and aimed at increasing his influence over him meanwhile he was delighted with him he wrote to the directory ber has talents activity courage character all in his favor berier on his side was well satisfied as he said to a friend who asked him how he could serve a man with such a temper remember that one day it will be a fine thing to be second to bonapart so the two worked admirably together bonapart kept in his own hands the movement of troops the direction of skirmishes and battles commissariat discipline and all Communications from the government berier had a free hand in the organization and maintenance of the general staff the headquarter staff and the transmission of orders subject to inspection by bonapart he also had to throw into written form all verbal orders and he alone alone was responsible for their promulgation and execution it was his ability to work out in detail and to reduce into clear Lucid orders the slightest hint of his Commander which as Napoleon said later was the great Merit of berier and was of inestimable importance to me no other could possibly have replaced him thanks to berthe’s admirable system bonapart was kept in touch with every part of his command one of the first principles laid down in the staff regulations was that it was vital to the good of the service that the correspondence of the army should be exceedingly Swift and regular that nothing should be neglected which might contribute to this end to ensure regularity of communication divisional commanders and officers detached in command of small columns were ordered to report at least twice a day to headquarters with each division in addition to the divisional staff there were officers detached from the headquarters staff all important dispatches had to be sent in duplicate in times of great danger commanding officers had to send as many as eight different orderly officers each with a copy of dispatches but it was not only as an organizer and transmitter of orders that berier proved his usefulness to his chief at Loi he showed his personal courage and bravery among the band of Heroes who forced the bridge and bonapart paid him a fine tribute when he wrote in his dispatch if I were bound to mention all the soldiers who distinguished themselves on that wonderful day I should be obliged to mention all the carabineers and grenadiers of the advanced guard and nearly all the officers of the staff but I must not forget the courageous berier who on that day played the part of Gunner trooper and Grenadier at rivy in addition to his staff duties berier commanded the center of the army and fought with a stubbornness beyond all praise by the end of the campaign of 1796 he had proved that he was as great a chief of the staff as bonapart was a great Commander doubtless it is true that before the commencement of a campaign an army possesses in itself the causes of its future Victory or defeat and the army of Italy with its masses of enthusiastic veterans and the directing Genius of bonapart was bound to defeat the austrians with their listless men and incompetent old generals but without the Zeal activity and devotion which berier transfused through the whole of the general staff success could not have been so sudden or so complete after leobin the Conqueror of Italy employed his trusty friend on numerous diplomatic missions in connection with the annexation of Corfu and the government of the CIS Alpine Republic meanwhile he was in close communication with him in regard to the proposed descent on England and the possible expedition to the east to berier if to anyone bonapart entrusted his secret designs for he knew that he could do so in safety accordingly in 1798 finding an invasion of England impossible at the moment he persuaded the directory to send bery to Italy as commander-in-chief his object being to place him in a position to gather funds for the Egyptian Expedition from Italy berier sent his former Commander the most minute description of everything of importance but he found the task difficult and uncongenial and prayed him to recall me promptly I much prefer being your Aid to comp to being commander and chief here still he carried out his orders and marched on Rome to place the 8 million Franks worth of diamonds rung from the pope to the credit of the army from Rome he returned with coffers well filled for the Egyptian Expedition but leaving behind him an army half mutinous for want of pay his blind Devotion to bonapart hid this in congruity from his eyes as in Italy in 1795 so in Egypt berier was bonapart right-hand man methodical indefatigable and trustworthy but even his iron frame could scarcely withstand the strain of three years continuous active service the incessant office work day and night and the trials of an unaccustomed climate after the battle of the pyramids he fell sick and before the Syrian Expedition applied to return to France unkind friends hinted that he longed for his mistress Madame visanti but bonapart knowing that it was not this but sheer overstrain which had caused his breakdown in health gave him the desired leave and made all arrangements for his journey home however at the moment of departure bera’s love for his chief overcame his longing for rest and in spite of ill health he withdrew his resignation and set out with the Army for Syria as ever he found plenty of work for even in the face of the ill success of the Expedition bonapart determined to administer Egypt as if the French occupation was to be forever permanent and berier in addition to his ordinary work was ordered to edit a carefully executed map from the complete survey which was being made of the country it was to berier that bonapart first divulged his intention of leaving Egypt and returning to France and his determination to upset the directory liberal by nature but essentially a man of method and a disciplinarian the chief of the staff was quite in accord with his Commander’s ideas on the Regeneration of France and loyally supported him during the coup d’a of the 18th buum thereafter the first Consul appointed his friend minister of War a position that gave full scope to his talents all the administrative Services had at once to be reorganized the frontier fortresses garrisoned and placed in a state of defense and the Army covering the frontier supplied with food pay equipment and reinforcements while the formation of the secret army of Reserve was a task which alone would have occupied all the attention of an ordinary man in fact the safety of France hung on this Army consequently since by the Constitution the first Consul was unable himself to take command in the field in April 1800 he transferred berier from the war office to the head of this most important force it is not just generally known that the idea of the passage of the Alps by the St Bernard pass actually originated with berier and had first been projected by him as early as 1795 so it was at the execution of what was really his own idea that for two months berier slaved at times even his Stout heart quailed as when he wrote to the first Consul it is my duty to complain of the position of this Army on which you have justly spent so much interest and which is paralyzed because it can only rely on its bayonets on account of the lack of ammunition and means to transport the artillery incessant work and toil were at last rewarded but when the army of the reserve deboed on the Austrian lines of communication the first Consul appeared in person and though nominally in command berier once again resumed his position of chief of the staff without a murmur he allowed bonapart to reap all the glory of Morango for he knew that without the the first Consul however excellent his own dispositions were they would have been lacking in the driving power which alone teaches men how to seize on Victory after Morango berier was dispatched as Ambassador extraordinary to Madrid to exhort Spain by every possible means to declare war on Portugal the Ally of England the result of this mission was eminently successful a special treaty was drawn up and Spain sold Louisiana to France by October the ambass bador was once again back in Paris at his old post of minister of War a post which he held continuously during peace and War till August 1807 the position was no light one for even during the short years of Peace it involved the supervision of the expedition to San Domingo the defense of Italy the reorganization of the Army and the rearmament of the artillery in addition to the ordinary routine of official work moreover the foundations of the consulate being based on the Army it was essential that the Army should be efficient and content and consequently the French soldier of that day was not as in other countries neglected in peace time the officers in command of the troops were constantly reminded by the war minister that the French soldier is a citizen placed under military law not an outcast or surf whose well-being and comfort concern no one on the establishment of the Empire berier like many another received the reward Ward for his faithfulness to Napoleon honors were showered upon him the first to receive the Marshalls Baton he was in succession created Senator by right as a dignitary of the Empire Grand officer of the palace and Grand Huntsman to the crown while at the coronation he carried the Imperial Globe but though the emperor thus honored and treated him as his most trustworthy Confidant the cares of state to some extent withdrew Napoleon from close intimacy with his old companion at the same time the Marshall was insensibly separated from his former comrades in Arms by his high rank and employment which while it tended to make him more the servant than the friend of the emperor also caused him to be regarded as a superior to be obeyed by those who were formerly his equals at all times a strict disciplinarian and one who never passed over a breach of orders the Marshall as voicing the commands of the emperor gradually began to assume a Stern attitude to all subordinates and spared neither princes or Marshals when he considered that the good of the service required that they should be reprimanded and shown their Duty so strong was the sense of subordination in the Army and the desire to stand well with Napoleon that even the fiery Murat paid attention to orders and reprimands signed by berier in the name of the emperor meanwhile the work of the war minister increased day by day the organiz ization and supervision of the army of the ocean added considerably to his work which was much interfered with by visits of inspection in company with the Emperor or far distant expeditions to the Frontiers and to Italy for the coronation at Milan on August 3rd 1805 the emperor created the Marshall Major General and chief of the staff to the army of the ocean and himself assumed command of the army and held a grand review of 100,000 men everybody thought that the moment for the invasion of England had arrived Bertier and perhaps taller alone knew that Austria not England was the immediate Quarry and all through August the major general was busy working out the roots for the concentration of the various core in the Valley of the danub whilst at the same time as war minister he was responsible for the supervision of all the troops left in France and in Garrison in Italy Belgium Holland and Hanover consequently he had to divide his staff into two sections one of which he took with him into the field the other remaining in Paris under an assistant who was capable of managing the ordinary routine but who had to forward all difficult problems to the war minister in the field even during the drive to the frontier there was no abatement of the strain during the journey the emperor would give orders which had to be expanded and written out in the short stoppages for food and rest by day the major general traveled in the emperor’s Carriage at night he always slept under the same roof with him to be ready at any moment in full uniform to receive his commands and expand and dictate them to his clerks everyone knew when the major general was worried for he had a habit of biting his nails when making a decision or trying to solve a problem but otherwise he never showed any sign of feeling and whether tired or troubled by the emperor’s occasional out bursts of temper he went on with his work with the methodical Precision of an automaton to belong to the general staff when berthier was Major General was no bed of roses no place for gilded youth for with Napoleon commanding and berier directing if there was often fighting there was plenty of riding if there was Galloping on Horseback by day to make up for it by night there were hours of steady copying of orders and no chance of laying down the pen until all bus was finished thanks to this excellent staff work Napoleon’s ambitious plans were Faithfully accomplished the austrians were completely taken in by the demonstration in the Black Forest the French columns stepped as stride of their Communications on the danu and Mack was forced to surrender ATM but UL was only the commencement of the campaign and even after aitz Napoleon pursued the enemy with grim resolution this was one of the secrets of his success for as berier wrote to Sut the emperor’s opinion is that in war nothing is really achieved as long as there remains something to achieve a victory is not complete as long as greater success can still be gained after the Treaty of pressur on December 27th 1805 Napoleon quitted the Army and returned to Paris leaving the Major General in command of the Grand Army with orders to evacuate the conquered territory when the terms of the treaty had been carried out by the austrians but the emperor retained the real control and every day a courier had to be dispatched to Paris with a detailed account of every event and every day a courier arrived from Paris bearing fresh orders and instructions for Napoleon refused to allow the slightest deviation from his orders keep strictly to the orders I give you he wrote execute punctually your instructions I alone know what I want done meanwhile the major general was still war minister and had to supervise all the more important business of the war office while he also found time to edit an official history of the campaign of 1805 and to superintend the execution of a map of most of the Austrian possessions the work was immense but berier never flagged and the emperor showed his appreciation of his Zeal when on March 30th 1806 he conferred on him the principality of Noel with the title of Prince and Duke to hold in full possession and suery for himself his heirs and successors with one stipulation that he should marry he added that the prince’s passion for Madame Visconti had lasted too long that it was not becoming to a dignitary of the Empire and that he was Now 50 years old and ought to think of providing an heir to his honors the prince Marshall never had time to visit personally his principality but he sent one of his intimate friends General dutily to provide for the welfare of his new subjects and to the best of his ability he saw that they were well governed while a battalion of picked troops from Nel was added to the Imperial Guard but orders or no orders the prince could never break himself free from the traml of his mistress and Napoleon gave him but little leisure in which to find a congenial partner so that it was not till after tillit in the brief pause before the Peninsular War that berier at last took a wife his chosen princess was Elizabeth the daughter of William Duke of Bavaria brother of the king she was married with all due solemnity in March 1808 and though the exigencies of War gave her but little opportunity of seeing much of her husband affection existed between them as also between berier and his father-in-law the Duke of Bavaria all cause of difficulty was smoothed over by the fact that in time the princess herself conceived an affection for madame viscon GTI by September 1806 the Grand Army had evacuated Austria and the prince Marshall was hoping to return to Paris when suddenly he was informed by the emperor of the probability of a campaign against Prussia on the 23rd definite orders arrived indicating the points of assembly by the next day detailed letters of instructions for every core had been worked out and dispatched by the headquarters staff Napoleon himself arrived at wburg on October 2nd and found his army concentrated but deficient of supplies at first his anger burst out against the chief of the staff but a moment’s reflection proved to him that there was not sufficient transport in Germany to mass both men and supplies in the time he had given and he entirely exonerated Beria who by hard work contrived in three days to collect sufficient supplies to allow of the opening of the 30 days Campaign which commenced with Gina and ended by carrying the French Troop across the vula the fresh campaign in the spring of 1807 was attended by an additional difficulty there existed no maps of the district and the topographical Department of the staff was worked off its legs in supplying this deficiency meanwhile during the halt after pusk the major general was busy reclothing and re-equipping the Army and hurrying up reinforcements while in addition to the work of the war office he had to supervise the French forces in Italy and Naples after tilset as after pressur Napoleon hurried back to France and left the prince of Noel to arrange for the withdrawal of the Grand Army and it was not till July 27th that berthier at last returned to Paris the prince came back more than ever dazzled by The Genius of the emperor not even isow had taught him that there were limits to his idols Powers but with more than 800,000 men on a war footing with division and army Corp scattered from the Atlantic to the Neeman from Lubec to bendes it was impossible for one man to be at once chief of the staff and minister of War accordingly on August 9th the emperor made General Clark minister of war and to show that this was no slight on his old friend on the same day he created the prince of Nel Vice conable of France for the next three months berier was able to enjoy his honors at his home at groa or in his honorary capacity at Fontan Blau but in November the emperor carried him off with him to Italy on a tour of inspection during the whole of this holiday in Italy the prince was busy elaborating the details of the coming campaign in Spain and it was the Spanish trouble which cut short his honeymoon for on April 2nd he had to start with the emperor for Bayon from the outset the prince warned the emperor that the question of supplies lay at the root of all difficulty in Spain but Napoleon clung to his idea that war should support war and berier knew that it was hopeless to attempt to remove a fixed idea from his head and still believing in his omnipotence he thought all would be well meanwhile as the summer went on it was not only Spain that occupied the prince’s attention for the conquest of Denmark had to be arranged and the passes in celesia and Bohemia carefully mapped in view of hostilities with Prussia or Austria early in August berier was at St Cloud making arrangements to reinforce duu in cesia owing to the growing hostility of Austria when on the 16th arrived the news that Joseph had had to evacuate all the country west of the Ebro but Napoleon and berier could not go to his help until after the Imperial meeting at aord in September however on reaching Spain the magic of The Emperor’s personality soon restored the Vigor and Prestige of the French arms still the prince Marshall could not hide from himself that all was not as it used to be Napoleon’s temper was more uncertain and the marshals smarting under reprimands were not pulling together when the emperor returned to France after having missed the opportunity of giving the English a good lesson he left berier behind for a fortnight to be sure that King Joseph had a proper understanding of everything but trouble was bound to come for the emperor himself was breaking his own Cannon of the importance of the unity of command by nominally leaving Joseph in control of all the troops in Spain but at the same time making the marshals responsible to himself through the Major General in 1809 Napoleon made another grave mistake he had calculated that Austria could make no forward movement before April 15th and accordingly he sent berier early in March to take temporary command of the Grand Army with instructions to order duu to concentrate at risbon and mea at Augsburg his idea was that there would be ample time later to order a concentration on either Wing or on the center but the austrians were ready quite a fortnight before he had calculated the major general kept him well informed of every movement of the enemy and pointed out the dangerous isolation of duu still the emperor did not believe the Austrian preparations were so forward and dispatch from Paris written on April 10th which arrived at headquarters at donaworth on the 11th ordered the major general to retain duu at risbon and move his own headquarters there and that in spite of anything that may happen unfortunately a semaphor Dispatch sent a few hours later when Napoleon had really grasped the situation went astray and never reached berier the prince of Nel understood as clearly as anyone the dangerous position of duu the Duke of ecmu himself thought that the major general was trying to spoil his career by laying him open to certain defeat Depression spread through all the French Corps but after years of blind Devotion to his great Chief berier could not steal himself to break distinct orders emphasized as they were by the expression in spite of whatever may happen and a great catastrophe was only just averted by the arrival of Napoleon who at once ordered devu to withdraw and Masa to advance berier himself was visited by the full Fury of The Emperor’s anger but the cloud soon passed for berier was as indispensable as ever and more so when after the failure at aspirin esling immense efforts had to be made to hurry up troops from every available Source at the end of The Campaign the emperor justly rewarded his Lieutenant by creating him Prince of Wagram once again Napoleon left berier to arrange for the withdrawal of the army and it was not till December 1st that the prince of Wagram regained Paris and took up the threads of the Peninsular campaign his stay there was short for by the end of February he was back again in Vienna this time not as Major General of a Victorious Army but as Ambassador extraordinary to claim the hand of the arch Duchess Marie Louise for his master the Emperor Napoleon and to escort her to her new home for the next 2 years the prince remained at home home at grb or on duty at fonton blow but in spite of great domestic happiness he was much worried by the terrible Spanish war no one saw more clearly that every effort ought to be made to crush the English but he was powerless to persuade the emperor and he had to endure to the full all the difficulties arising from breaking the unity of command no one understood better what hopeless difficulties would arise when Napoleon ordered him to write the king will command the army the guard does not form part of the army to add to these troubles it became more and more evident that Germany was riddled with secret societies and that war with Russia was inevitable so it was with a sigh of relief that in January 1812 he received the order to turn his attention from Spain and resume his functions as Major General of the Grand Army not that he desired further active service like many another of The Emperor’s soldiers he mistrusted the distant expedition to Russia and feared for the honor and safety of France already in his 60th year there was little he could gain personally from War as he said to Napoleon what is the good of having given me an income of £60,000 a year in order to inflict on me the tortures of Tantalus I shall die here with all this work the simplest private is happier than I the emperor knowing the attitude of many of his Marshals and him himself feeling the strain of this immense Enterprise was unusually irritable consequently relations at headquarters were often strained and the marshals were angry at the severe reprimands to which they were subjected the controlling leaders being out of gear the machine did not run smoothly there was nothing but friction and tension the marshals were inclined to attribute their disgrace to the ill will of berier and not to The Temper of Napoleon particularly was this the case with duu who since 1809 had suspected that berier desired to ruin his reputation accordingly the prince of ecmu set down the succession of reprimands which were hurled at his head to the machinations of the major general and not as was the case to Napoleon’s jealousy of him because people had prophesied he would become king of Poland this misunderstanding was most unfortunate for it prevented berier from affecting a reconcil iation between duu and the emperor hence Napoleon was driven more and more to trust to the advice of the rash unstable king of Naples the major General’s lot through the campaign was most miserable working day and night to supervise the organization of the huge force of 600,000 Men mistrusted by his former comrades blamed for every mishap by the emperor whatever the fault might be he had to put up with the bitterest insults and while working as no other man could work to endure such taunts as not only are you no good but you are in the way everything that went wrong was the fault of the general staff which is so organized that it foresees nothing whether it was the shortcomings of the contractors or the burning of their own magazines by the Russians but what most moved Napoleon’s anger against the chief of the staff was that beier with the parade States before him emphasizing the enormous wastage of the Army constantly harped on the danger of pressing on to Moscow so strained became the relations between them that for the last part of the advance they no longer met at meals but during the hours of the retreat the old friendship was resumed berier bore No Malice and showed his bravery by himself opposing the enemy with musket and Bayonet and on one occasion with besser’s morat and rap he saved the emperor from a SATA of cacs when Napoleon quitted the Army at VNA he left the major general behind to help the king of Naples to withdraw the remnant of the Grand Army marching on foot through the deep snow with fingers and nose frostbitten the sturdy old veteran of 60 endured the fatigue as well as the heartiest young men in their Prime and in addition to the physical fatigue of marching had to carry out all the administrative work and bear the moral responsibility for what remained of the army for the king of Naples thinking of nothing but how to save his own Crown when difficulties increased followed the example of Napoleon and deserted his post thereon the major general took on himself to nominate Prince Eugene as morat’s successor but in the end his health gave way and the emperor himself wrote to Prince Eugene telling him to send the old Warrior home berier reached Paris on February 9th much broken down in health but his wonderful physique soon enabled him to regain his strength and by the end of March he was once again hard at work helping the emperor to extemporize an army with his complete knowledge of this Force no one was more astonished than Bertier at the successes of luten and Bouton and no one more insistent in his advice to the emperor to accept the terms of the allies during the Armistice but he advised in vain Then followed the terrible catastrophe of leig due undoubtedly to ber Year’s dread of acting without the express orders of the emperor the engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one Bridge across the ster was not sufficient the major general knowing that the emperor desired to hide any signs of retreat from the Allies replied that he must await the emperor’s orders so when after 3 days fighting The Retreat could no longer be postponed a catastrophe was inevitable yet in spite of everything the emperor refused to acknowledge himself beaten and by the commencement of 1814 was once again ready to take the field though by now the Allies had invaded France loyal as ever berthier worked his hardest but he once again incurred the emperor’s anger by intreating him to accept the terms offered him at shatong still when the end came and Napoleon abdicated Beria remained at his side and it was only when the emperor had released his Marshals from their allegiance that on April 11th he sent in his adhesion to the new government when all save McDonald Had deserted the Fallen Emperor berus stayed on at fonton Blau directing the withdrawal of the remnants of the army and making arrangements for the guard which was to accompany Napoleon to Elba but though he remained with him until the day before he started for Elba berier refused to share his Exile and at the time Napoleon was magnanimous enough to see that owing to his age and the care of his children he could not expect such a sacrifice so far the prince had done all that honor and affection could demand of him but unfortunately for his Fame instead of withdrawing into private life he listened to the prayers of his wife who keenly felt the loss of her title of serene princess it was at her desire that he continued to frequent the bourbon court and actually accepted the captaincy of one of the new companies of Royal Guards this and the fact fact that as senior of the marshals berier had led his fellow Marshals to meet the king at Kang caused the prince of Wagram to be regarded as a traitor by Napoleon and the imperialists moreover the prince Marshall now saw in Napoleon the disturber of the Peace of Europe so when the emperor suddenly returned from Elba he withdrew from France and retired to Bamberg in his father-in-law’s dominions it is commonly supposed that berier committed suicide but the medical evidence shows that his fall was probably the result of giddiness arising from dyspepsia it was on June 1st that the accident happened he was watching a division of Russian troops passing through the town and was much distressed by the sight and heard to murmur my poor country ever interested in soldiers he got on a chair on the balcony before the nursery Windows to get a better view of the troops and while doing so lost his balance and fell to the ground for the moment the tragic death of the Marshall was the talk of Europe but only for the moment for the fate of the world was hanging on the issues of the great battle which was imminent in Belgium if the prince of Wagram had been there it is more than conceivable that the scales would have fallen other than they did for it was the indifferent staff work of salt and the bad drafting of orders which lost the French the campaign of this Napoleon was so firmly convinced that he never could AFF face it from his memory again and again he was heard saying if berier had been here I should never have met this Misfortune the emperor in spite of the fact that in 1814 he had told McDonald that berier could never return was convinced that he would and had told rap that he was certain he would come back to him it was this failure to return which so embittered the Fallen Emperor against the prince of Wagram and led to those cruel strictures on his character to which he gave vent at St Helen moreover Napoleon so great in many things was so jealous of his own Glory that he could be mean beyond words even in the early years when he heard people praising ber Year’s work in 1796 he told his secretary boreen as for berier since you have been with me you see what he is he is a blockhead at St helina forgetting his old opinions berier has his talents activity courage character all in his favor forgetting that he himself had taught berier to be imperious he derided his rather pompous manner saying nothing is so imperious as weakness which feels itself supported by strength look at women berier with his admirably locid mind great physique methodical powers and ambition would have made his name in any profession he undoubtedly chose to be second to Napoleon he served him with a Fidelity that Napoleon himself could not understand and he won his great Commander’s love and esteem in spite of the selfishness of the Corsican nature I really cannot understand said Napoleon to ton how a relation that has the appearance of friendship has established itself between berier and me I do not indulge in useless sentiments and berier is so uninteresting that I do not know why I should care about him at all and yet when I think of it I really have some liking for him it is because he believes in you said the former bishop and reader of men’s Souls it was this belief in Napoleon which in time Obsessed the prince of wag’s mind which killed his own initiative and was responsible for his blunders in 1809 and at leig and turned him into a machine which merely echoed the emperor’s commands M laral the emperor orders M it is not me it is the Emperor you ought to thank these hackneyed phrases typified more than anything else the bounds of the career which the Marshall had deliberately marked out for himself in beria’s eyes it was no reproach but a testimony to his own principles that he never gave an order never wrote A dispatch which did not in some way emanate from Napoleon it was this which with some appearance of Truth pointing to his notable failures allowed Napoleon to say of him at St Helen his character was undecided not strong enough for a commanderin-chief but he possessed all theity qualities of a good chief of the staff a complete Mastery of the map Great skill in reconnaissance minute care in the dispatch of orders magnificent aptitude for presenting with the greatest Simplicity the most complicated situation of an army this concludes chapter one of Napoleon’s Marshals by our P dun pison join us also for chapter 2 about yoa morat subscribe to Major Antonio’s Channel we’ll get back to you next week thank you very much and so long