Louis Nicolas Davout
| Louis-Nicolas Davout | |
|---|---|
Louis-Nicolas Davout, Marshal of the Empire
|
|
| Nickname(s) | The Iron Marshal |
| Born |
10 May 1770 Annoux, France |
| Died | 1 June 1823 (aged 53) Paris, France |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of France French Republic French Empire
|
| Service/branch | French Army |
| Years of service | 1788–1815 |
| Rank | Général de division |
| Unit | Commander of the Consular Guard Grenadiers (1801); IIIrd Corps (1804–1807 and 1809); Observation Corps of the Elbe (1810–1811); Ist Corps (1812); XIIIth Corps (1813–1814); Army of the Loire (1815) |
| Commands held | III Corps, XIII Corps |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |  Marshal of France Legion of Honour (Grand Cross) Order of Christ (Grand Cross) Order of the White Eagle (Grand Cross) Military Order of St. Henry (Grand Cross) Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary (Grand Cross) Military Order of Maria Theresa (Grand Cross) Military Order of Max Joseph (Grand Cross) Order of the Iron Crown (Chevalier) Order of the ElephantPrince of Eckmühl Duke of Auerstaedt |
| Other work | General inspector for cavalry (1801); Colonel general of the Imperial Guard Grenadiers (from 1804); Governor-general of the Duchy of Warsaw; Minister of War (Hundred Days); Mayor of Savigny-sur-Orge |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars
Louis-Nicolas d'Avout (10 May 1770 – 1 June 1823), better known as Davout, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, was a French general who was Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic era. His talent for war along with his reputation as a stern disciplinarian earned him the title "The Iron Marshal". He is ranked along with Masséna and Lannes as one of Napoleon's finest commanders. His loyalty and obedience to Napoleon were absolute. During his lifetime, Davout's name was commonly spelled Davoust, which is how it appears on the Arc de Triomphe and in much of the correspondence between Napoleon and his generals (see external links below for examples).
Davout was born at Annoux (Yonne), the son of Jean-François d'Avout (1739–1779) and his wife (married in 1768) Françoise-Adélaïde Minard de Velars (1741–1810). He was educated at a military academy in Auxerre, before transferring to the École Militaire in Paris on 29 September 1785. He graduated on 19 February 1788 and was appointed a sous-lieutenant in the Royal-Champagne Cavalry Regiment in garrison at Hesdin. On the outbreak of the French Revolution, he embraced its principles. He was chef de bataillon in a volunteer corps in the campaign of 1792, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Neerwinden the following spring. He had just been promoted to general of brigade when he was removed from the active list because of his noble birth. He nevertheless served in the campaigns of 1794-1797 on the Rhine, and accompanied Desaix in the Egyptian Expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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