View Poll Results: Who is the best of Napoleon's marshals

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  • Louis-Nicolas Davout

    87 36.55%
  • Nicolas Soult

    10 4.20%
  • Andre Massena

    12 5.04%
  • Jean Lannes

    28 11.76%
  • Joachim Murat

    17 7.14%
  • Michele Ney

    62 26.05%
  • Auguste Marmont

    2 0.84%
  • Louis Alexandre Berthier

    2 0.84%
  • Louis Gabriel Suchet

    3 1.26%
  • Other

    15 6.30%
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Thread: Best of Napoleon's marshals

  1. #1
    Pro-opera Jungian's Avatar Tiro
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    Default Best of Napoleon's marshals

    The question of who was the best of the coalition generals has been asked, but who was the best of Napoleon's marshals? Which one had the most skill, which one could rival the Emperor?

  2. #2
    Darsh's Avatar Maréchal de l'Empire
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    For me Davout, duc d’Auerstaedt, prince d’Eckmühl and Lannes, duc de Montebello, prince de Sievers.

    I choose Lannes (my avatar) because he has a tragic destiny and he was the friend of Napoléon.

    Lannes ranks with Louis Nicolas Davout and André Masséna as the ablest of all of Napoleon's marshals. He was continually employed in tasks requiring the utmost resolution and daring, and more especially when the emperor's combinations depended upon the vigour and self-sacrifice of a detachment or fraction of the army. It was thus with Lannes at Friedland and at Aspern as it was with Davout at Austerlitz and Auerstädt, and Napoleon's estimate of his subordinates' capacities can almost exactly be judged by the frequency with which he used them to prepare the way for his own shattering blow. Routine generals with the usual military virtue, or careful and exact troop leaders like Soult and Macdonald, Napoleon kept under his own hand for the final assault which he himself launched, but the long hours of preparatory fighting against odds of two to one, which alone made the final blow possible, he entrusted only to men of extraordinary courage and high capacity for command. In his own words, he found Lannes a pygmy, and lost him a giant. Lannes's place in his affections was never filled.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Lannes
    Last edited by Darsh; February 15, 2010 at 01:17 PM.

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  3. #3
    Pro-opera Jungian's Avatar Tiro
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by Darsh View Post
    For me Davout and Lannes.
    Ditto. Massena was also a good field commander, and Soult was a good grand strategist, but Lannes and Davout were the best all around, Davout in my opinion was the only marshal who could also have been Emperor, though of course with not as much skill as Napoleon.

  4. #4
    helmersen's Avatar Praepositus
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    I kinda like Murat.
    Interested in how Attila and the new LONGBEARDS DLC plays?

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  5. #5

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Marat. Gotta love the Dandy king...

  6. #6
    Darsh's Avatar Maréchal de l'Empire
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Murat was the best cavalery commander but he hadn't the competence to lead an army like Davout and Lannes.

    Légion étrangère : « Honneur et Fidélité »

  7. #7
    Pro-opera Jungian's Avatar Tiro
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by Emperador Carlos View Post
    Marat. Gotta love the Dandy king...
    Murat I always found strangely funny, like when he died he didn't want them to shoot him in the face so it won't stain his beautiful face. He was the best cavalry commander, but when he command infantry he was...well...not the best.

  8. #8
    ♔GrinningManiac♔'s Avatar Centenarius
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Noone likes Ney, ey?

    I know he was a fool at Waterloo, but how was he before?

    Also, Jack's watching this thread

    he's always watching

  9. #9
    helmersen's Avatar Praepositus
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    +rep
    Interested in how Attila and the new LONGBEARDS DLC plays?

    Check out my Total War Attila: Jutes Let's Play: http://youtu.be/rFyxh4mj1pQ
    Check out my Total War Attila: The Langobards Let's Play: http://youtu.be/lMiHXVvVbCE
    Total War: Attila with ERE vs Sassanids GEM at max settings:
    http://youtu.be/jFYENvVpwIs
    Total War: Rome II Medieval Kingdoms Mod Gameplay: http://youtu.be/qrqGUYaLVzk

  10. #10
    Pro-opera Jungian's Avatar Tiro
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by ♔GrinningManiac♔ View Post
    Noone likes Ney, ey?

    I know he was a fool at Waterloo, but how was he before?

    Also, Jack's watching this thread

    he's always watching
    Ney was never that great, he was a solid Corps Commander, but should never be given too much responsibility.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by Darsh View Post
    Murat was the best cavalery commander but he hadn't the competence to lead an army like Davout and Lannes.
    Exactly Davout and Lannes are the best.
    They were able to win battles and make decisions without orders from Napoléon.

  12. #12

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Davout.

    When you absolutely, positively have to wipe the floor with that enemy army and Napoleon isn't around, accept no substitutes.

  13. #13

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    I believe that Napoleon thought very highly of Mouton.Count Lobau. Did v well at Wagram hence the title and fought well at Waterloo.Strange that the size of his commands never really reflected his perceived ability.

    As for Ney-well absolutely loved by the troops. I`m sure that counts for alot. He did v.well in Russia and I think he panicked at Waterloo.He was de facto c-in-c there as Nappy really wasn`t involved as he should have been.Many believe he was very ill but could`nt show it.

    Agree with the posts that Davout is regarded the best Marshall/General.

    The old saying goes "With Napoleon the French never lost a battle-without him they never won one". Sweeping statement I know, but has more than a grain of truth about it.

  14. #14

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by jim600 View Post

    The old saying goes "With Napoleon the French never lost a battle-without him they never won one". Sweeping statement I know, but has more than a grain of truth about it.
    The thing with Napoleon, augmenting his strategic and tactical brilliance is a phenomenal capacity to work, not to mention a charisma that electrified troop morale. He was the sort of commander that was everywhere, and most of his generals just weren't used to him not being around. Many of his generals also took orders from Napoleon himself but not each other, which hurt campaigns. A few of his generals were exceptions and showed reliability with independent command, such as Massena and Davout.

  15. #15

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Don't know a lot about marshals of France - but didn't they hold Corps / Divisional level commands under Napoleon?

  16. #16
    Nizam's Avatar Ordinarius
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Joachim Murat RULZ

    Ottoman Total Overhaul received the 2nd favorite Overhaul/Compilation Mod - 2016 award!
    by_TotalWarTurkiye

  17. #17
    Darsh's Avatar Maréchal de l'Empire
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenuensis View Post
    Don't know a lot about marshals of France - but didn't they hold Corps / Divisional level commands under Napoleon?
    They were the Corps commander or the CiC if Napoléon wasn't here.

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  18. #18
    Graphic's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Ney, for this:

    When Napoleon was defeated, dethroned, and exiled for the second time in the summer of 1815, Ney was arrested (on 3 August 1815), and tried (4 December 1815) for treason by the Chamber of Peers. On 6 December 1815 he was condemned, and executed by firing squad in Paris near the Luxembourg Garden on 7 December 1815 – an event that deeply divided the French public. He refused to wear a blindfold and was allowed the right to give the order to fire, reportedly saying:
    "Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her ... Soldiers, Fire!"[12]
    .

  19. #19
    Darsh's Avatar Maréchal de l'Empire
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    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Of course Ney was very courageous and he was one of the hero during the Russian retreat but he was a true leader unlike Lannes, Davout or Masséna.

    Légion étrangère : « Honneur et Fidélité »

  20. #20

    Default Re: Best of Napoleon's marshals

    Jean Lannes for me

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