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?

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

Originally Posted by Darsh

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.

Originally Posted by Pro-opera Jungian

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.

I concur. If The Empreror had followed Davout's advice for a turning movement & flank attack at Borodino, Napoleon might well have destroyed Katusov & the Grande Armee would not have been shattered. If he would have had Davout as his right arm in the Waterloo campaign instead of Ney, we Brits might now have french as our mother tongue ( not likely though - God save the Royal Navy ! ).

Wellington was never in a face-off with Davout - now that would have been an interesting encounter.

I kinda like Murat.

Marat. Gotta love the Dandy king...

Originally Posted by Emperador Carlos

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.

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

Originally Posted by Darsh

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.

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

Originally Posted by ♔GrinningManiac♔

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.

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.

Originally Posted by jim600

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.

Originally Posted by ♔GrinningManiac♔

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

I like him!! He also got very simple name and it's easy to remember!

+rep

Davout.

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

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

Originally Posted by Jenuensis

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.

Joachim Murat RULZ

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]