Biography davu. Davout Louis Nicolas

Military service Years of service: 1788-1815 Affiliation: First empire Type of army: Infantry, Cavalry Rank: Marshal of the Empire,
Colonel General Foot Grenadier of the Imperial Guard Commanded: 3rd arm. body (1805-08),
Rhine Army (1808-09),
3rd arm. body (1809-10),
1st arm. body (1812-13) Battles: Revolutionary Wars: Awards:

Born in a Burgundy town Anna in a noble family, was the eldest of the children of the cavalry lieutenant Jean-François d'Avou (Jean-François d "Avout; 1739-1779) and Françoise-Adelaide Minard de Velard ( Françoise-Adelaide Minard de Velars; 1741-1810). Other children: Julie (1771-1846; wife of the Count of the Empire Marc-Antoine de Beaumont), Louis Alexandre Davout(1773-1820; Brigadier General and Baron of the Empire) and Charles-Isidore (1774-1854).

Awards

• Legion of Honor, Grand Eagle (2.02.1805)
• Legion of Honor, Grand Officer (14.06.1804)
• Legion of Honor, legionnaire (11.12.1803)
• Order of Saint Louis (02/10/1819)
• Military Order of Maria Theresa
• Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, Grand Cross (Austria, 04/04/1810)
• Military Order of Maximilian Joseph, Grand Cross (Kingdom of Bavaria)
• Order of the White Eagle (Duchy of Warsaw, 17.04.1809)
• Order of Virtuti Militari, Grand Cross (Duchy of Warsaw, 17.04.1809)
• Order of the Elephant (Denmark)
• Order of the Iron Crown (Kingdom of Italy)
• Order of Christ, Grand Cross (Portugal, 02.28.1806)
• Military Order of Saint Henry, Grand Cross (Kingdom of Saxony, 04.16.1808)

Characteristic

In fiction

Davout is one of the characters in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Tolstoy characterizes it as follows:

In fact, L.-N. Davout lost his marshal regalia only once, in 1812. Now this trophy is in the collection of the Historical Museum in Moscow. The loss of the wand in 1807 is not confirmed by documents (then the Cossacks captured Ney's baggage, and not Davout). The Davout Rod, which is now kept in the State Hermitage, is a copy somewhat different in size from the original marshal's rod.

A family

He was married twice. The first time he married in 1791 to Adelaide Séguenot (c. 1768 - 1795), but in 1794 he divorced her. In 1801 he married Louise Aimée Julie Leclerc; 1782-1868, sister of General Leclerc (Pauline Bonaparte's first husband).

Children (all from second marriage):

1. Paul (1802-1803)
2. Josephine (1804-1805)
3. Antoinette Josephine (1805-1821)
4. Adele Napoleon (1807-1885); wife of Count Etienne Cambaceres (1804-1878; nephew of the Duke of Parma)
5. Napoleon (1809-1810)
6. Napoleon-Louis (1811-1853), 2nd Duke of Auerstedt, 2nd and last Prince of Eckmühl, peer of France, Mayor of Savigny-sur-Orge (like his father before), never married
7. Jules (1812-1813)
8. Adelaide-Louise (1815-1892; married to the Marquise de Blocqueville), novelist, poet, author of historical books about her father

In 1864, the title of Duke of Auerstedt was revived for the nephew of the Marshal - the son of Charles-Isidore d'Avu - Leopold, whose descendants wear it to this day.

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Notes (edit)

Literature

• Chenier Davout, duc d'Auerstaedt. - P., 1866.
• Marquise de blocqueville(Davout's daughter). Le Maréchal Davout raconté par les siens et lui-même. - P., 1870-1880, 1887.
• John G. Gallaher... The Iron Mashal - a biography of Louis N. Davout. - L.: The Greenhill Books, 2000.
• Chinyakov M.K.

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• // Gimry - Marine Engines. - SPb. ; [M.]: Type. t-va I.V. Sytin, 1912 .-- S. 569-570. - (Military encyclopedia: [in 18 volumes] / under the editorship of K.I. Velichko [and others]; 1911-1915, vol. 8).
• Zakharov S.
• Zakharov S.

Predecessor: Henri Clarke

Minister of War of France March 20 - July 7

Successor: Laurent Gouvon-Saint-Cyr

Commander-in-chief Adjutants General Officials of the court Headquarters officials Ranks of the guard Ranks of the army corps Reserve cavalry ranks

Commander-in-chief Northern grouping Left-flank constellation Central grouping Right-flank grouping Southern grouping Second echelon

Head of state Secretary of State Foreign Secretary Minister of War Minister of Military Administration Minister of the Fleet and Colonies Minister of Internal Affairs Minister of Police Minister of Justice Minister of Finance Minister of the Treasury Minister of Manufactures and Commerce Minister of Religious Affairs

Excerpt from Davout, Louis Nicolas

He looked at her without moving, and saw that after her movement she needed to breathe deeply, but she did not dare to do this and carefully took her breath.
In the Trinity Lavra they talked about the past, and he told her that if he were alive, he would forever thank God for his wound, which brought him back to her again; but since then they have never talked about the future.
“Could it or could it not have been? He thought now, looking at her and listening to the light steel sound of the spokes. - Was it really only then that fate brought me to her so strangely so that I could die? I love her the most in the world. But what should I do if I love her? " - he said, and he suddenly involuntarily groaned, out of a habit that he had acquired during his suffering.
Hearing this sound, Natasha put the stocking down, bent over closer to him and suddenly, noticing his glowing eyes, approached him with a light step and bent down.
- You are not asleep?
- No, I have been looking at you for a long time; I felt when you entered. Nobody like you, but gives me that soft silence ... of the other world. I just want to cry with joy.
Natasha moved closer to him. Her face shone with ecstatic joy.
- Natasha, I love you too much. More than anything.
- And I? She turned away for a moment. - Why too much? - she said.
- Why too much? .. Well, how do you think, how do you feel in your heart, with all your heart, will I be alive? What do you think?
- I'm sure, I'm sure! - Natasha almost screamed, with a passionate movement taking him by both hands.
He paused.
- How good! - And, taking her hand, he kissed her.
Natasha was happy and excited; and at once she remembered that this was impossible, that he needed calmness.
“You weren't asleep, however,” she said, suppressing her joy. “Try to sleep… please.
He released, shaking her, her hand, she went over to the candle and again sat down in the same position. Twice she looked back at him, his eyes shining towards her. She asked herself a lesson on a stocking and told herself that until then she would not look back until she finished it.
Indeed, soon afterwards he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He did not sleep long and suddenly awoke anxiously in a cold sweat.
Falling asleep, he thought about the same thing that he thought about from time to time - about life and death. And more about death. He felt closer to her.
"Love? What is love? He thought. - Love interferes with death. Love is life. Everything, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists only because I love. Everything is connected by one thing. Love is God, and to die means to me, a particle of love, to return to a common and eternal source. " These thoughts seemed to him comforting. But these were only thoughts. Something was lacking in them, something was one-sidedly personal, mental - there was no evidence. And there was the same concern and ambiguity. He fell asleep.
He dreamed that he was lying in the same room in which he actually lay, but that he was not wounded, but healthy. Many different persons, insignificant, indifferent, appear before Prince Andrey. He talks to them, argues about something unnecessary. They are going to go somewhere. Prince Andrew vaguely recalls that all this is insignificant and that he has other, most important concerns, but continues to speak, surprising them, with some empty, witty words. Little by little, imperceptibly, all these faces begin to disappear, and everything is replaced by one question about the closed door. He gets up and walks to the door to slide the latch and lock it. Everything depends on the fact that he will or will not have time to lock it. He walks, in a hurry, his legs do not move, and he knows that he will not have time to lock the door, but still painfully strains all his strength. And a painful fear grips him. And this fear is the fear of death: it stands behind the door. But at the same time as he is helplessly awkwardly crawling to the door, this is something terrible, on the other hand, already, pressing, breaks into it. Something not human - death - is pounding at the door, and we must hold it. He grasps the door, strains his last efforts - it is no longer possible to lock it - at least to hold it; but his strength is weak, awkward, and, pressed by the terrible, the door opens and closes again.
Once again it pushed from there. The last, supernatural efforts are in vain, and both halves opened silently. It has entered, and it is death. And Prince Andrew died.
But the instant he died, Prince Andrew remembered that he was asleep, and the instant he died, he, making an effort over himself, woke up.
“Yes, it was death. I died - I woke up. Yes, death is awakening! " - suddenly brightened in his soul, and the veil, hiding the unknown until now, was raised before his soul's gaze. He felt, as it were, the release of the force previously bound in him and that strange lightness that had not left him since then.
When, waking up in cold sweat, he stirred on the sofa, Natasha went up to him and asked what was wrong with him. He did not answer her and, not understanding her, looked at her with a strange look.
This was what happened to him two days before Princess Marya's arrival. From that day on, as the doctor said, the debilitating fever took on a bad character, but Natasha was not interested in what the doctor was saying: she saw these terrible, more certain for her, moral signs.
From that day began for Prince Andrew, together with the awakening from sleep - awakening from life. And in relation to the duration of life, it did not seem to him more slowly than awakening from sleep in relation to the duration of a dream.

There was nothing scary and abrupt in this relatively slow awakening.
His last days and hours passed in an ordinary and simple way. And Princess Marya and Natasha, who did not leave him, felt this. They did not cry, did not shudder, and lately, feeling this themselves, they no longer went after him (he was no longer there, he left them), but after the closest memory of him - behind his body. The feelings of both were so strong that the external, terrible side of death did not affect them, and they did not find it necessary to indulge their grief. They did not cry either with him or without him, but they never spoke about him among themselves. They felt they could not express in words what they understood.
They both saw how he was deeper and deeper, slowly and calmly, descending from them somewhere there, and both knew that this was the way it should be and that it was good.
He was confessed, given the Holy Communion; everyone came to say goodbye to him. When they brought his son to him, he put his lips to him and turned away, not because it was hard or sorry for him (Princess Marya and Natasha understood this), but only because he believed that this was all that was demanded of him; but when they told him to bless him, he did what was required and looked around, as if asking if there was anything else to be done.
When the last shudders of the body, abandoned by the spirit, occurred, Princess Marya and Natasha were here.
- Is it over ?! - said Princess Marya, after his body had already been lying motionless and cold for several minutes before them. Natasha came up, looked into the dead eyes and hurried to close them. She closed them and did not kiss them, but venerated what was the closest memory of him.
“Where did he go? Where is he now? .. "

When the dressed, washed body lay in the coffin on the table, everyone approached him to say goodbye, and everyone cried.
Nikolushka was crying from the suffering bewilderment that was tearing his heart. The Countess and Sonya cried out of pity for Natasha and that he was no longer there. The old count cried that soon, he felt, and he had to take the same terrible step.
Natasha and Princess Marya were crying now, too, but they were not crying out of their own personal grief; they wept from the reverent tenderness that gripped their souls before the consciousness of the simple and solemn sacrament of death that took place before them.

The totality of the causes of phenomena is inaccessible to the human mind. But the need to look for reasons is embedded in the human soul. And the human mind, not having grasped the countlessness and complexity of the conditions of phenomena, of which each separately can be considered a cause, grasps at the first, most understandable rapprochement and says: this is the reason. In historical events (where the subject of observation is the essence of people's actions), the will of the gods is the most primitive rapprochement, then the will of those people who stand in the most prominent historical place - historical heroes. But one has only to delve into the essence of each historical event, that is, in the activities of the entire mass of people who participated in the event, in order to make sure that the will of the historical hero not only does not direct the actions of the masses, but is itself constantly guided. It would seem that it is all the same to understand the meaning of a historical event in one way or another. But between the person who says that the peoples of the West went to the East because Napoleon wanted it, and the person who says that it happened because it should have happened, there is the same difference that existed between people who claimed that the earth stands firm and the planets move around it, and those who said that they do not know what the earth is supported on, but know that there are laws governing the movement of both it and other planets. There are no reasons for a historical event and cannot be, except for the only reason for all reasons. But there are laws governing events, partly unknown, partly groping by us. The discovery of these laws is possible only when we completely renounce the search for reasons in the will of one person, just as the discovery of the laws of motion of the planets became possible only when people renounced the idea of ​​the affirmation of the earth.

After the Battle of Borodino, the occupation of Moscow by the enemy and the burning of it, historians recognize the movement of the Russian army from Ryazan to Kaluga road and to the Tarutino camp as the most important episode of the war of 1812 - the so-called flank march beyond Krasnaya Pakhra. Historians attribute the glory of this brilliant feat to various persons and argue about who, in fact, belongs to. Even foreign, even French, historians recognize the genius of the Russian commanders, speaking of this flanking march. But why military writers, and everyone behind them, believe that this flanking march is a very profound invention of some one person, who saved Russia and killed Napoleon, is very difficult to understand. First, it is difficult to understand what is the profundity and genius of this movement; for in order to guess what the most better position armies (when they are not attacked) to be where there is more food - not much mental exertion is needed. And everyone, even a stupid thirteen-year-old boy, could easily guess that in 1812 the most advantageous position of the army, after the retreat from Moscow, was on the Kaluga road. So, it is impossible to understand, firstly, what conclusions historians reach to see something profound in this maneuver. Second, it is even more difficult to understand exactly what historians see as the salvation of this maneuver for the Russians and its perniciousness for the French; for this flank march, under other, previous, concomitant and subsequent circumstances, could be fatal for the Russian and saving for the French army. If from the time this movement took place, the position of the Russian army began to improve, then it does not follow from this that this movement was the reason for that.
This flank march not only could not have brought any benefits, but could have ruined the Russian army, if other conditions did not coincide. What would have happened if Moscow had not burned down? If Murat had not lost sight of the Russians? If Napoleon was not inactive? If at Krasnaya Pakhra the Russian army, on the advice of Bennigsen and Barclay, would have fought? What would have happened if the French attacked the Russians when they followed Pakhra? What would have happened if later Napoleon, approaching Tarutin, attacked the Russians with at least one tenth of the energy with which he attacked in Smolensk? What would have happened if the French had gone to Petersburg? .. With all these assumptions, the salvation of the flank march could turn into disastrous.
Third, and the most incomprehensible, is that people who study history deliberately do not want to see that the flank march cannot be attributed to any one person, that no one ever foresaw it, that this maneuver, just like the retreat into Filyakh, in the present, he never presented himself to anyone in its integrity, but step by step, event by event, instant by instant, flowed out of an infinite number of the most diverse conditions, and only then did he introduce himself in all his integrity, when it was accomplished and became the past.
At the council in Fili, the prevailing thought among the Russian authorities was a self-evident retreat in a direct direction backward, that is, along the Nizhny Novgorod road. Evidence of this is the fact that the majority of the votes at the council was cast in this sense, and, most importantly, the well-known conversation after the advice of the commander-in-chief with Lansky, who was in charge of the provisions section. Lanskoy reported to the commander-in-chief that food for the army was collected mainly along the Oka, in the Tula and Kaluga provinces, and that in the event of a retreat to Nizhny, the stocks of food would be separated from the army by the large river Oka, through which transportation in the first winter is impossible. This was the first sign of the need to deviate from the previously seemed most natural direct direction to Nizhny. The army held on to the south, along the Ryazan road, and closer to the reserves. Subsequently, the inaction of the French, who even lost sight of the Russian army, worries about protecting the Tula plant and, most importantly, the benefits of approaching their reserves, forced the army to deviate even further south, to the Tula road. Having crossed with a desperate movement behind Pakhra onto the Tula road, the commanders of the Russian army thought to stay at Podolsk, and there was no thought of the Tarutino position; but countless circumstances and the appearance again French troops, who had previously lost sight of the Russians, and the battle plans, and, most importantly, the abundance of provisions in Kaluga forced our army to deviate even more to the south and go to the middle of its food routes, from the Tulskaya to the Kaluga road, to Tarutin. Just as it is impossible to answer the question when Moscow was abandoned, it is impossible to answer exactly when and by whom it was decided to go to Tarutin. Only when the troops had already come to Tarutin as a result of countless differential forces did people begin to assure themselves that they wanted this and had foreseen this for a long time.

The famous flank march consisted only in the fact that Russian army, retreating all straight back in the opposite direction of the offensive, after the French offensive had stopped, deviated from the direct direction taken at first and, not seeing the pursuit behind him, naturally moved in the direction where the abundance of food attracted him.
If one imagined not brilliant generals at the head of the Russian army, but just one army without commanders, then this army could not have done anything other than moving back to Moscow, describing an arc from the side with which there was more food and the edge was more abundant.

Louis Davout was one of the French military leaders who owed their rise to the revolution and the overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty. From 1794 to 1797, he fought with the rank of brigadier general in the ranks of the Rhine army.

Major General Davout took part in Napoleon's Egyptian expedition in 1798-1801. Davout commanded the French cavalry and especially distinguished himself in the battle for Aboukir on July 25, 1799. Then the 7,000th army of Napoleon defeated the 15,000th army of the Turkish commander Mustafa Pasha.

After this expedition, General Louis Nicolas Davout entered the closest circle of Napoleon, who confidently paved the way to the top state power... In 1800-1801, Davout successfully commanded the cavalry of Napoleon's Italian army, which fought against the Austrians.

In 1804, the hero of Aboukir and the Napoleonic Italian campaign was awarded the highest military rank- Marshal of France and became one of the advisers to Emperor Napoleon.

From 1805 to 1814, Davout commanded an army corps.

In 1805, his corps successfully fought at Ulm, where Napoleon utterly defeated the Austrian army. Its commander-in-chief, Baron Mack von Leiberich, together with 30 thousand Austrians, surrendered to the French, for which he was sentenced by a military tribunal to 20 years in prison.

On October 9, 1805, Davout's corps successfully crossed the Danube, establishing crossings in the city of Günzburg and its environs.

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Davout was one of the participants in the offensive against the Austrian capital Vienna. On November 8, his corps won the battle against General von Meerfeld's Austrian corps near Maria Zell. The French then captured 4 thousand prisoners. After this victory, the fate of Vienna was actually a foregone conclusion.

December 2, 1805 at the battle of Auserlitz, which entered military history also as the "Battle of the Three Emperors", the French army defeated the allied Russian-Austrian army.

The next 1806 also added many victories to the military leader's biography of the Marshal of France. Davout became one of the main actors in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt on October 14, in which the well-trained Prussian army opposed the Napoleonic army. The battle consisted, as it were, of two actions - at Auerstedt and Jena. Davout's corps distinguished itself in the case at Auerstedt.

The brilliant victory at Auerstedt turned French Marshal Louis Davout into a European aristocrat. The Emperor Napoleon awarded him, in addition to the orders of honor, the Duke of Auerstedt.

In the Battle of Borodino, Davout's corps, according to Napoleon's disposition, was in the very center, in the direction of the main attack The great army... He was faced with the task of taking possession of the Russian field fortifications, which went down in military history under the name Bagrationov flashes.

According to the tradition established by Napoleon, the soldiers of the Great Army put on ceremonial uniforms before the big battle. Dawn on August 26 coincided with a powerful artillery cannonade from both sides. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, French troops launched a massive attack of the flushes - two divisions of Davout's corps were aiming at the southern flush. Although the French had a numerical advantage here, the Russians repulsed the attack.

At 7 o'clock in the morning, Davout's corps, having put itself in order, resumed the attack and this time managed to take possession of the southern flush. However, Bagration threw several infantry battalions into a bayonet attack there, and the French were driven out of the fortification. Then Napoleon sent Ney's corps, Murat's cavalry, and other troops to help Davout.

During the retreat of Napoleon's Great Army, Marshal Davout commanded its rearguard, which constantly fought off the Cossack regiments of Ataman Platov and from the troops of General Miloradovich who were literally on the heels of. On October 22, near Vyazma, the Russians managed to block the road to the west of the enemy rearguard. Although Napoleon sent Davout large reinforcements, the French were defeated: they lost more than 6 thousand people killed and wounded and 2.5 thousand prisoners. After the defeat at Vyazma, the emperor replaced Davout as chief of the army rearguard, Marshal Ney.

Davout suffered another great defeat from the Russians in the battle on November 3-6 near the village of Krasnoe, during which French troops retreating from Smolensk tried to break away from the Russian army pursuing them and reach the Berezina River. After this battle, the corps of Marshal Louis Davout was listed only in the staff papers.

After the military and political defeat of Napoleonic France, Marshal Louis Davout remained loyal to Napoleon, even when he was in exile on the island of Elba. When Napoleon landed in the south of the country and began a victorious march against Paris, Davout joined him. During the "hundred days" he was the Minister of War of France.

With the return to power of the Bourbons, Louis Davout lost all his titles and ranks - Marshal of France, Duke of Auerstedt, Prince of Ekmühl. However, his popularity in the country and especially in the army was enormous. The attitude of the Bourbon dynasty towards him began to cause irritation in society, and Davout was returned to his previous ranks and titles in 1817. Moreover, two years later he became the peer of France.

Participant in the Napoleonic Wars

DAVU (Davout, d "Avot) Louis Nicolas (10.5.1770, Anne, Burgundy - 1.6.1823, Paris), Duke de Auerstedt (2.7.1808), Prince de Eckmühl (15.8.1809), Marshal of France (19.5.1804 Descended from the noble family d "Avu, known from the end of the XIII century. The son of an officer. He studied with N. Bonaparte at the Brienne military school. In Feb. 1788 released as a sub-lieutenant in the Champagne Cavalry Regiment. After the start of the revolutionary events, he became a zealous supporter of the overthrow of the monarchy and on September 15, 1791, he was forced to resign. Was elected lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Yonne Department. After the battle of Neervinden, he took (April 1793) energetic measures to prevent the joining of military units to the general who deserted to the Austrians. Dumouriez and was even sent to arrest the rebel general. For distinctions in battles against the Chouans in the Vendee, D.

On 7/8/1793 he was promoted to major of the quartermaster service, and 17 days later - brigadier general. Already on 7/30/1793 he was awarded the rank of divisional general, but D. refused the rank, believing that he did not deserve a high rank. When the Convention made a decision to dismiss all officers of noble origin from the army, D. welcomed such a decision and himself, on August 29, 1793, submitted a letter of resignation. In April 1794, together with his mother, he was arrested and only the overthrow of the Jacobin regime saved their lives. On September 21, 1794, he was again reinstated in the army with the rank of brigadier general.

In 1798 he took part in the Egyptian expedition as the commander of a cavalry brigade, distinguished himself in the battle of Abukir. Bonaparte especially highly appreciated D.'s decisiveness, accuracy in executing orders. He showed extreme exactingness, bordering on cruelty, to discipline. 3.7.1800 promoted to divisional general. On 08/26/1800, commander of the Italian Army cavalry. On November 9, 1801, he married a second marriage to Louise Aimé Julie Leclerc (1782-1868), sister of Napoleon's son-in-law, Gen. C. Leclerc, thus becoming a member of the "Bonaparte family clan." On November 28, 1801, he was appointed to the honorary post of commander of the foot grenadiers of the consular guard.

In the campaign of 1805-07 he commanded the 3rd corps of the Great Army. In the battle of Austerlitz, the D. corps (which included only one division) received the main blow of the enemy troops. Having withstood the blow, D. did not give the allies the opportunity to bypass the right flank of the army. October 14, 1806 on the day of the battle of Jena (1806), in the battle of Auerstedt with 27 thousand people. destroyed half of the Prussian army of the Duke of Braunschweig (about 60 thousand people). At the same time, the enemy was almost twice the strength of his corps. Prussian troops lost 10 thousand people, and D. took almost 7 thousand people prisoner. and 115 guns. The victory at Auerstedt significantly surpassed the victory of Napoleon at Jena, playing a decisive role in the capitulation of the Prussian army. " great person, not yet appreciated, ”wrote Stendhal (1818) about him. After that, D. began to be considered one of the most talented marshals of Napoleon. Received the nickname Iron Marshal. 25.10.1806 was the first to enter Berlin with his corps. 5 nov. received orders to comb through West Prussia with 2,500 dragoons. Dec 22. I made my way through Charnovo, where I lost approx. 1 400 people From 15.7.1807 Governor General of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. With the beginning of the 1809 campaign, D. on March 30 was appointed commander of the 3rd corps of the German Army. In the battle of Ekmühl, he personally directed the actions of artillery in close proximity to the enemy. At the same time, he not only withstood the most powerful blow of the Austro-Hungarian troops, but also, going over to the attack, threw the enemy back. His actions gave Napoleon time to bring the main forces and achieve a decisive victory over the enemy. He played a major role in the victory at Wagram.

After the conclusion of peace on 1.12.1810, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army in Northern Germany and governor-general of the Hanseatic cities. Mercilessly suppressed national uprisings, bringing Germany to obedience.

At the same time, he made great efforts to prepare the French army for a campaign in Russia. He was infinitely devoted to Napoleon and was distinguished by a rare disinterestedness. “This is one of the most glorious and pure heroes of France,” Napoleon wrote about him on Saint Helena. He was considered a remarkable strategist and military administrator. During the voyage to Russia (from 04/01/1812) he commanded the best and most powerful corps of the Great Army - the 1st. Its body (72 thousand people) was 1.5-2 times larger than any other. He was extremely demanding of himself and others, and therefore the army did not like him. At the very beginning of the war, Napoleon, dissatisfied with the actions of his brother Jerome, subdued D. his troops. On July 8, D. took Minsk and cut off P.I. Bagration the way to the north. On July 20, Mogilev occupied. On July 23, at Saltanovka, his troops were attacked by units of the 2nd army of the general. P.I. Bagration. After repelling the attacks of the corps of the gen. N.N. Raevsky, pulled up the reserves and did not allow Bagration's army to break through to Mogilev; lost in battle approx. 1 thousand people (enemy 2.5 thousand). In the battle of Smolensk on August 17. stormed the Molokhov Gate. At 4 o'clock in the morning on August 18 he entered Smolensk. At the beginning of the Battle of Borodino on September 7, units of his corps attacked Bagrationov's flashes, after two attacks were repulsed, he personally led the 57th regiment to the attack, was wounded, knocked off his horse and lost consciousness. Napoleon was informed of his death. On November 3, near Vyazma, from the front and from the rear, M.A. Miloradovich, but was saved by the returning troops of Beauharnais and Poniatowski. He suffered heavy losses. Blocked by Miloradovich's troops, on November 17 he hardly broke through to Krasnoe, suffering heavy losses and losing almost the entire train (including his marshal's baton).

During the retreat of the French army, D. 07/01/1813 received the 13th corps under his command, and he was entrusted with the defense of Hamburg. Despite the hardest deprivations of the blockade, D. led the defense until 05/11/1814, i.e. after the abdication of Napoleon. His troops never surrendered - the hostilities ended.

During the Restoration, the Bourbons stayed away from political events, and during the "Hundred Days" he became Napoleon's minister of war on 03/20/1815. 2.6.1815 received the title of peerage of France. Leaving for the army, Napoleon did not take D. with him, saying to him: "I cannot entrust Paris to anyone but you." After Napoleon abdicated the throne for the second time, D. became the commander-in-chief of the French. army near Paris and in spite of everything he wanted to continue military operations. June 30 threw back the advancing Prussian army of General-Field Marshal G. Blucher. During the Second Restoration, he publicly opposed the massacre of Marshal M. Ney and began to actively defend the officers arrested during the "White Terror". For these actions, D. was stripped of the rank of peerage on 12/27/1815 and sent under police supervision to Louviere. After a while he was allowed to settle in his castle of Savigny and he was elected mayor of the city.

(born in 1770 - d. in 1823)
Famous military leader, marshal and peer of France, Prince of Eckmühl, Duke of Auerstedt, participant Napoleonic Wars, commander of the 1st Infantry Corps (1812).
"This is one of the most glorious and pure heroes of France" - this is how the exiled Napoleon described this commander. Davout was distinguished by unselfishness, honesty and directness, rare for a marshal of the empire. In addition, he was extremely demanding of himself and others, in any conditions he maintained order and discipline with an iron hand.

Louis Nicolas was born on May 10, 1770 in the Anne family castle in Burgundy, into a wealthy noble family. After the death of his father on a hunt, the boy was sent to study at the Royal Military School in Auxerre at the age of nine. Applicants were presented with special requirements: they had to have four generations of noble ancestors, be able to read and write, pay tuition fees. The school gave a thorough knowledge of mathematics, history, geography, foreign languages, sketching. Fencing and dancing classes were also provided. Louis Nicolas showed good mathematical ability and was awarded diplomas for achievements in algebra and geometry. After graduating from the Oxerr school in 1785, the boy entered the Paris military school, which Napoleon Bonaparte graduated from shortly before. Having successfully completed his training, the 18-year-old second lieutenant Davout was sent to the Royal Champagne Cavalry Regiment. Here Louis Nicolas began to take an interest in political and public affairs... In addition, he was greatly influenced by his stepfather - the lawyer Louis Thurro de Linier, a future member of the Convention.

When the revolution began in 1789, a young officer at the head of the regiment's delegation went to Paris to declare to the National Assembly his support for social change, and soon, together with some junior officers, advocated unification with the National Guard. This was not in vain: by order of the Minister of War, Davout was put under arrest. The arrest caused indignation in the regiment, and two commissioners of the National Assembly were involved in the proceedings. A couple of months later, Davout was released from prison and reinstated in the service in the previous rank.

In 1791, he left the regular army and in September with the rank of captain took over as commander of a battalion of volunteers in the department of Yonne, and a few days later he was already a lieutenant colonel. Davout fought in the army of Dumouriez and, thanks to the patronage of his stepfather, quickly advanced in service: less than a year later, he had already commanded a brigade.

In the same period, there were changes in the personal life of Louis Nicolas - he fell in love. His chosen one was called Marie-Nicole Adelaide de Segeno. The wedding took place on November 8, 1791. But soon the war between France and Prussia and Austria began. And when almost two years later, the young husband returned from the battlefields on leave, he learned that his wife had cheated on him.
Davout did not forgive her for this and in January 1794 filed for divorce. In April, he was arrested on a denunciation and sent to prison, for three months Davout's life hung in the balance. Only after the coup of 9 Thermidor in 1794 and the fall of Robespierre, he was released. In the same year, with the rank of brigadier general, Davout returned to service. First, he fought in the Vendée, then under the command of Generals Moreau and Deuze, against the Austrians. Near the city of Mannheim in November 1795, Davout's cavalry brigade was captured, but he was soon released on parole that he would no longer take part in hostilities.

However, the very next year, the general was under the banner of the Rhine army. Highly appreciating Davout's military qualities, Deset recommended him to Bonaparte. Their meeting took place in Paris in March 1798. Napoleon's first impression was not in favor of Louis Nicolas. The First Consul did not like the outward untidiness and rudeness of Davout in dealing with people. Nevertheless, going on the Egyptian expedition, Bonaparte took him and Dese with him. At first, Louis Nicolas did not receive command, but was assigned to the main apartment. Only after the capture of Alexandria was he appointed commander of the cavalry in the division of Deset. In this capacity, Davout participated in the famous battle at the pyramids near Cairo, which ended in the defeat of the Mamelukes, which led to the conquest Lower Egypt.

Soon Davout fell ill, and after recovering, he successfully reorganized the army cavalry. From the autumn of 1798 Davout took part in the conquest of Upper Egypt, in cruel punitive expeditions against the local population. For these actions, he received the rank of divisional general. In the battle of Abukir in July 1799, the commander initially commanded the reserve, which he was extremely dissatisfied with. He demanded a meeting with Bonaparte, and it took place.
After her, Napoleon's attitude towards Davout changed. The commander-in-chief instructed him to deliver the main blow to the Turkish army. But soon Napoleon returned to France, leaving the army to General Kleber. Louis Nicolas received the post of military governor of three provinces. However, in the spring of 1800, Kleber, after negotiations with England, began to withdraw the army from Egypt.

The British violated the agreement reached, and the ship on which Deuze and Davout were returning was captured. For almost a month the French were held in Livorno, but then they managed to escape, and in early May they appeared in France. In July of the same year, the First Consul of France, Bonaparte, appointed Davout commander of the cavalry of the Italian army. The war for the French was successful and ended in January 1801 with the signing of the Peace of Luneville between France and Austria. After that, Davout was engaged in the reorganization of the cavalry of the puppet Cisalpine Republic, and in July he was appointed inspector of the French cavalry. Changes in the commander's personal life contributed to such a quick promotion: he remarried. His wife was 18-year-old Emma Leclerc, a friend of Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleon's stepdaughter, and a sister of General Leclerc, married to Pauline Bonaparte. So Louis Nicolas entered the emperor's family, which turned out to be important for his career. In 1803 he was given command of the 3rd corps, located in Holland, and in May 1804, by decree of Napoleon, he was made Marshal of the Empire.

All this time, Bonaparte was preparing for the invasion of England, but after the British defeated the French squadron at Trafalgar, he was forced to abandon the landing and decided to attack Austria. In October 1805, Davout's corps successfully fought at Ulm, where Napoleon utterly defeated General Mack's Austrian army. Here the marshal showed himself to be an excellent executor of the emperor's orders. Then the offensive began on Vienna: in November, Davout's corps won the battle near Marienzal, after which the fate of the Austrian capital was practically a foregone conclusion. Without stopping in Vienna, Napoleon began the pursuit of the Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Kutuzov.

The opponents met at the village of Austerlitz. Here on December 2, the French army defeated the allied Russian-Austrian army. Davout's corps operated on the right flank, where the Allies struck the main blow. The marshal held fast, which gave Napoleon the opportunity to strike the center of the enemy position and win a brilliant victory. The 1805 campaign gave Davout personally what he lacked — a reputation for being an intelligent military leader.

No sooner had the war with Russia and Austria ended than a new one began - with Prussia. Here, Davout's military talent developed to its full extent. The crown of his military glory, which was not eclipsed even by the subsequent laurels that he inherited under Eckmühl, was the battle of Auerstedt. Although Napoleon assigned him a secondary role here, Davout with a 25,000-strong corps managed to get into the rear of the 70,000-strong Prussian army and defeat it. This battle, along with the Battle of Jena, decided the outcome of the entire campaign. For the victory in it, the marshal received the title of Duke of Auerstedt.

Military actions 1806-1807 were not so successful for the 3rd corps. In the battle at Preussisch-Eylau against the Russian and Prussian troops, Davout is still the same fearless commander. But the battle actually ended in a draw, although the allies retreated. Davout did not participate in the battle of Friedland: his corps was advancing at that time on Konigsberg.

The Peace of Tilsit, signed by the Russian and French emperors, put an end to hostilities. Davout was appointed commander of the occupying army in Poland, that is, in fact, its governor-general. But the more Napoleon elevated Louis Nicolas, the more the envy of him grew. At the same time, his haughty, irreconcilable attitude towards his comrades, his irritable exactingness grew. During the 1809 campaign against Austria, he makes remarks to Commander Berthier, pointing out his mistakes. And although the commander was right, which was confirmed by Napoleon himself, the conflict between him and Berthier had far-reaching consequences. The commander did not forgive Davout of insult in the campaign of 1813-1814. did so to remove him from leadership, depriving Napoleon of the most devoted and talented marshal.

In April 1809, the Duke of Auerstedt near Eckmühl held back the main forces of the Austrians, allowing Napoleon to transfer reinforcements there and defeat the Austrian army. The emperor recognized Davout as the hero of the day and awarded him the title of Prince of Eckmühl. In July, the marshal once again distinguished himself in the general battle at Wagram. Austria signed a peace treaty shortly thereafter. Napoleon honored Davout with various court honors. The commander was now often forced to appear at court. His income exceeded one million francs a year. When Napoleon was told that he was rewarding Davout more than royally, he replied: "Yes, I gave Davout a lot, but because he himself does not take anything and does not ask for anything."

On the eve of the attack on Russia, the 1st Corps, which was now commanded by the Marshal, numbered up to 70 thousand people. On June 24, 1812, his cavalry was the first to cross the Neman. Davout was supposed to overtake Bagration and prevent him from joining the army of Barclay de Tolly. But soon three divisions were withdrawn from his corps to strengthen Murat's position, and part of the troops were left in Minsk. As a result, the French could not prevent the Russian armies from connecting at Smolensk. This led to a quarrel between Davout and Murat, Nei and Napoleon's brother Jerome. At Borodino, his corps stormed the Bagrationov flushes for five hours. Wounded in the stomach, Davout dashed across the battlefield, cheering the troops on by example.

During the retreat from Moscow, the marshal commanded the rearguard. At Vyazma, his corps was defeated by the Russian troops of Miloradovich, Platov and Uvarov. Accusing Davout of allegedly retreating too slowly, the emperor entrusted the command of the rearguard to Ney. In November, Napoleon with the remains of the Davout corps near the village. Krasnoe managed to break out of the encirclement and go to Orsha. After crossing the Berezina when leaving Russia, only about 2 thousand people remained from the corps.

The cooling of Napoleon to Davout, caused by the intrigues of Berthier, was the reason that in the main events of the ISO-IS 14 years. the marshal did not take part. Located in Hamburg besieged by the allies, he defended the city until the end of the war. Only Napoleon's abdication made him, along with the troops, swear allegiance to the new king, Louis XVIII. During the Napoleonic "hundred days" Davout arrived in Paris and offered his services to the emperor. But he refused to receive him a post in the army, entrusting instead the portfolio of the Minister of War. After the new abdication of Napoleon and the second accession to the throne of Louis XVIII, Davout was in disgrace for several years. Feeling the approach of illness and worried about the fate of his only son, he turned to the king with a request for an audience. The king took mercy, and Davout was invited to the palace. Louis XVIII personally presented him with the staff of the Marshal of France. Soon the marshal became a Knight of the Order of St. Louis and a peer.

Davout died on June 1, 1823 from pulmonary tuberculosis and was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery next to Napoleonic marshals Massena and Nehem.

Participation in wars: Wars of Republican France. Napoleonic Wars.
Participation in battles: Battle of Nerwinden. Egyptian campaign. Battle of the pyramids. Battle of Abukir. Battle of Marengo. Battle of Ulm. Battle of Austerlitz. Battle of Auerstedt. Battle of Preussisch Eylau. Battle of Friedland. Battle of Eckmühl. Battle of Wagram. Battle of Saltanovka. Smolensk battle. battle of Borodino... Battle of Lutzen

(Louis-Nicolas Davout) Marshal of France (1804), Duke of Auerstadt (1808), Prince of Eckmühl (1809), Minister of War (1815), Peer (1819). Member of the Republican and Imperial Wars

Together with Bonaparte Davout was brought up at the Brienne military school, from where he was released in 1788 as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. Despite his noble origins, Davout joined revolutionary movement and in the ranks of the republican army participated in revolutionary wars... At first, he commanded a battalion of volunteers, and in battle of Nervinden in 1793 - by a brigade.

In 1795-1797. he was in the Rhine army. In the Egyptian campaign of 1799, Davout commanded the cavalry and drew attention to his actions of Bonaparte in the battle of Aboukir. Then, with the rank of divisional general, Davout commanded the cavalry during the winter Italian campaign 1800-1801

Adherence to Bonaparte, which turned into worship, caused various favors to Davout on the part of the First Consul, who soon became emperor. Napoleon appointed Davout inspector general of cavalry, then commander of the grenadier consular guard, in 1803 - the head of the permanent camp in Bruges, and on May 18, 1804 he was made a marshal. Napoleon even married Davout to his sister-in-law Pauline.

In the 1805 campaign, Davout, commanding the III Corps, participated in the encirclement of Mack near Ulm, in the occupation of Vienna and Presburg and in Battle of Austerlitz ... Since that time, Napoleon often gave Davout important appointments.

At the very beginning of the war of 1806-1807, on the very day when Napoleon defeated part of the Prussian army Jena, Davout, twice yielding to the enemy, defeated near Auerstadt the main Prussian forces, skillfully and successfully blocking their path to the Unstrut River, and opened the way for the French to Berlin.

V Battle of Preussisch Eylau Davout was entrusted with conducting the main attack to cover the left flank of the Russian position.

In 1808 Davout was appointed commander-in-chief of the army in Germany. In the Austro-French War of 1809, Davout commanded one of the strongest corps, with which he successfully made a flank march from Regensburg to the Abens River. This greatly contributed to the concentration of the French army, warned in this respect by the Austrians.

While Napoleon, having broken through the strategic front of the Austrian army, crushed its left wing, Davout, despite the weakness of his forces, with skillful actions against the right group of the army Archduke Charles prepared for success Eckmühl battle, after which both Austrian wings were disunited.

In battle under Wagram Davout acted on the right flank of the French and after several attacks, having captured Neisiedel, pushed the Austrian corps to Wagram Rosenberg and Hohenzollern.

After the conclusion of peace, Davout was again put in charge of the French troops in Germany. In 1811 he was appointed Governor-General of the Elbe Estuary Department. Here, under the modest rank of commander of the observation corps on the Elbe, Davout organized and equipped an army of unprecedented size for a campaign in Russia, in which he himself commanded the I Corps of five divisions, numbering up to seventy thousand people. Davout, on the other hand, processed the numerous information about Russia that Napoleon had carefully collected over the course of several years.

With the outbreak of war in 1812, Davout was moved into the gap between the armies Barclay and Bagration, but he could not prevent the connection of the Russian armies. On August 5, near Smolensk, Davout's corps led an attack on the Molokhov Gate. V Battle of Borodino Davout was injured. When retreating from Moscow, he commanded the rearguard of the army, but after the defeat at Vyazma he was replaced by Ney.

As governor-general of the Hanseatic cities, Davout occupied Hamburg and Lübeck in the spring of 1813, but this time he did not show his usual activity. He did not support Oudinot and Ney in their offensive operations against Berlin and left without help Pesche's division, almost destroyed under Gerd.

Louis Nicolas Davout is one of the best generals of the Napoleonic wars. He was the only marshal of Napoleon who did not lose a single battle. Let's take a closer look at the biography and achievements of this famous military leader.

Childhood and education

The future commander was born in Burgundy on May 10, 1770 into a noble family. Louis Nicolas was brought up in the military school of the commune of Brienne-le-Chateau. It is interesting to note that a year before he entered the same school, Napoleon Bonaparte graduated. True to family tradition, in 1788 Davout began his service in which his father and grandfather had previously served.

French revolution

During the Great French revolution the novice military man, without thinking twice, decided to defend the positions of the revolutionary people. Since many of the Bourbon supporters fled or fired from the army, a large number of vacancies. They were occupied by young officers, and in some cases even ordinary soldiers with leadership inclinations. Davout Louis Nicolas became one of many officers who owe their rise to the revolution and the victory over the Bourbons. From 1794 to 1797, Davout fought in the ranks of the Rhine army. However, Davout began his real ascent to the Olympus of military leadership under the banner of Bonaparte.

Egyptian expedition

In the period from 1798 to 1801, with the rank of Major General, Davout took part in Napoleon's Egyptian expedition. He was given command of the French cavalry. In the battle for Abukir, which took place on June 25, 1799, the young commander especially distinguished himself. On that day, the 7-thousandth French army defeated the 15-thousandth army of the Turkish commander. Two-thirds of the enemy army fell on the battlefield, and the rest, together with Mustafa Pasha, surrendered. A small reserve detachment, commanded by Louis Davout, made an enormous contribution to this victory. Many historians are inclined to believe that it was in this battle that Bonaparte considered the hero of our conversation as a fearless and capable military leader.

Despite the fact that the Egyptian expedition was crowned with a complete failure for France, it discovered many new names, which in the future kept the military glory of Napoleon. General Louis Davout during this battle fell into the closest circle of Bonaparte, who was confidently moving towards the pinnacle of state power.

Marshal rank

Immediately after the Egyptian expedition, Davout successfully led the cavalry of Bonaparte's Italian army, which fought the Austrians. In 1804, the hero of the Egyptian expedition and the Italian company of the emperor was awarded the military rank of Marshal of France and the post of adviser to Napoleon.

First successes in corps command

From 1805 to 1814, Marshal Davout led the army corps. In 1805, his charges performed well at Ulm, where the emperor's army defeated the Austrian army. Baron Mack von Leiberich - the commander-in-chief of the Austrians, together with a 30-thousandth army was forced to surrender to the enemy, for which he was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment by a military tribunal.

On October 9, 1805, Davout's wards successfully crossed the Danube, setting up ferries in the city of Gunzburg and its environs. The Austrians, who defended the Danube city, had to retreat after a hard battle.

Marshal Davout became one of the active participants in the offensive of Bonaparte's army to Vienna. On November 8, at the head of his corps near the city of Mariazell, he won a battle against the Austrian corps led by General von Meerfeld. In this battle, the French managed to take 4 thousand prisoners. This victory became a defining event in the fate of Vienna.

Battle of Austerlitz

On December 2, 1805, a battle took place at Austerlitz, which went down in history as the "Battle of the Three Emperors". On that day, the French army defeated the allied Russian-Austrian army. The Austerlitz victory was the end for both the Holy Roman Empire. Franz II - the last emperor of the Roman Empire, having concluded peace with Napoleon, became simply the Roman emperor Franz the first. In the historic collapse of a once mighty empire important role the French commander Davout also played.

Jena-Auerstedt battle

In 1806, Davout's military leadership was replenished with new victories. In the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, which took place between the Napoleonic and Prussian armies on October 14, the marshal was one of the main characters. The battle was divided into two stages. The first took place under Auerstedt, and the second under Jena. Marshal Louis Davout's corps distinguished itself in the first stage.

The marshal was entrusted with command of the first flank of the imperial army. Under his command were 26 thousand soldiers and 44 guns. Davout was opposed by the left flank under the leadership of the Duke of Braunschweig, which includes 54 thousand soldiers and 230 guns. One balance of forces is enough to unambiguously assess the capabilities of the parties. Nevertheless, in a fierce battle, Davout managed not only to defeat the enemy army, but also to kill its leader.

At the Battle of Jena, the French army was personally led by Napoleon. He completely defeated the army of the Prussian commander Prince Hohenlohe. However, in this battle, the balance of forces was practically equal. In total, in the Jena-Auerstedt battle, the French army lost 11 thousand people, 7 of which fell on the Auerstedt battle.

Aristocratic title

In the same 1806, Davout Louis Nicolas was forced to face Russian troops. On December 24, his corps, together with Napoleon's army, crossed the Ukru River, and at night at Charnovo attacked a 15,000-strong Russian army. In this battle, the French lost about half as much as the Russians.

Davout's brilliant victory at Auerstedt could not go unnoticed, and Napoleon honored the commander not only with the order, but also the honorary title of Duke of Auerstedt. It is worth noting that Napoleon Bonaparte, who came from a poor Corsican-Italian noble family, having become the emperor of France, generously endowed his associates with titles, thereby trying to create a new elite in the state.

Battle of Eckmühl

On April 22, 1809, the Napoleonic army again fought with the Austrian army, the command of which was entrusted to Archduke Charles. The Austrians managed to occupy the most advantageous positions on the heights near Eckmühl. Napoleon sent his best corps to storm the enemy positions, including the corps of Marshal Davout. Only after a fierce battle, which more than once turned into hand-to-hand combat, did the French manage to knock out the enemy from the heights. At nightfall, Archduke Charles led his army to Regensburg. His losses in the battle of Ekmühl amounted to 11 thousand people from the 76 thousandth army. The victory in this battle opened up excellent prospects for Napoleon - the Austrian army was divided into two parts. The generals who played a decisive role in this victory were richly rewarded. So, Davout Louis Nicolas received a princely title to the ducal title - he became prince of Eckmühl.

Battle of Wagram

In 1809, Davout again had a chance to meet in battle with the Archduke Charles. This time the battle took place at Wagram. On the night before the battle, Napoleon's army crossed the deep Danube through the island of Lobau. The Austrian army, having more than one hundred thousand troops and 452 guns, withdrew to Wagram and entrenched there. On the evening of July 5, the emperor ordered her Italian army, which was reinforced by the Saxon corps, to attack the enemy. Due to the mistake of the Italians, who mistook the Saxons for the enemy, the order had to be canceled.

The main events unfolded the next day, when Napoleon rebuilt his army, which had a numerical superiority over the enemy, into a new battle formation. The corps of Davout and Oudinot worked together against the left wing of the enemy position. The Austrians massively attacked the French from this side, but this did not bring them success. And yet, under the onslaught of the enemy, the center and left flank of the French army had to be withdrawn. By sending reinforcements to the central part of the army in the form of MacDonald's Italian corps, pulling up artillery there, the emperor was able to save the situation. Powerful artillery fire stopped the onslaught of the Austrians. Davout Louis Nicolas, meanwhile, dispensed with reinforcements and, bypassing the left flank of the enemy army, took over it. The marshal managed to get into the rear of the Austrian army and dismember it near Vesedele. The corps of his companion, Oudinot, recaptured Wagram. In the 11-hour battle, Karl lost about 50 thousand people. As a result, he had to retreat in the direction of Moravia.

The victory at Wagram cost the French quite dearly. First, the Napoleonic army lost 32 thousand soldiers. Secondly, after this battle, Great Britain and the Russian Empire entered the war against Napoleonic France.

Hike to Russia

The French emperor was not intimidated by the European coalition of monarchs created against him. In 1812, Russia was left alone - the former allies in the anti-Napoleonic battles, Austria and Prussia, were forced to become allies

On July 12, Napoleon's army, crossing the Neman River, invaded Russian empire... Before the superior forces of the enemy, the Russian armies had to flee, avoiding battle. By giving battle one by one, they practically ensured a complete defeat for themselves.

Marshal Davout's corps was sent to help the army of Jerome Bonaparte, which was pursuing the second Russian Western army of General Bagration, retreating from Volkovysk to the southeast. With a skillful maneuver, the Russian commander-in-chief withdrew his troops from the enemy's double blow, as a result of which both French marshals were catching up. When Bagration's army began to cross the Neman, French generals made another unsuccessful attempt to encircle her. Foreseeing the enemy's plans, General Bagration turned to Minsk.

At Mogilev, Davout's corps collided with a pursued army, approaching the city before the enemy. The second Russian Western army was once again cut off from the first Western army of General Barclay de Tolly, retreating to the north. In this situation, Bagration had no choice but to delay the further advance of the enemy. He instructed the corps of General Raevsky to do this.

The vanguard units of Davout's corps met with Raevsky's regiments near the village of Saltanovka. In the battle of Saltanovka, the Russians managed to shackle the aspirations of the French, and the army of Bagration again emerged from the blow of the imperial army. This time it headed for Smolensk.

Near Smolensk, the 1st and 2nd Western armies of the Russians united. On August 4, the Battle of Smolensk (the war of 1812) began, in which Davout's corps also took part. One of his divisions, led by Guden, was able to distinguish itself in the battle at Valutina Gora, attacking the detachment of Major General Tuchkov III. The latter was seriously wounded and captured.

During the Battle of Borodino, according to the emperor's disposition, Davout's corps stood right in the center of the army. The center was responsible for the main blow of the Napoleonic army. He had to take possession of the field fortifications of the Russians, which went down in military history as Bagration's flashes.

According to the tradition started by Napoleon, before a big battle, the soldiers of his empire dressed in full dress. On August 26, 1812, at the dawn of the sun, a powerful artillery attack began from both sides. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, the French began to massively storm the flashes. Davout's two divisions were targeting the southern flush. Despite the numerical advantage of the French, the Russians still managed to repel the attack.

By 7 o'clock in the morning, Davout's corps had put itself in order and resumed the onslaught. This time he managed to capture the southern flush. However, the bayonet attack of several infantry battalions, which Bagration sent to this flash, made it possible to knock the French out of the fortification. Then Napoleon sent to help Davout Murat's cavalry, Ney's corps and other troops. The French broke into the right and left flashes, but a massive Russian counterattack knocked them out again. Attacks on that day followed one after another ...

When Davout retreated, Louis Nicola led her rearguard, which constantly had to fight off the Cossacks and soldiers of General Miloradovich. On October 22, near Vyazma, the Russians blocked the road to the West for the enemy rearguard. Despite the fact that Davout's army received reinforcements, the Russians defeated him. On that day, the Napoleonic army lost about 8 thousand soldiers. After the defeat at Vyazma, the emperor replaced the "iron marshal" (as Davout was called at home) as commander of the army rearguard for Marshal Nehem.

Davout's corps suffered another major loss from the Russian army in the battle near the village of Krasnoe, which took place from 3 to 6 November. The French retreating from Smolensk wanted to break away from the Russian pursuit and go to the Berezina River. After this battle, Marshal Davout's corps existed only in documents.

Defeat of France

Davout was not among Napoleon's marshals who surrendered Paris to the allies. In 1813 and 1814, he fought in northern Germany, defending Hamburg from the siege of Russian and Prussian troops. Despite the fact that the siege took place without fierce attacks and bombing, the Hamburg garrison nevertheless laid down its arms in front of the allies.

When Napoleonic France suffered military and political defeat, Davout Louis Nicolas, whose biography has always been associated with Napoleon, remained faithful to him. And even when he was in exile on the island of Elba, Davout did not give up his views. When Napoleon, having landed in the south of the country, began a victorious march on Paris, Louis Davout joined him. During the "hundred days" he was the Minister of War of France.

When the Bourbons returned to power, Davout was very popular in the country, and especially in the army. He, like the rest of Napoleon's marshals, lost all his ranks and titles, but not for long - in 1817, in order to avoid irritation in society, all his previous titles and ranks were returned to him. Two years later, Davout managed not only to gain the favor of the authorities, but also to become a peer of France.