André Masséna

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André Masséna, duc de Rivoli, prince d'Essling, maréchal d'Empire.

André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling (May 6, 1758–April 4, 1817) was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is considered by military historians as one of the greatest field commanders in history and is often ranked among generals of his generation second only to Napoleon himself.

Napoleon said about Massena that he was "the greatest name of my military Empire." According to Donald D. Horward, "Masséna's military career was equaled by few commanders in European history. In addition to his remarkable battlefield successes, he touched the careers of many who served under his command. Indeed, at one time or another, a majority of French marshals served under his command and saw 'the great Masséna at work.'

Massena was one of the original eighteen Marshals of France created by Napoleon. His nickname was the "dear child of victory" (French: l'Enfant chéri de la Victoire).

1 Early life
2 Revolutionary Wars
3 Napoleonic Wars and afterwards
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Early life

Massena (original last name Menasse) was the son of a Jewish shopkeeper^[1] He was born in Nice, then a county in the Kingdom of Sardinia. His father died in 1764, and after his mother remarried he was sent to live with relatives.

When Massena was thirteen he became a cabin boy aboard a merchant ship; he sailed with it around the Mediterranean and on two extended voyages to French Guiana. In 1775, after four years at sea, he returned to Nice and enlisted in the French Army as a private in the Royal Italian regiment. He had risen to the rank of warrant officer (the top rank for a non-nobleman) when he left in 1789. After a brief stint as a smuggler he re-joined the army in 1791 and was made an officer, rising to the rank of colonel by 1792.

[edit] Revolutionary Wars

When the Revolutionary Wars broke out in April 1792, Massena and his battalion were deployed along the border to Piedmont. Massena continued training his battalion and prepare it for battle, hoping that it would be incoprated into the regular army. A month after the occupation of Nice, in October 1792, the battalion was one of four volunteer battalions that became part of the Army of Italy.

He distinguished himself in the war, and was quickly promoted: general de brigade in August 1793, and general de division in December. His first victory was at Saorgio in August 1794, and his first major success at Lonato in August 1795 against an Austrian army under Peter Quasdanovich. He had fought with Napoleon at Lonato, and they remained in the same command until 1796, with a series of French victories in Italy. In 1799 Massena was granted a command in Switzerland and was victorious over the Russians under Alexander Korsakov at the Second Battle of Zurich in September, forcing Russia from the Second Coalition. This was the peak of his reputation.

Massena then returned to Italy and led his forces at Genoa, which was one of his greatest military achievements, before commanding in the tough Battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800). He was then made commander of the French forces in Italy, but was soon dismissed for looting.

[edit] Napoleonic Wars and afterwards

It was not until 1804 that he regained trust, being promoted to the rank of marshal in May and leading forces to capture Verona and later fighting the Austrians at Caldiero (October 30, 1805). He was given control of operations against the Kingdom of Naples, and in this position he was responsible for looting and massacres, including that of Lauria in the August 1806. His behaviour led subsequently to his dismissal. Despite this he was granted a (first) ducal victory title in chief of Rivoli in 1808.

He did not soldier again until 1809 against the forces of the Fifth Coalition, fighting the Austrians. When the French vanguard in the Danube was cut off and isolated, Massena was part of the command, leading IV Corps, of the defense centred around Aspern and Essling, before they were rescued after a bloody struggle. He was rewarded in 1810 with a second, now princely victory title, Prince d'Essling, for his efforts there and in the Battle of Wagram.

During the Peninsular War he led the invasion of Portugal in 1810, where he commanded the first clash with the Allies at Buçaco (September 27) and forced the Allies to retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras where a stalemate perpetuated until the arrival of British reinforcements in 1811. When Masséna was forced to retreat from Portugal after the battles of Barrosa and Fuentes de Oñoro he was replaced by marshal Auguste Marmont and did not serve again, being made a local commander at Marseilles.

He retained his command after the restoration and on the return of Napoleon from Elba he refused to commit to either side and kept his area quiet. He was disinclined to prove his royalist loyalties after the defeat of Napoleon and died soon afterwards.

A village in the north of New York state is named Massena in his honor. It was settled by French lumbermen in the early 19th century. Massena, Iowa, named after Massena (village), New York honors Andre Massena with a portrait of him in its Centennial Park.