Michel Ney

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Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen, Prince of Moskova (January 10, 1769 – December 7, 1815), called Le Rougeaud ("the ruddy") and le Brave des Braves ("the bravest of the brave") was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon

Contents 1 Early life 2 Revolutionary Wars Career 3 Napoleonic Wars Career 4 Post Napoleon Career 5 During the Hundred Days 6 Execution 7 Pretenders and legends 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Early life

Michel Ney was born in Saarlouis, a French enclave in the German-speaking Lorraine, something that made Ney bilingual. He was the second son of Pierre Ney, a master barrel cooper and veteran of the Seven Years' War. ^[1]

Ney was educated at the College des Augustins and after his education became a notary in Saarlouis and then overseer of mines and forges. The life as a civil servant didn't suit Ney and he enlisted in the Colonel-General Hussar Regiment in 1787.^[2]

[edit] Revolutionary Wars Career

After joining the Regiment of Hussars in 1787, Ney rapidly rose up the non-commissioned ranks. Ney served in the Army of the North from 1792-94, with which he saw action at Cannonade of Valmy, Neerwinden, as well as other engagements. Ney was commissioned in October 1792, transferred to the Sambre-et-Meuse in June 1794, and wounded at the Siege of Mainz. Ney was promoted to géneral de brigade in August 1796 and commanded cavalry on the German Fronts. On 17 April 1797 Ney lead a cavalry charge against Austrian Lancers trying to seize French cannons, the lancers were beaten back, but Ney’s cavalry were counter-attacked by heavy Austrian cavalry, during the mêlée, Ney was thrown from his horse and became a prisoner of war, on 8 May Ney was exchanged for an Austrian general ^[3]. Following the capture of Mannheim Ney was promoted to géneral de division in March 1799. Later in 1799 Ney commanded cavalry in the armies of Switzerland and the Danube, at Winterthur Ney was wounded in the thigh and wrist. After Ney’s recovery he fought at Hohenlinden under General Moreau in December 1800. From September 1802 Ney commanded French troops in Switzerland and performed diplomatic duties. On 19 May 1804 Ney received his Marshals Baton ^[4].

[edit] Napoleonic Wars Career

In the 1805 campaign Ney took command of VI Corps of La Grande Armée and was praised for his conduct at Elchingen ^[5]. In November 1805 Ney invaded the Tyrol capturing Innsbruck from Archduke John. In the 1806 campaign Ney fought at Jena and then occupied Erfurt. Later in the campaign Ney besieged and received the surrender of Magdeburg. In the 1807 campaign Ney arrived with reinforcements in time to save Napoleon from defeat at Eylau, although the battle ended as a draw. Later in the campaign Ney fought at Güttstadt and commanded the right wing at Friedland. On 6 June 1808 Ney was created Duke of Elchingen ^[6]. In August 1808 Ney was sent to Spain in command of VI Corps, and won a number of minor actions. In 1810 Ney joined Marshal Masséna in the invasion of Portugal, where he took Ciudad Rodrigo and Coa, and fought at Buçaco. During the retreat from Torres Vedras, Ney was removed from command for insubordination ^[7]. During the 1812 invasion of Russia Ney was given command of III Corps of La Grande Armée. At Smolensk Ney was wounded in the neck, and later fought at the central sector at Borodino. During the retreat from Moscow Ney commanded the rear guard. After being cut off from the main Army Ney managed to rejoin the main Army, which delighted Napoleon ^[8]. For this action Ney was given the nickname ‘the bravest of the brave’ by Napoleon^[9]. Ney fought at Beresina and helped hold the vital bridge at Kovno, where legend has it that Ney was the last man to cross the bridge and to leave Russia ^[10]. On 25 March 1813 Ney was given the title, Prince of the Moskwa ^[11]. During the 1813 campaign Ney fought at Weissenfels, was wounded at Lützen, and commanded the left wing at Bautzen. Ney later fought at Dennewitz and Leipzig, where he was again wounded. In the 1814 campaign in France Ney fought various battles and commanded various units. At Fontainebleau Ney became the spokesmen for the Marshals revolt on 4 April 1814, demanding Napoleon’s abdication. Ney informed Napoleon that the army would not march on Paris; Napoleon responded ‘the army will obey me!’ to which Ney answered ‘the army will obey its chiefs’ ^[12]

[edit] Post Napoleon Career

When Paris fell and the Bourbons reclaimed the throne, Ney, who had pressured Napoleon to accept his first abdication and exile, was promoted, lauded, and made a peer by the newly enthroned Louis XVIII. Although Ney had pledged his allegiance to the restored monarchy, the Bourbon court reacted coolly to his common origins. When hearing of Napoleon’s return to France, Ney determined to keep France at peace and to show his loyalty to Louis XVIII, began organizing a force to stop Napoleon’s march on Paris. Ney also pledged to bring Napoleon back alive in an iron cage. Napoleon was aware of Ney’s plans and sent him a letter which said in part ‘I shall receive you as after the Battle of the Moskowa’ ^[13]. Despite Ney’s promise, he joined Napoleon at Auxerre on 18 March 1815.

[edit] During the Hundred Days

On 15 June 1815 Napoleon appointed Ney commander of the left wing of Army of the North. On 16 June Napoleon’s forces split up into two separate wings to fight two separate battles simultaneously. Ney attacked Wellington at Quatre Bras (and received criticism for attacking slowly ^[14]), while Napoleon attacked Blücher’s Prussians at Ligny. Although Ney was criticized for not capturing Quatre Bras early, there is still debate as to what time Napoleon actually ordered Ney to capture Quatre Bras ^[15]. At Ligny Napoleon ordered General d’Erlon to move his corps (currently on Napoleon’s left and Ney’s right) to the Prussians' rear in order to cut off their line of retreat. d’Erlon began to move in position, but suddenly stopped and began moving way, much to the surprise and horror of Napoleon. The reason for the sudden change in movement is Ney had ordered d’Erlon to his aid at Quatre Bras. Without d’Erlon corps blocking the Prussians' line of retreat, the French victory at Ligny was not complete and the Prussians were not routed ^[16]. To be fair Ney was d’Erlon’s direct superior and Napoleon never informed Ney of his plans. At Waterloo Ney was again in command of the left wing of the army. At around 3:30 p.m., Ney ordered a mass cavalry charge against the Anglo-British. Ney's cavalry overtook the enemy cannons, but found the infantry in squares, without infantry or artillery support Ney was unable to break the squares. The action earned Ney criticism, and some contest that it led to Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo ^[17]. There is still debate as to the responsibility for the cavalry charge and why it was unsupported. Ney’s cavalry also failed to spike enemy cannons (driving a lead spike into the firing hole) while they were under French control (during a cavalry attack the crew of cannons retreated into the squares for protection). Ney’s cavalry carried equipment needed to spike cannons, spiking the cannons would likely have made them useless for the rest of the battle. The loss of a large number of cannons would weaken an army and may have caused the Anglo-British force to withdraw from the battle ^[18]. Ney was seen during one of the charges beating his sword against the side of a British cannon in furious frustration. When all was clearly lost, Ney gathered a group of French soldiers together and cried 'come, and see how a Marshal of France can die!'^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Execution

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 on 4 December 1815 for treason by the Chamber of Peers. On 6 December 1815 he was condemned, and was 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!” ^[19]

Ney's execution was an example intended for Napoleon's other marshals and generals, many of whom were eventually exonerated by the Bourbon monarchy. He is buried in Paris at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

[edit] Pretenders and legends

One of the more colourful legends of Ney that have grown up after the Marshal's untimely demise by firing squad was that Ney had managed to escape to the United States. Proponents of this theory argue that Ney had masonic ties, including to the Duke of Wellington, who helped him fake his execution and flee abroad. His soldiers put blood packets over his heart and then shot blanks at the Marshal. He was then smuggled to the United States and continued his life as a school teacher. The basis for these rumors was the presence in the United States of a Peter Stuart Ney, who, when drunk, wowed his friends and students with tales of military glory, and claimed to be – or at least did not deny being – the executed Napoleonic Marshal. This theory is supported by family legend which ties him to America. A series of his private journals held by his relatives seem to verify his claim of actually being the famous French general. While this might be untrue, Peter Stuart Ney certainly did live for a number of years teaching school in North and South Carolina, including at Davidson College, where he designed the school seal still used today. Ney died in 1846, after uttering the bizarre last words, "Bessières is dead; the Old Guard is dead; now, please, let me die." On his gravestone in Cleveland, North Carolina, one will find the words "(...) soldier of the French Revolution under Napoleon Bonaparte (...)".

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Atteridge, A.H. Marshal Ney: The Bravest of the Brave. Pen & Sword, 2005.
• Chandler, David (editor). Napoleon's Marshals. London: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987. ISBN 0-297-79124-9
• Chandler, D. Dictionary of the Napoleonic wars. Wordsworth editions, 1999.
• Gates, D. The Napoleonic Wars, 1803-1815. Pimlico, 2003.
• Markham, J. D. Napoleon’s Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats, and Immortality. Brassey’s, 2003.
• Roberts, A. Waterloo, June 18, 1815: The Battle for Modern Europe. Happer-Collins Pub., 2005.
• Tsouras, P.G. The book of Military Quotations. Zenith Press, 2005.

[edit] External links

• Ney defends his conduct at Waterloo
• Ney's grave at Findagrave.com.