List of Marshals of the First French Empire

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Marshal of the Empire
The baton of a Marshal; although often treated as such, Marshal was not a rank, rather, a reward
Country First French Empire
Formation1804
Abolished1815

Marshal of the Empire was a civil dignity in the First French Empire between 1804 and 1815. The successor of the dignity, the Marshal of France, is a five-star rank with a NATO code of OF-10, equivalent to an Admiral of France in the French Navy. The distinction was used sporadically and was vacant during parts of its history.[1] A Marshal was a grand officer of the Empire, entitled to a high-standing position at the court and to the presidency of an electoral college.[2] In total, 26 men were awarded a Marshal's baton.[3] The most recent promotions to marshal came in 1815, two years after a break on routine promotions to the rank, when Napoleon promoted Emmanuel de Grouchy, one of his Generals, to the dignity.[4]

Napoleon and several of his Marshals at Borodino
Napoleon and several of his Marshals

Unlike many positions, the Marshal of the Empire distinction was not a rank, rather a reward, given out by Napoleon. Almost all officers to hold the position of Marshal were professional soldiers in the French Army. Some, including Józef Poniatowski, served in foreign armies. Of all 26, 5 were killed in action, or by accident.[5] One Marshal was present at the Battle of Vitoria, fought in 1813, where the Duke of Wellington earned the British equivalent of the distinction.[6] Most had defected to the royalists before the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's subsequent defeat, with only four others (most notably Marshals Emmanuel de Grouchy and Michel Ney) serving under Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.[1][7]

Auguste de Marmont, born in 1774, was the youngest officer to earn the distinction of Marshal.[8] Francois Kellerman was the oldest, born in 1735.[9] The majority of Marshals were given the title in 1804 (18 out of 26), while Grouchy received the distinction at the latest time, in 1815, shortly before the Battle of Waterloo.[4]

List of Marshals[edit]

† — Indicates that the Marshal was either killed in action or killed by accident

List of Marshals of the First French Empire
Name Image Born Died Date of promotion
Louis-Alexandre Berthier† painting of Louis-Alexandre Berthier November 20, 1753[10] June 1, 1815[10] May 19, 1804[10]
Joachim Murat painting of Joachim Murat March 25, 1767[11][12] October 13, 1815[12][13] May 19, 1804[12][14]
Bon Adrien Jeannot de Moncey painting of Bon Adrien Jeannot de Moncey July 31, 1754[15] April 20, 1842[15] May 19, 1804[15]
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan painting of Jean-Baptiste Jourdan April 29, 1762[16] November 23, 1833[16] May 19, 1804[16][17]
André Masséna painting of Andre Massena May 6, 1756[18] April 4, 1817[18] May 19, 1804[18]
Charles-Pierre François Augereau painting of Charles-Pierre François Augereau October 21, 1757[19] June 12, 1816[19] May 19, 1804[19]
Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte painting of Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte January 26, 1763[20] March 8, 1844[20] May 19, 1804[20]
Jean-de-Dieu Soult painting of Jean-de-Dieu Soult March 29, 1769[21] November 26, 1851[21] May 19, 1804[21]
Guillaume Marie-Anne Brune painting of Guillaume Marie-Anne Brune May 13, 1763[22] August 2, 1815[22] May 19, 1804[22]
Jean Lannes† painting of Jean Lannes April 11, 1769[23] May 31, 1809[23] May 19, 1804[23]
Édouard Mortier† painting of Édouard Mortier February 13, 1768[24] July 28, 1835[24] May 19, 1804[24]
Michel Ney painting of Michel Ney January 10, 1769[25] December 7, 1815[25] May 19, 1804[25]
Louis-Nicolas Davout painting of Louis-Nicholas Davout May 10, 1770[26] June 1, 1823[26] May 19, 1804[26]
Jean-Baptiste Bessières† painting of Jean-Baptiste Bessières August 6, 1768[27] May 1, 1813[27] May 19, 1804[27]
François Christophe de Kellermann painting of Francois Christophe de Kellerman May 28, 1735[9] September 13, 1820[9] May 19, 1804[9]
François Joseph Lefebvre painting of Francois Joseph Lefebvre October 15, 1755[28] September 14, 1820[28] May 19, 1804[28]
Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon painting of Catherine-Dominque de Perignon May 31, 1754[29] December 25, 1818[29] May 19, 1804[29]
Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier painting of Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Serurier December 8, 1742[30] December 21, 1819[30] May 19, 1804[30]
Claude Victor Perrin painting of Claude Victor-Perrin December 7, 1764[31] March 1, 1841[31] July 13, 1807[31]
Jacques Étienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald painting of Jacques Étienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald November 17, 1765[32] March 1, 1841[32] July 12, 1809[32]
Nicolas Charles Oudinot painting of Nicholas Charles Oudinot April 25, 1767[33] September 13, 1847[33] July 12, 1809[33]
Auguste Frédéric de Marmont painting of Auguste Frédéric de Marmont July 20, 1774[8] July 23, 1852[8] July 12, 1809[8]
Louis-Gabriel Suchet painting of Louis-Gabriel Suchet March 2, 1770[34] January 3, 1826[34] July 8, 1811[34]
Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr painting of Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr April 13, 1764[35] March 17, 1830[35] August 27, 1812[35]
Józef Poniatowski† painting of Józef Poniatowski May 7, 1762[36] October 19, 1813[36] October 17, 1813[36]
Emmanuel de Grouchy painting of Emmanuel de Grouchy October 23, 1766[4] May 29, 1847[4] April 17, 1815[4]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Pattison 2010, p. xii.
  2. ^ Pattison 2010, p. 10.
  3. ^ Pattison 2010, p. xi.
  4. ^ a b c d e Pattison 2010, pp. 305–315.
  5. ^ Pattison 2010, p. xviii.
  6. ^ Heathcote 1999, p. 2.
  7. ^ Delderfield 2002, pp. 208–210.
  8. ^ a b c d Pattison 2010, pp. 200–218.
  9. ^ a b c d Pattison 2010, pp. 316–321.
  10. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 1–22.
  11. ^ Atteridge 1911, Chapter I.
  12. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 23–48.
  13. ^ Atteridge 1911, Chapter XVII.
  14. ^ Atteridge 1911, Chapter VII.
  15. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 245–250.
  16. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 251–258.
  17. ^ Delderfield 2002, p. 208.
  18. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 49–71.
  19. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 259–267.
  20. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 72–92.
  21. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 93–116.
  22. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 268–277.
  23. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 117–140.
  24. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 278–285.
  25. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 141–161.
  26. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 162–182.
  27. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 286–295.
  28. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 322–332.
  29. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 344–348.
  30. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 349–353.
  31. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 296–304.
  32. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 183–199.
  33. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 333–343.
  34. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 219–230.
  35. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 231–244.
  36. ^ a b c Pattison 2010, pp. 354–358.

References[edit]

  • Atteridge, Andrew H. (1911). Joachim Murat, marshal of France and king of Naples. Methuen Publishing. ISBN 1-908692-62-6.
  • Delderfield, Ronald F. (2002). Napoleon's Marshals. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 978-1-4616-6119-1.
  • Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals, 1736–1997: A Biographical Dictionary. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-0-85052-696-7.
  • Pattison, Richard D. (2010). Napoleon's Marshals. Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-86741-429-6.
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