I hope you enjoy our latest episode of Napoleon's Marshals! Let us know your favourite Marshals in the comments, and if you think we got the rankings correct!
2 little Facts about Soult: 1) He was the longest Prime Minister in service ever. 2)When he was sent to Queen's Victoria coronation, the Duke of Wellington caught him, took his arm and said: "Finally I got you"
“Michel Ney is truly the bravest of the brave”...I love that painting of him in square formation with his men. A leader should never send his men in a place he wouldn’t go himself & Ney led from the front.
A leader can't be in the front or else how would he led an army of more than 50k soldiers and assess enemy movements during battle. Ney was a great soldier and unit leader not a great general
@@SantomPh I wouldn't say he lost because he lead from the front. His decisions at the battle were extremely bad but it's not because he had the balls the lead from the Front.
@@SantomPh Ney’s ineffective cavalry charges was not singularly why the French lost at Waterloo. As the narrator mentions, tactical command should have rested with Napoleon, not delegated. As was seen with many marshals before, Ney performed most optimal when Napoleon was present. The reason why Lannes and Davout are top 3 is because they didn’t need Napoleon to be present to perform their best.
The Ney section gave me chills. Imagine being outnumbered in enemy territory, you and your men freezing to death, and having the overwhelming courage to inspire them to keep moving and fighting. Incredible.
Ney undoubtedly was the Bayard of the 18th Century. One of the finest knights to serve France, and certainly one of the reasons many "fall in love" with the Napoleonic Wars period.
@@MadManchou Yeah I dunno what it is about the Napoleonic wars but there's just something about it that just fascinates me, falling in love with it is a strange description but I can't disagree either.
You should read de Segur's memoirs of the Russian campaign and Caulaincourt's memoirs too. It tells in great detail how exactly Ney handled the rear guard and his miraculous reunion with the grand armee. Truly unbelievable and if it was in fiction I would think it's too far fetched.
Poor Suchet, he was always getting the short end of the stick. Despite all this he still gave his best performance, and also helped lay the foundations for anti-guerilla war tactics, that are still in use and being studied to this very day. And on top of that, also gained the respect of the people of Aragon. Truly an incredible marshal and general.
Suchet was one of the few who understood the connections between wars and politics. He implemented, in a doomed theater as the Spanish's campaigns, the doctrine wich could be resume as to pay for every needs required for warfare. It worked as long as the grand army was winning in Central Europe, as victories will pay for the cost of the war. Suchet was a able to implemented it with no prospect of success . A strategy based on " Victory will pay the cost of the war". Suchet needed the napoleonics wars to last longer and he will be, if not dead,one of the most distinguished Marshall.
If we had to compare all of Napoleon's marshals according to tactical superiority, discipline, and respect of and/or towards the common people in Spain, Suchet would've outclassed everyone. Sad to see that he received the marshal's baton too late, and that he got a low ranking in this one.
“A mother abandoned her five-year-old son twice in the snow. Both times Ney discovered the child and heaved him from the frozen ground. Failing to persuade the mother to take her child, he found another woman to care for him.” That speaks so much about his character
I took had heard of this.... My grandfather told me that in war, the worst of humanity is all around you, but the best of humanity shines through as well.
@@krazyirish321 The primary and truly reliable source of this fact about Marshal Ney is the historical book "Russian Campaign of 1812. The Memoirs of French General Count Philippe de Segour", who personally participated in this disastrous military campaign and afterwards issued his memoirs. I sincerely suggest to read it! ❤
The part about Ney was truly epic. The narration of his deeds and his fate was awe inspiring. No wonder he was such a legend, after watching this part even I was ready to follow this man to battle.
Ney was a throwback to generals of the classical era who led from the front and inspired by deed. There's more of the old Gaul in Ney than the reserved Frenchman (though he was born somewhere in Germany)
Another fun fact about Soult: He was married to a German, Louise Berg, who apparently held quite some influence over him. Napoleon was shocked that "a man of such authority" as Soult would "let himself be managed by his wife". When in 1813 he sent back Soult to Spain after the battle of Dresden, Soult (maybe not really too keen on going, as he had not seen his family in years) told Napoleon: "M`kay. I`ll do it. But you explain that to my wife!" So Madame Soult then had an interview with the emperor, at the end of which Napoleon exclaimed: "Madame, you cannot talk to me like that - I'm the emperor, I'm not your husband! ... And if I was your husband, you still could not talk to me like that!" (The anecdote was told by Napoleon on Saint Helena.)
Michel Ney, my favourite Marshall of the Empire: Born the son of a poor cooper in Lorraine, a German speaking area of France. He said of his childhood "I esteemed myself rich when I had two loaves of bread on the table." Fought at Valmy to save the young republic. Sealed the Ulm manoeuvre at Elchingen. Captured Magdeburg during the Prussian flight of Germany. Drove the Russian left into the river at Friedland. Beat Wellington in Portugal. The last Frenchman on Russian soil during the retreat from Moscow. Stood up to Napoleon at Fontainebleau, forcing him to abdicate. Led the last great cavalry charge of the Napoleonic wars at Waterloo. Could barely read or write until later in life yet still recognized the talent of the great military theorist Antoine-Henri Jomini. Condemned to the firing squad by his own countrymen after having fought in nearly every country in Europe with the Emperor because he was not of the restored nobility. He may not have been the best statistically but he was, as Napoleon put it best.... "The Bravest of the Brave"
"I And Others Were Fighting For France While You Sat Sipping Tea In English Gardens" Marshal Ney Wow That was Brutal Edit: "Thank You So Much For 1K Likes "
he should have died a hero at war rather than a proclaimed traitor... nearly cried with his punishment but he also led many soldiers to their death because of his risky rash attacks
Any major could have done that. Marshall's job is not to have his command reduced down to 800 men... Although actually Napoleon is the most to blame for the debacle.
@@VersusARCH you talk shit mate. You were not there by -40c being at war against superior forces in number, not equipped, clothed properly to fight in these conditions.
I literally gave a salute to my monitor while listening to Suchet's story. THIS is how you treat your troops and the occupied provinces. Truly the backbone of the Spain campaign.
Suchet was the epitome of what a good & fair marshel of the empire should be and not act like Soult by plundering the countryside endlessly amid Joseph's attempt to pacify the occupied territory. Suchet did everything right despite the fact that Napoleon and his colleagues screwed up the situation in Spain
Yes and I feel he was even more impressive for this : "He was born in the town of Sarrelouis along the French-German border, a French enclave in a largely German region. It was annexed by Prussia according to the Treaty of Paris of 1815. Ney’s lawyer attempted to use this to prevent his execution, stating that since he was now Prussian, he could not be tried by a French court. However Ney refused this line of defence, apparently declaring: “Je suis Français et je resterai Français!” (I am French and I shall remain French). This impassioned patriotism was rewarded with a guilty verdict and subsequent execution."
The more I found out about the man, the more I admire him. Like, getting a mass, for your soul, in a country, which you invaded 20 years ago, with some of the bloodiest partisan fighting in history. How, Suchet, how??!
@@mossadagent1576 I know right and time will tell in wars in French war in Algeria French war in Vietnam us war in Vietnam soviets invasion of Afghanistan. All these guys and not once was there a guy who stood out in the leadership that showed that they cared for the people. I’m sure there were troops that had good intentions of helping people but you need leaders who enforce those rules and suchet became that guy where he said he was gonna help people even though he was foreign occupier and the people loved suchet who was part of a country who wasn’t Catholic anymore and they prayed for him and gave him a mourning when he died
Various Fun Details : Suchet's promotion was somewhat unconventional. After Arcole, the French officers were having a big party in a farm. Lannes came to Napoleon's table, drunk as a skunk, and said "Well then, when are you going to make my friend Suchet a colonel ?" Napoleon, himself pretty wasted, took a medal from a guy near him and threw it to Suchet. And that was that. Wich should help us remember that most of them were in their late twenties at the time. Suchet composed the plan at the battle of Ostrolenka, while Oudinot was to apply it, due to their commandant, Savary, being mostly a placeholder with Napoleon's trust. After the victory, Savary and Oudinot were rewarded, but Suchet stayed humbly in the background, pretty representative of his career. Suchet called his own son Napoleon, and took the fall of the empire and the Napoleonian dream very badly, maybe worse than any other marshals. Soult's action at Ocana was one of the few correct applications of Hannibal's Cannae tactic to be done in military history. It's also the worst defeat of the Spanish on their own territory. Soult had an almost surreal ability to see the value of an art piece. This made some call him one of the greatest thieves in History. Soult's experience in Spain may have something to do with the brutality of the repression in Algeria, while he was in the government some decades later. When Ney engaged Wellington with only 7000 in a rearguard action in Portugal, He manoeuvered so well Wellington thought he was fighting the entire French army. While he would not succede in breaking his line at Quatre Bras, he still managed to force him to withdraw. Ney was famous for basically bullying ennemy cities into surrendering, yelling boasts and threats from under the walls, firing empty cannon shots and claiming he had much more men than he had. Magdebourg and his 25 000 men fell in twenty days with this method. Ney very probably suffered heavy PTSD from his time in Russia, having exhausted himself by constantly staying on the frontline in the rearguard, without respite and under extreme physical and emotional duress. He was never the same after. Ney could have possibly avoided the death penalty by claiming Prussian nationality due to his place of birth being lost after 1815. Ney refused. His trial was a big affair, with Moncey, Davout and St-Cyr pleading for his life, and the royalists aiming for an example. Wellington accepted, then declined, to speak in his favour. He was executed after refusing to wear a blindfold and reluctantly accepting a confessor.
I still think Suchet was the marshal Napoleon needed in Waterloo. Ney could have sat out the campaign protecting the flanks or anticipating the Austrians as they amassed. Suchet could match Wellington step by step since they're so alike in their command styles.
@@henriray1440 I’d go so far as to say that no one came back from Russia the same way, Not just Ney. The largest army in history up to that time entered the country with within the ballpark of 600,000 soldiers in late June, And by New Year’s Eve, Less than a sixth of them made it out
Marshal Moncey went so far as to refuse a direct order from Louis XVIII to even attend Ney’s trial. He allegedly said to the king and his royalist allies "If I am not allowed to save my country, nor my own life, then at least I will save my honor." He served a three month jail sentence for his insubordination but in July of 1816, Moncey was back on the active duty list.
When you're French and watching these videos, you can't imagine the pride and admiration we have for those men. The return to reality is harsh when you compare them to the idiots we have in charge today...
True, France of today is not what it once was (and the rest of western Europe for that matter). People in Poland always looked up to France(most still do) especially to Napoleon to return independence to Poland after partitions. Napoleon gave us Duchy of Warsaw but didn't want to return Poland to its former glory(Poniatowski and Kosciuszko knew that and didn't fully trust Napoleon). Politics won the day as he wanted to keep good relations with Austria and restore eventually relations with Russia. If only Napoleon went through Southern Poland and declared return of Poland to its full independence he would have won against Russia and would have been emperor of Europe. But that's history now. Napoleon was a great man and so were his marshals.
@@drob3820 Yes that's why I said that politics won the day and Napoleon wanted to keep good relations with Austria. As you know Austria turned against Napoleon later and was a main reason why Napoleon lost Battle of Leipzig and later campaign in France. Napoleon should have first declared Independence of Poland and if Austria wanted to go to war against France then Napoleon should have first crushed Austria and after that turned to Russia. As to why he would have won against Russia if he restored Poland; Duchy of Warsaw was less than 1/5 the size of Poland before partitions. Army of Duchy of Warsaw was close to 100k at its peak so imagine how big it would have been had Napoleon declared Poland independent and restored it to its former size. Another thing is that southern Poland at that time(now mostly Ukraine) was the bread basket of Europe). Another thing is that Russia would have been forced to fight France in Poland and Napoleon would never had to chase Russians all the way to Moscow.
This was the best episode of the series so far. The last one was so good too and had 2 of the most heartfelt moments with Napoleon’s parting words to MacDonald and to Massena.
A broken, defeated Napoleon giving his sword to McDonald, a man he despised and ignored for most of his career, is one of the greatest, most underrated moments in "La Légende Napoléonienne", as we call it. It's not often that the Emperor acknowledges his mistakes, let alone rewards someone who did not embrace his own views. French novelist Michel Bernard recently wrote about it in his take on the Winter of 1814, and it also got me emotional.
Suchet is such an incredible marshal, had Napoleon only made him the most senior in spain he would've altered the course of the entire peninsular wars, once again thank you for the hard work and dedication epic history tv 💕
The Peninsula War was doomed first because Napoleon kept given orders from a far with little knowledge of the actual situation and second because he continually pulled experienced troops out and sent in new conscripts. That his marshals had any victories after he left Spain is a testament to their abilities to lead inexperienced youths and rally them to the moment.
@SantomPh I agree with that but I also think we in the modem world forget that for Napoleon politics and the personal were intimately intertwined. He had to have people he trusted (or at least thought he could!) in postitions of power to promote his agenda, therefore that required people he knew well.
Napoleons ego played a big part in blunders he chose people who were loyal to him rather then people who had there own ideas but knew how to get the job done and would fight for France
@@5552-d8b Exactly. Epic History makes that point brilliantly on the assessment of Grouchy’s actions when following Blucher before Waterloo. Napoleon did not appreciate initiative even by his marshals and corps commanders. Grouchy followed his written orders to the T and that was part of what cost Napoleon at Waterloo.
As soon as I heard Beethoven at the beginning, I started reciting the entire intro. The impact of this series is indescribable to all military historians such as myself, it’s just too good!
🎶 🎶" Terror Belli, Decus Pacis; Terror in war, Ornament in Peace. The words inscribe on every French Marshalls' baton. In France, the title of Marshall or Maréchal go's back to the 13th Century...
@@Malas13 Not really, I mean there were plenty of women and people of color as characters in Napoleon's orbit. Between his personal guard, his various mistresses the entire Spanish debacle (which would be at least 3 seasons of the show), the parts in Egypt (season 2) would have all sorts of different races and ethnic groups between north Africans, Arabic peoples, etc. He even had a mixed general of Calvary in Egypt. Now if they go a little less historical, then there isn't any reason that some of the characters could be people of color it won't affect the overall narrative or story. Heck, half the generals he faced were commanding troops from different countries and nationalities.
Massena was incredible. Don't forget he almost singlehandedly smashed Naples, forced its king to flee to Sicily, and helped install Napoleon's brother Joseph on the throne ( and unlike with Spain, he proved a surprisingly popular monarch there with the native people).
Agreed, no single movie could ever capture all of this periods heroes, villains, and drama. The top 5 Marshalls alone could each have a compelling novel written about them.
Hm... Davout did well in independent command, Suchet and Massena too. And Bernadotte. But both for the French (opposing the Walcheren expedition) and for the other side (1814).
The music when Ney's rearguard retreat is quite epic, what a astonishing event, astonishing bravery. Truly the Bravest of the Brave. Side note: I'm not crying, you're crying
Many marshal own their victories to Napoleon, with them winning whenever Napoleon is with them and losing whenever Napoleon was absent, But Marshal Suchet own his victories to his own and his troops just like Massena, Davout, Lannes and Soult. Fun Fact: When Ney was being trialed after the Hundred Days, Massena was one of the men who refused to try Ney even though the two of them are not in good terms.
"What business has the Emperor at the rear of the army?" And, "We were fighting for France while you sat sipping tea in English gardens." Damn, Ney was savage. These men are legends of war and giants of history. Can't. Wait. For. Part. 1.
@@VersusARCH I meant the general staff. Not just a singular general. And as talented as Von Moltke was, his staff didn't have the same caliber, recognition and achievements. For better or worse Napoleon's marshals got a lot more opportunities to highlight their abilities and had more achievements to their name.
well you could argue that the German general staff in ww2 was of equal quality or better, they were extremely hindered by a goering, and hitler. The german army was extremely inferior in quality of troops number of troops. and their tanks at the start of the war sucked, but they brought France down quickly, which had arguably the best land army at the time inspite of their military cuts. The planning of the invasion by Manstein is the only reason they were able to win at all. But this is all just my own opinion
Ah, Ney. Had he fallen as he brought the last remnants of the Grand Army back from Russia would have been considered a Top 3 Marshal. Ney was not well after Russia and it showed in his performance in 1813. Bautzen and Dennewitz were avoidable mistakes. I don't think a healthy Ney would have made those mistakes.
Ney a commandé l'arrière garde de l'armée jusqu'aux rives du Niemen tout en faisant tonner le cannon. Les quelques braves qu'il avait sous son commandement n'auraient pu abandonner leurs positions, tout comme les trainards qu'il essayait désespérément de faire avancer avec les quelques salves qu'il était encore capable d'opposer aux russes. Mais étant rallier par les émigrés, ironie du sort, il a eu la fin que tout homme d'honneur reçoit au milieu des dupes et des hypocrites.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 Ney had to leave the wounded, from his corps and smokensk's hospitals,unable to March during the cross of the Dniepr river. No wonder he was never the same after the russian retreat.
Another curiosity about Marshal Soult: He was responsible for the creation of the French Foreign Legion after the Luis-Philippe's decree on 9 March 1831. The Legion was not wanted by the Army and scoffed by the officers. Former Napoleonic officers under house arrest and half-sold were called to command and train this "Legion of the Damned"; one reason for it having the Ancien Regime's slower march of 88 paces per minute. The Legion was the very end of the priority's pipeline in the Army, being clothed with anything scrounged from stocks, making a motley collective of men, being dubbed "The Scracrows of Algiers". Since nobody wanted or care for it, this sad force would be dubbed by many decades as "The Bastard of Soult".
There is so much we don't know about the goings-on behind the scenes. Like how far exactly did Bernadotte get under Ney's skin with his notes before and after Dennewitz telling him that Napoleon would never win, and that the Allies would never be content to leave him on the throne? And that to save the fruits of the Revolution Napoleon must either make peace of abdicate? And that he, Ney, and the other Marshals were the only ones who could save France? Did it play a part in eroding Ney's confidence in Napoleon? Were the Allies secretly in touch with the other Marshals the same way? Bernadotte wrote letters to Ney, Berthier, Murat, Macdonald and Oudinot. At least Murat and Berthier took Bernadotte's advice to convince Napoleon to make peace to heart. Napoleon was furious when he read the letters, and when Berthier urged peace, abusing him as "an old fool," and he called Murat "a traitor." It was immediately after this that Murat, who was very close with Bernadotte, left for Naples. There are also rumors that Napoleon planned his return from Elba even before he left for exile. And that Ney was in on it. Was Ney's betrayal of Louis XVIII foreordained? Was the iron cage comment high theater?
Well, I imagine Bernadotte also mentioned in his notes to Ney that it was nothing personal, and Bernadotte was only doing his duty as the new King of Sweden. Remember Bernadotte was both Ney's mentor and friend.
@@henriray1440 Oh for sure. What I was getting at was that Bernadotte was playing a very clever game that the other Allies were oblivious to. Bernadotte was trying to separate the Marshals from Napoleon by feeding their doubts, and flattering their egos. His correspondence with Ney is an example of that, as is his messages to Davout in Hamburg. He also communicated with Murat, who was also a close friend. Not only was Bernadotte trying to get the Marshals to force Napoleon to make peace to spare France invasion, something Bernadotte was trying to avoid, but he was also trying to separate the French people from Bonaparte, as well as sounding them out to the possibility of removing Napoleon and replacing him with Bernadotte as king. We take subversion of the will to fight, and other PSYOPS methods for granted now, but they were new concepts then. It is my belief that the doubts he helped sow in 1813 bore fruit in 1814.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 So quite literally, Bernadotte was singling out Napoleon and individually targeting his marshals with notes, parchment, and convincing writing.
@@henriray1440 yes, and it was obvious to many that the cause of France and Napoleon were not necessarily exclusive by 1813. Something Ney had realized on his own. Bernadotte preyed upon these doubts in the hopes that the Marshals might force Napoleon to accept a negotiated peace. Bernadotte was in a unique position: He knew Napoleon's heart from direct personal experience, and he knew what the Allies had in mind, as well as their antipathy for Napoleon. He knew that if Napoleon did not make peace the Allies would invade France and remove him from power and reverse all the gains of the Revolution. Bernadotte in particular did not want the Allies to invade France. He wanted France to retain her natural frontiers and this was possible up until the invasion in December 1813. A Bourbon restoration was to be avoided. And he was right. That is why he tried to convince Ney especially, on account of their friendship, but also due to Ney's popularity, to make Napoleon see reality. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Marshals did not impose their will until far too late. Had Ney, and the others, forced Napoleon's hand, perhaps he would have accepted the Frankfurt proposals.
That good to hear bro hopefully everyone power will be on soon I know it's hard for everybody especially the kids and elderly, try to keep warm and stay safe take care and take it easy.
Suchet seems like an inspiration for Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars. Intelligence, administrative capabilities, deep interpersonal skills, immensely capable on the battlefield.
@@andrewnlarsen well it depends. Davout was more severe than what Thrawn would have done & unlike Davout, the imperial forces liked Thrawn more as their commander and respected/loved him more, and unlike Suchet with administrative capabilities, Thrawn lacked in some regard. He's basically the Hannibal and Sun Tzu of Star Wars who knew every aspect of military science yet was still limited in geopolitical politics.
This was truly an age of heroes , when men were more afraid of losing their honor than their lives , Men like Ney deserve to go to heaven just for their courage honor and love for his country. Even when face to face with death , this titan did not flinch, even ordering the squad to fire , men like these would make any country proud
It would seem that his decisions led to most of his men getting killed eventually, great generals rarely make for great men. Admiring tactics is one thing, but understand, he forced Napoleon to abdicate, but then immediately endorsed his return, which led to more deaths and exposed his legacy to late field failures. Admire, do not deify.
@@gamedevyoutube3.030 was anything in my statement incorrect. Ney's impetuousness had negative repercussions many times. Rather than sticking to his oath he joined Napoleon furthering the conflict in Europe. This led to more deaths. At Waterloo he was an abject failure, this tarnished his legacy. So please. Tell me where I was WRONG about a damn thing I said keyboard warrior.
If one manages to conquer the hearts of people of the country that are in open nationwide rebellion against your occupation......well, that's a dammed good job Suchet!
IMO, Suchet is such a Underrated Commander, that even though that his fellow marshalls looted Spain, he choose to instead Leave the Civilians alone, and in turn respect him, such a marshall that I take good interest in
A small anecdote: two infantry regiments of the Portuguese legion were in Ney's corp at Vitebsk, Smolensk, Borodino, Krasny during the breakout and retreat of Ney's rear guard; Portuguese remains were found in mass graves meant for battle casualties around Krasny. A testament to the brutal fighting, and Ney's obstinance. The Portuguese, for their part, earned their legions of honour and, more importantly, Ney's praise, while having earned Oudinot's and Napoleon's praise and awards in the German campaign and battle of Wagram. Davout was also a fan, hosting dinners for Austrian nobility soon after Wagram and presenting some Portuguese officers as the "brave Portuguese of legends"; something that seemed to entertain the Austrian noble women...don't ask me why.
Can you imagine if they turned this story with these characters into a manga, and if they where able to get the guy that did vagabond to do it oh my goodness it would easily be a masterpiece.
@@deciphertwentythree7726 oh love kingdom that my third favorite manga of all time, but I don't know much about the anime is it a true adaptation of the manga or does it take the berserk route ?
@@cheriefsadeksadek2108 Berthier, Davout, Lannes is the only top 3 that could be expected. 3 geniuses, especially Davout and Lannes who both deserve Top 1
Ney and Jomini were a formidable duo, the impetuosity of the former being kept in check by the analytical thinking of the latter. Jomini’s feud with Berthier made him defect to the Tsar the day before his long awaited promotion to general of division was confirmed in 1813. Jomini’s presence at Quatre-Bras could have prevented Ney’s blunders…
It is interesting seeing the mentor/mentee relationships in the Marshalate. Soult's mentor was Lefebvre, Ney's mentor was Bernadotte. All four became marshals. Desaix would have been made a Marshal had he survived Marengo, his mentee was a young Nicholas Davout. These relationships survived the Empire. Following Ney's execution, Bernadotte made Ney's son Aide-de-Camp to Crown Prince Oscar.
Man, you are gonna make me suffer for the last part? I wass missing this for a long time. And the storytelling superb it moved me to tears in Ney's part!
The biography's description of Ney is truely exceptional, very well done . Despite his blunders at a strategical level, he was the saw of the army. Thanks to put in perspective the situation for him and his relatives during the first restauration. He was the embodiment of an antics titan.
Since we all like these epic quotes: Napoleon about General Dominique Vandamme. "If I had two of you, the only solution would be to have one hang the other" and "If I had to march on Hell, I would give that man command of the vanguard."
I'm curious of what Wellington thought of Suchet. He once said he couldn't sleep easy with Massena around, and he told Soult he finally "caught" him at a state dinner. Oh and for some reason, regarding Ney's "last man out of Russia" story, I always imagine him firing one last pistol shot across the pontoon bridge and shouting a final curse at the Russians before crossing.
@@xyrisejoss7144 Hah, now I'm imagining Guile's theme blasting in the background as he does so... And while we're at it, somehow I see him returning to Napoleon after the first breakout and simply collapsing on the ground, while Davout (a personal friend of his) screams, "Get this man a bed! Any will do after what he's been through!"
My opinion of Ney has greatly increased after this video. His actions in Russia were of the highest caliber. A man of courage and principle. I find it hard to blame him entirely for the 100 days Campaign; there were thousands of other factors that led to Napoleon's defeat.
@@yrsjhydjmdhyt he is, Ney was French but from the Rhine River area where they spoke German. He man is related but it’s been 150 years between Napoleon and filming
My god, such an outstanding work! Ney's legacy is so well told than it make me thrill. What a legend, He really represents this French spirit from French knights to poilus: brave, great warrior but sometimes undisciplined and not pragmatic. thanks for this new great episode!
Always knew that Lannes for his calculated aggression & Davout for the iron discipline would have been among top 3. But expected Massena for his exploits (except fiasco at Portugal) or Suchet for his brilliant administrative skills, despite knowing that Berthier was great at his organizing job. Overall, the spectacular job done by Epic History TV is always commendable. I respect you for your presentation, minute details and also the ranking (I believe that you'll have great explanations for the TOP 3).
Before watching this video, all I knew about Ney was his blunders at Waterloo, and wrote him off as nobody noteworthy. After this video, I realised what an incredible figure he was. "I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her."
Man, when you are such a benevolent occupier that the former subjects of your occupancy hold a mass for you after your death YEARS after you were kicked out, you know you did something right.
@@Hope-om1kc Watch the video about the 1825 Revolution by Epic History Tv, also a Russian film made about this particular event, where the artillery's cannister shot blew those squares apart. Hint to Hope: the reason behind naming the Red Square, sure you figured it out why it's Red and not Blue😁🎀
Epic History TV has once again covered parts of history in detailed, creative and distinctive manner. I have nothing but gratitude for you and your crew. You are helping us and other EHTV fans to embrace the interest and care for history. Again, great job and continue like that!
The part about Ney was so epic and portrays so well Ney's character, I've never understood why there are no films or series about the Marshals, the Krasny's episode would be so epic and dramatic to watch with greats actors and a good soundtrack... :/
Couldn’t wait for this one. These guys are an amazing series of case studies. Ney and Soult alone were just the ultimate adventurers. They DID NOT disappoint given their little sliver of opportunity.
Oh come on, this is not fair. I just finished eating and everything and even set a timer to go study at 18:00 (paris time). And in that exact moment, Epic History makes a new video.
It’s even more emotional when you discover the legend that he faked that death with blank bullets and fake blood, escaped, and lived out his days as a schoolteacher in America
11:08 Not to diminish Suchet’s well-deserved evaluation by Napoleon, but the full quote is: “That is difficult to say, but it seems to me it may have been Suchet; once it was Massena, but eventually one had to consider him as virtually dead; Suchet, Clausel, and Gerard were the best French generals in my opinion.” It’s interesting Napoleon did not mention Davout! On the positive side, it is very telling that both Clausel and Gerard would eventually make it to Marshal, respectively in 1831 and 1830.
![[TH] JFT vs RLF - VCT Ascension Pacific - Day 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PuIH7w_jO6c/mqdefault.jpg)
I hope you enjoy our latest episode of Napoleon's Marshals! Let us know your favourite Marshals in the comments, and if you think we got the rankings correct!
You Epic History Tv, have truly excelled to true greatness and made True History more than the History Channel can do.
will someone please tell the narrator - once and for all - it is pronouced AraGon and not AraJon? (Ghost and not host) Same for Tarragona and Saguntum
Yay stickers. Oh awesome upload btw🙂😎
Hey question? Is your narrator the same man who narrated the Red Star Media (BBC english translated) version of the Red Storm series back in 2012?
Absolutely adore the videos you produce! So, what’s next?
2 little Facts about Soult:
1) He was the longest Prime Minister in service ever.
2)When he was sent to Queen's Victoria coronation, the Duke of Wellington caught him, took his arm and said: "Finally I got you"
Omg iam now sitting and imagining how this scene will be hhh
Well as far as Soult and Wellington go, the two were military rivals from opposing sides.
@@henriray1440 Glad you were here to clarify that for us.
@@noleftturnunstoned LOL
Soult and Wellington were rivals, then this happens with a casual atmosphere. It hits very different if two leaders meet personally.
“Michel Ney is truly the bravest of the brave”...I love that painting of him in square formation with his men. A leader should never send his men in a place he wouldn’t go himself & Ney led from the front.
and lost Waterloo because of it
That's why he's my favourite Marshall. That and his temper. He was never scared to tell someone what he thought regardless of their position.
A leader can't be in the front or else how would he led an army of more than 50k soldiers and assess enemy movements during battle.
Ney was a great soldier and unit leader not a great general
@@SantomPh I wouldn't say he lost because he lead from the front. His decisions at the battle were extremely bad but it's not because he had the balls the lead from the Front.
@@SantomPh Ney’s ineffective cavalry charges was not singularly why the French lost at Waterloo. As the narrator mentions, tactical command should have rested with Napoleon, not delegated. As was seen with many marshals before, Ney performed most optimal when Napoleon was present. The reason why Lannes and Davout are top 3 is because they didn’t need Napoleon to be present to perform their best.
The Ney section gave me chills. Imagine being outnumbered in enemy territory, you and your men freezing to death, and having the overwhelming courage to inspire them to keep moving and fighting. Incredible.
They didnt have much choice do they? Falling in enemies hands ....
@@pioneirohill8493 dying in siberia or hoping to get home, even if the chance
to get trough were tiny. The same speech as Davout at Eylau.
Ney undoubtedly was the Bayard of the 18th Century. One of the finest knights to serve France, and certainly one of the reasons many "fall in love" with the Napoleonic Wars period.
@@MadManchou Yeah I dunno what it is about the Napoleonic wars but there's just something about it that just fascinates me, falling in love with it is a strange description but I can't disagree either.
You should read de Segur's memoirs of the Russian campaign and Caulaincourt's memoirs too. It tells in great detail how exactly Ney handled the rear guard and his miraculous reunion with the grand armee. Truly unbelievable and if it was in fiction I would think it's too far fetched.
Poor Suchet, he was always getting the short end of the stick. Despite all this he still gave his best performance, and also helped lay the foundations for anti-guerilla war tactics, that are still in use and being studied to this very day. And on top of that, also gained the respect of the people of Aragon. Truly an incredible marshal and general.
Absolute true.
Suchet was one of the few who understood the connections between wars and politics. He implemented, in a doomed theater as the Spanish's campaigns, the doctrine wich could be resume as to pay for every needs required for warfare. It worked as long as the grand army was winning in Central Europe, as victories will pay for the cost of the war. Suchet was a able to implemented it with no prospect of success .
A strategy based on " Victory will pay the cost of the war".
Suchet needed the napoleonics wars to last longer and he will be, if not dead,one of the most distinguished Marshall.
I was going to say, yeah suchet was one incredible general
To bad the US with westmorland didn’t learn this in Vietnam. Wonder how suchet would’ve done in Afghanistan
If we had to compare all of Napoleon's marshals according to tactical superiority, discipline, and respect of and/or towards the common people in Spain, Suchet would've outclassed everyone. Sad to see that he received the marshal's baton too late, and that he got a low ranking in this one.
“A mother abandoned her five-year-old son twice in the snow. Both times Ney discovered the child and heaved him from the frozen ground. Failing to persuade the mother to take her child, he found another woman to care for him.” That speaks so much about his character
What is your source for this? I’d like to read it.
I took had heard of this.... My grandfather told me that in war, the worst of humanity is all around you, but the best of humanity shines through as well.
And it shows what a POS the child's mother was
@@krazyirish321it’s on the warfare history network website. This occurred during the retreat from Smolensk
@@krazyirish321 The primary and truly reliable source of this fact about Marshal Ney is the historical book "Russian Campaign of 1812. The Memoirs of French General Count Philippe de Segour", who personally participated in this disastrous military campaign and afterwards issued his memoirs. I sincerely suggest to read it! ❤
The part about Ney was truly epic. The narration of his deeds and his fate was awe inspiring. No wonder he was such a legend, after watching this part even I was ready to follow this man to battle.
Absolutely
Indeed
Ney makes guys like Chris Kyle look like scared puppies in comparison.
Ney was a throwback to generals of the classical era who led from the front and inspired by deed. There's more of the old Gaul in Ney than the reserved Frenchman (though he was born somewhere in Germany)
we dont produce many men like him anymore the last generals that give me ney vibes are Patton and Rommel
Another fun fact about Soult: He was married to a German, Louise Berg, who apparently held quite some influence over him. Napoleon was shocked that "a man of such authority" as Soult would "let himself be managed by his wife". When in 1813 he sent back Soult to Spain after the battle of Dresden, Soult (maybe not really too keen on going, as he had not seen his family in years) told Napoleon: "M`kay. I`ll do it. But you explain that to my wife!" So Madame Soult then had an interview with the emperor, at the end of which Napoleon exclaimed: "Madame, you cannot talk to me like that - I'm the emperor, I'm not your husband! ... And if I was your husband, you still could not talk to me like that!" (The anecdote was told by Napoleon on Saint Helena.)
Wtf😂😂👏👏
Dats a strong woman 😳
😉
Never marry a German woman, trust me 😂
Great story. That means Soult, besides being a mediocre commander, was also a wimp! (LOL)
Michel Ney, my favourite Marshall of the Empire:
Born the son of a poor cooper in Lorraine, a German speaking area of France.
He said of his childhood "I esteemed myself rich when I had two loaves of bread on the table."
Fought at Valmy to save the young republic.
Sealed the Ulm manoeuvre at Elchingen.
Captured Magdeburg during the Prussian flight of Germany.
Drove the Russian left into the river at Friedland.
Beat Wellington in Portugal.
The last Frenchman on Russian soil during the retreat from Moscow.
Stood up to Napoleon at Fontainebleau, forcing him to abdicate.
Led the last great cavalry charge of the Napoleonic wars at Waterloo.
Could barely read or write until later in life yet still recognized the talent of the great military theorist Antoine-Henri Jomini.
Condemned to the firing squad by his own countrymen after having fought in nearly every country in Europe with the Emperor because he was not of the restored nobility.
He may not have been the best statistically but he was, as Napoleon put it best....
"The Bravest of the Brave"
Just amazing learning about him so inspiring how 1 man can accomplish so much
and a "true idiot". lol
Ney was a great man to have in a crisis.
If there wasn't a crisis, he could usually cause one.
True 😂
Ney simplified
I more like saint.cyr
🤣🤣🤣
Sounds like a quate from Napoleon
"It was during the retreat from Moscow that Ney ensured his place among the legends of military history." Just WOW.
One of the Historys Biggest Chads i would say
@@berserk6855 Ney goes beyond petty internet jargon, that’s for sure
"I And Others Were Fighting For France While You Sat Sipping Tea In English Gardens" Marshal Ney Wow That was Brutal
Edit: "Thank You So Much For 1K Likes "
First tea joke written in history
thats why they shot him for disturbing their royal tea party, lesson learned...never ever disturb tea drinking high officials
he should have died a hero at war rather than a proclaimed traitor... nearly cried with his punishment but he also led many soldiers to their death because of his risky rash attacks
ney
@@leusmaximusx I agree but at least he didn’t send his men anywhere he wouldn’t go.
“Surrounded by Cossacks, and down to 800 fighting men, they formed square and kept moving.”
Epic.
That's what you do.
NTW players: Wait, that's ilegal
@@megasalexandros714 yeah I wish there was a mod that allows you to move while in a square although it will be slow
Any major could have done that. Marshall's job is not to have his command reduced down to 800 men... Although actually Napoleon is the most to blame for the debacle.
@@VersusARCH you talk shit mate. You were not there by -40c being at war against superior forces in number, not equipped, clothed properly to fight in these conditions.
I literally gave a salute to my monitor while listening to Suchet's story. THIS is how you treat your troops and the occupied provinces. Truly the backbone of the Spain campaign.
Me too. True heroism
Suchet was the epitome of what a good & fair marshel of the empire should be and not act like Soult by plundering the countryside endlessly amid Joseph's attempt to pacify the occupied territory. Suchet did everything right despite the fact that Napoleon and his colleagues screwed up the situation in Spain
Wait, so Ney gave the order to fire to his own firing squad. What a legend.
That was reserved for only the most honored and respected men back then.
Yes and I feel he was even more impressive for this : "He was born in the town of Sarrelouis along the French-German border, a French enclave in a largely German region. It was annexed by Prussia according to the Treaty of Paris of 1815. Ney’s lawyer attempted to use this to prevent his execution, stating that since he was now Prussian, he could not be tried by a French court. However Ney refused this line of defence, apparently declaring:
“Je suis Français et je resterai Français!” (I am French and I shall remain French). This impassioned patriotism was rewarded with a guilty verdict and subsequent execution."
Murat and Ney both did
@@AlexC-ou4ju Boss... absolute boss
Messieurs ! Visez au coeur, et seulement lorsque j'en donnerai l'ordre !
Damn, those are great last words ^^
Suchet is my favourite marshal. You don't see such humility in every marshal....
Suchet I feel had the most humility of the marshals
The more I found out about the man, the more I admire him. Like, getting a mass, for your soul, in a country, which you invaded 20 years ago, with some of the bloodiest partisan fighting in history. How, Suchet, how??!
@@mossadagent1576 I know right and time will tell in wars in French war in Algeria French war in Vietnam us war in Vietnam soviets invasion of Afghanistan. All these guys and not once was there a guy who stood out in the leadership that showed that they cared for the people. I’m sure there were troops that had good intentions of helping people but you need leaders who enforce those rules and suchet became that guy where he said he was gonna help people even though he was foreign occupier and the people loved suchet who was part of a country who wasn’t Catholic anymore and they prayed for him and gave him a mourning when he died
It's a shame too, some campaigns could've ended differently if some other Marshals just accepted their defeats and learned from them like he did.
@@5552-d8b only if you don't know Lefebvre
Various Fun Details :
Suchet's promotion was somewhat unconventional. After Arcole, the French officers were having a big party in a farm. Lannes came to Napoleon's table, drunk as a skunk, and said "Well then, when are you going to make my friend Suchet a colonel ?" Napoleon, himself pretty wasted, took a medal from a guy near him and threw it to Suchet. And that was that. Wich should help us remember that most of them were in their late twenties at the time.
Suchet composed the plan at the battle of Ostrolenka, while Oudinot was to apply it, due to their commandant, Savary, being mostly a placeholder with Napoleon's trust. After the victory, Savary and Oudinot were rewarded, but Suchet stayed humbly in the background, pretty representative of his career.
Suchet called his own son Napoleon, and took the fall of the empire and the Napoleonian dream very badly, maybe worse than any other marshals.
Soult's action at Ocana was one of the few correct applications of Hannibal's Cannae tactic to be done in military history. It's also the worst defeat of the Spanish on their own territory.
Soult had an almost surreal ability to see the value of an art piece. This made some call him one of the greatest thieves in History.
Soult's experience in Spain may have something to do with the brutality of the repression in Algeria, while he was in the government some decades later.
When Ney engaged Wellington with only 7000 in a rearguard action in Portugal, He manoeuvered so well Wellington thought he was fighting the entire French army. While he would not succede in breaking his line at Quatre Bras, he still managed to force him to withdraw.
Ney was famous for basically bullying ennemy cities into surrendering, yelling boasts and threats from under the walls, firing empty cannon shots and claiming he had much more men than he had. Magdebourg and his 25 000 men fell in twenty days with this method.
Ney very probably suffered heavy PTSD from his time in Russia, having exhausted himself by constantly staying on the frontline in the rearguard, without respite and under extreme physical and emotional duress. He was never the same after.
Ney could have possibly avoided the death penalty by claiming Prussian nationality due to his place of birth being lost after 1815. Ney refused. His trial was a big affair, with Moncey, Davout and St-Cyr pleading for his life, and the royalists aiming for an example. Wellington accepted, then declined, to speak in his favour. He was executed after refusing to wear a blindfold and reluctantly accepting a confessor.
I still think Suchet was the marshal Napoleon needed in Waterloo. Ney could have sat out the campaign protecting the flanks or anticipating the Austrians as they amassed. Suchet could match Wellington step by step since they're so alike in their command styles.
Well as far as things go, Ney was never the same after Russia, and for very good reasons too.
@@henriray1440 I’d go so far as to say that no one came back from Russia the same way, Not just Ney. The largest army in history up to that time entered the country with within the ballpark of 600,000 soldiers in late June, And by New Year’s Eve, Less than a sixth of them made it out
Marshal Moncey went so far as to refuse a direct order from Louis XVIII to even attend Ney’s trial. He allegedly said to the king and his royalist allies "If I am not allowed to save my country, nor my own life, then at least I will save my honor." He served a three month jail sentence for his insubordination but in July of 1816, Moncey was back on the active duty list.
“Suchet remained undefeated.”
Damn that hits hard.
"Michel Ney is truly The Bravest of the brave" this quote always get to me i have huge Respect for Ney and His ability to lead and motivate his men.
Truely a brave man - till his end. France should look after their own better I think.
@@Boric78 world war one enforces that. Though they couldve at least let him give the order.
"That man is a Lion!"..."What a soldier!" Words of truly admiration from Napoleon to one of the most noble and courageous man in warfare history!
He was a brilliant Marshal
"Ney was more than a hero to the army, he was it's talisman" - it was great!!
When you're French and watching these videos, you can't imagine the pride and admiration we have for those men. The return to reality is harsh when you compare them to the idiots we have in charge today...
The pride is real. Now imagine when people lecture you on the fact that we always surrender after knowing all this glorious History, shame
True, France of today is not what it once was (and the rest of western Europe for that matter). People in Poland always looked up to France(most still do) especially to Napoleon to return independence to Poland after partitions. Napoleon gave us Duchy of Warsaw but didn't want to return Poland to its former glory(Poniatowski and Kosciuszko knew that and didn't fully trust Napoleon). Politics won the day as he wanted to keep good relations with Austria and restore eventually relations with Russia. If only Napoleon went through Southern Poland and declared return of Poland to its full independence he would have won against Russia and would have been emperor of Europe. But that's history now. Napoleon was a great man and so were his marshals.
@@michalplywaczewski7012 Can you explain what you mean about him being able to win had he restored Poland? Wouldn't that have pissed off Austria?
@@drob3820 Yes that's why I said that politics won the day and Napoleon wanted to keep good relations with Austria. As you know Austria turned against Napoleon later and was a main reason why Napoleon lost Battle of Leipzig and later campaign in France. Napoleon should have first declared Independence of Poland and if Austria wanted to go to war against France then Napoleon should have first crushed Austria and after that turned to Russia. As to why he would have won against Russia if he restored Poland; Duchy of Warsaw was less than 1/5 the size of Poland before partitions. Army of Duchy of Warsaw was close to 100k at its peak so imagine how big it would have been had Napoleon declared Poland independent and restored it to its former size. Another thing is that southern Poland at that time(now mostly Ukraine) was the bread basket of Europe). Another thing is that Russia would have been forced to fight France in Poland and Napoleon would never had to chase Russians all the way to Moscow.
the age of heroes is over. Honour courage and chivalry died in the trenches of WW1
This was the best episode of the series so far. The last one was so good too and had 2 of the most heartfelt moments with Napoleon’s parting words to MacDonald and to Massena.
A broken, defeated Napoleon giving his sword to McDonald, a man he despised and ignored for most of his career, is one of the greatest, most underrated moments in "La Légende Napoléonienne", as we call it. It's not often that the Emperor acknowledges his mistakes, let alone rewards someone who did not embrace his own views. French novelist Michel Bernard recently wrote about it in his take on the Winter of 1814, and it also got me emotional.
Suchet is such an incredible marshal, had Napoleon only made him the most senior in spain he would've altered the course of the entire peninsular wars, once again thank you for the hard work and dedication epic history tv 💕
Suchet was a professional, but Napoleon liked to appoint favorites even if they were massively flawed, like Messina and Soult.
The Peninsula War was doomed first because Napoleon kept given orders from a far with little knowledge of the actual situation and second because he continually pulled experienced troops out and sent in new conscripts.
That his marshals had any victories after he left Spain is a testament to their abilities to lead inexperienced youths and rally them to the moment.
@SantomPh I agree with that but I also think we in the modem world forget that for Napoleon politics and the personal were intimately intertwined. He had to have people he trusted (or at least thought he could!) in postitions of power to promote his agenda, therefore that required people he knew well.
Napoleons ego played a big part in blunders he chose people who were loyal to him rather then people who had there own ideas but knew how to get the job done and would fight for France
@@5552-d8b Exactly. Epic History makes that point brilliantly on the assessment of Grouchy’s actions when following Blucher before Waterloo. Napoleon did not appreciate initiative even by his marshals and corps commanders. Grouchy followed his written orders to the T and that was part of what cost Napoleon at Waterloo.
He has done the unexpected gave us Napoleon's Marshals part 5 truly a man beyond mortality
Which channel are you not on?
@@mbathroom1 Many
Glad to see you here!
@@FieldMarshalYT Same to you friend
@@FieldMarshalYT you too bro
As soon as I heard Beethoven at the beginning, I started reciting the entire intro. The impact of this series is indescribable to all military historians such as myself, it’s just too good!
🎶 🎶" Terror Belli, Decus Pacis; Terror in war, Ornament in Peace. The words inscribe on every French Marshalls' baton. In France, the title of Marshall or Maréchal go's back to the 13th Century...
Yeah, that Beethoven overture was a fine choice!
Which Beethoven was it?
@@mrshovelbottom7475 Egmont Overture
Ya, what he said
A movie about Ney would be an amazing perspective on Napoleon's rise and fall.
A tv series of the Napoleonic war like game of thrones would nice. Where it’s a non fiction tv series
@@5552-d8b Half od marshall had to be black or women for this.
@@Malas13 Not really, I mean there were plenty of women and people of color as characters in Napoleon's orbit. Between his personal guard, his various mistresses the entire Spanish debacle (which would be at least 3 seasons of the show), the parts in Egypt (season 2) would have all sorts of different races and ethnic groups between north Africans, Arabic peoples, etc. He even had a mixed general of Calvary in Egypt.
Now if they go a little less historical, then there isn't any reason that some of the characters could be people of color it won't affect the overall narrative or story. Heck, half the generals he faced were commanding troops from different countries and nationalities.
@@tbirdguy1 I am simply saying that in such adaption Ney have to be played by black women. Then Netflix would pick it up.
"Black people bad"
Fun fact: When asked who was his greatest marshal Napoleon actually said: “Thats difficult, Once It was Massena. But Suchet succeeded him”
Massena was Sick and Old( Still great and one of the best) but was too Battle scarred, Suchet was kinda like a prodigy
Massena was incredible. Don't forget he almost singlehandedly smashed Naples, forced its king to flee to Sicily, and helped install Napoleon's brother Joseph on the throne ( and unlike with Spain, he proved a surprisingly popular monarch there with the native people).
@@haveagreatday6822 Massena was not battle scared
@@Freshbreadthe2nd scarred not scared
@@Freshbreadthe2nd he was, The man was Veteran
Imagine a TV series about all this with a Game Of Thrones budget and good writing. It would be unmissable.
with all those british propaganda about "evil napoleon" until now, i doubt it
Agreed, no single movie could ever capture all of this periods heroes, villains, and drama. The top 5 Marshalls alone could each have a compelling novel written about them.
Suchet : best administrator and best counterinsurgency tactics.
Ney : best soldier.
Soult : best indépendant commander.
Hm... Davout did well in independent command, Suchet and Massena too.
And Bernadotte. But both for the French (opposing the Walcheren expedition) and for the other side (1814).
Suchet is all of the above
The music when Ney's rearguard retreat is quite epic, what a astonishing event, astonishing bravery.
Truly the Bravest of the Brave.
Side note: I'm not crying, you're crying
Yeah I love that music.... Name is "Viking" Filmstro
Many marshal own their victories to Napoleon, with them winning whenever Napoleon is with them and losing whenever Napoleon was absent, But Marshal Suchet own his victories to his own and his troops just like Massena, Davout, Lannes and Soult.
Fun Fact: When Ney was being trialed after the Hundred Days, Massena was one of the men who refused to try Ney even though the two of them are not in good terms.
I agree,,Suchet was more dependable and Versatile
Never thought I needed Manga Marshals in my life until I heard it for the first time
I was literally dreaming last night about somebody serializing a Napoleon based manga series. There's potential for this artist hired by EpicHistory.
"What business has the Emperor at the rear of the army?" And, "We were fighting for France while you sat sipping tea in English gardens." Damn, Ney was savage.
These men are legends of war and giants of history. Can't. Wait. For. Part. 1.
Next episode : 3rd: Berthier, 2nd Lannes and 1st goes to Davout.
anything else and we riot
If so, Davout is only 1st because Lannes died at Aspern-Esling.
@@natehammar7353 It is debatable but I would also love to see Lannes first. The man is the perfect soldier
@@ironduke7423 Imperial Lives Matter
I'd say Lannes for 3rd, due to his early death, Davout 2nd, and Berthier 1st.
Marshal Suchet is criminally underrated
No when Napoleon was asked who was his best Marshal. He said its difficult to say......... I think that is Suchet.
"I have fought 100 battles for France and not one against her" - Marshall Ney❤. What a legend and what a leader. A truly brave man.
Napoleon and his gang were arguably the best general staff in modern history.
"Very much no."
Moltke The Elder
When generals demonstrated their mettle through strategy and not technology.
@@VersusARCH I meant the general staff. Not just a singular general. And as talented as Von Moltke was, his staff didn't have the same caliber, recognition and achievements. For better or worse Napoleon's marshals got a lot more opportunities to highlight their abilities and had more achievements to their name.
You don't have any respect for the Wehrmacht
well you could argue that the German general staff in ww2 was of equal quality or better, they were extremely hindered by a goering, and hitler. The german army was extremely inferior in quality of troops number of troops. and their tanks at the start of the war sucked, but they brought France down quickly, which had arguably the best land army at the time inspite of their military cuts. The planning of the invasion by Manstein is the only reason they were able to win at all. But this is all just my own opinion
Finally! The End is Here!!!
Oh well, still another episode to go :D
Still one more to go boss.
nice maths
Not quite
I thought that too, I almost feel cheated :) And slightly disappointed Ney didn't make the 3rd place after Davout and Lannes.
Not "here"; "near!"
Ah, Ney. Had he fallen as he brought the last remnants of the Grand Army back from Russia would have been considered a Top 3 Marshal. Ney was not well after Russia and it showed in his performance in 1813. Bautzen and Dennewitz were avoidable mistakes. I don't think a healthy Ney would have made those mistakes.
agree
Ney a commandé l'arrière garde de l'armée jusqu'aux rives du Niemen tout en faisant tonner le cannon. Les quelques braves qu'il avait sous son commandement n'auraient pu abandonner leurs positions, tout comme les trainards qu'il essayait désespérément de faire avancer avec les quelques salves qu'il était encore capable d'opposer aux russes. Mais étant rallier par les émigrés, ironie du sort, il a eu la fin que tout homme d'honneur reçoit au milieu des dupes et des hypocrites.
I've heard that he may have suffered from PTSD after Russia but, well... I can't really prove that.
@@Warui88 I'd say it was likely. He suffered from nightmares.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 Ney had to leave the wounded, from his corps and smokensk's hospitals,unable to March during the cross of the Dniepr river. No wonder he was never the same after the russian retreat.
It seems the case that if you were told to "Pick any one commander to fight your way out of hell with", Ney should be in your top five.
Another curiosity about Marshal Soult: He was responsible for the creation of the French Foreign Legion after the Luis-Philippe's decree on 9 March 1831. The Legion was not wanted by the Army and scoffed by the officers. Former Napoleonic officers under house arrest and half-sold were called to command and train this "Legion of the Damned"; one reason for it having the Ancien Regime's slower march of 88 paces per minute. The Legion was the very end of the priority's pipeline in the Army, being clothed with anything scrounged from stocks, making a motley collective of men, being dubbed "The Scracrows of Algiers". Since nobody wanted or care for it, this sad force would be dubbed by many decades as "The Bastard of Soult".
There is so much we don't know about the goings-on behind the scenes. Like how far exactly did Bernadotte get under Ney's skin with his notes before and after Dennewitz telling him that Napoleon would never win, and that the Allies would never be content to leave him on the throne? And that to save the fruits of the Revolution Napoleon must either make peace of abdicate? And that he, Ney, and the other Marshals were the only ones who could save France? Did it play a part in eroding Ney's confidence in Napoleon? Were the Allies secretly in touch with the other Marshals the same way?
Bernadotte wrote letters to Ney, Berthier, Murat, Macdonald and Oudinot. At least Murat and Berthier took Bernadotte's advice to convince Napoleon to make peace to heart. Napoleon was furious when he read the letters, and when Berthier urged peace, abusing him as "an old fool," and he called Murat "a traitor." It was immediately after this that Murat, who was very close with Bernadotte, left for Naples.
There are also rumors that Napoleon planned his return from Elba even before he left for exile. And that Ney was in on it. Was Ney's betrayal of Louis XVIII foreordained? Was the iron cage comment high theater?
Freemasons plays
Well, I imagine Bernadotte also mentioned in his notes to Ney that it was nothing personal, and Bernadotte was only doing his duty as the new King of Sweden. Remember Bernadotte was both Ney's mentor and friend.
@@henriray1440 Oh for sure. What I was getting at was that Bernadotte was playing a very clever game that the other Allies were oblivious to. Bernadotte was trying to separate the Marshals from Napoleon by feeding their doubts, and flattering their egos. His correspondence with Ney is an example of that, as is his messages to Davout in Hamburg. He also communicated with Murat, who was also a close friend.
Not only was Bernadotte trying to get the Marshals to force Napoleon to make peace to spare France invasion, something Bernadotte was trying to avoid, but he was also trying to separate the French people from Bonaparte, as well as sounding them out to the possibility of removing Napoleon and replacing him with Bernadotte as king. We take subversion of the will to fight, and other PSYOPS methods for granted now, but they were new concepts then. It is my belief that the doubts he helped sow in 1813 bore fruit in 1814.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 So quite literally, Bernadotte was singling out Napoleon and individually targeting his marshals with notes, parchment, and convincing writing.
@@henriray1440 yes, and it was obvious to many that the cause of France and Napoleon were not necessarily exclusive by 1813. Something Ney had realized on his own. Bernadotte preyed upon these doubts in the hopes that the Marshals might force Napoleon to accept a negotiated peace. Bernadotte was in a unique position: He knew Napoleon's heart from direct personal experience, and he knew what the Allies had in mind, as well as their antipathy for Napoleon. He knew that if Napoleon did not make peace the Allies would invade France and remove him from power and reverse all the gains of the Revolution. Bernadotte in particular did not want the Allies to invade France. He wanted France to retain her natural frontiers and this was possible up until the invasion in December 1813. A Bourbon restoration was to be avoided.
And he was right. That is why he tried to convince Ney especially, on account of their friendship, but also due to Ney's popularity, to make Napoleon see reality. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Marshals did not impose their will until far too late.
Had Ney, and the others, forced Napoleon's hand, perhaps he would have accepted the Frankfurt proposals.
dropped everything immediately and got comfy as soon as I saw the title
I can see why. (This was a really good one)
Out here in Texas. My power just came back on AND there’s a new Epic History video? Today is looking up!
Stay safe!
Same!!
I hear you guys are going through hell out there. Stay warm stay safe you and your family. I'm glad you have power.
@@kennethknoppik5408 thank you so much Kenneth. I am safe and sound, and hoping the same for those worse off than me at this time.
That good to hear bro hopefully everyone power will be on soon I know it's hard for everybody especially the kids and elderly, try to keep warm and stay safe take care and take it easy.
Very impressed by Suchet. He seems to have been a great man, who strived to be humane and competent, even in the worst situations and posts.
Suchet seems like an inspiration for Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars. Intelligence, administrative capabilities, deep interpersonal skills, immensely capable on the battlefield.
I thought Davout would have had that distinction.
@@andrewnlarsen well it depends. Davout was more severe than what Thrawn would have done & unlike Davout, the imperial forces liked Thrawn more as their commander and respected/loved him more, and unlike Suchet with administrative capabilities, Thrawn lacked in some regard. He's basically the Hannibal and Sun Tzu of Star Wars who knew every aspect of military science yet was still limited in geopolitical politics.
This was truly an age of heroes , when men were more afraid of losing their honor than their lives , Men like Ney deserve to go to heaven just for their courage honor and love for his country. Even when face to face with death , this titan did not flinch, even ordering the squad to fire , men like these would make any country proud
It would seem that his decisions led to most of his men getting killed eventually, great generals rarely make for great men. Admiring tactics is one thing, but understand, he forced Napoleon to abdicate, but then immediately endorsed his return, which led to more deaths and exposed his legacy to late field failures. Admire, do not deify.
@@jamesdykes517 Says James
@@gamedevyoutube3.030 was anything in my statement incorrect. Ney's impetuousness had negative repercussions many times. Rather than sticking to his oath he joined Napoleon furthering the conflict in Europe. This led to more deaths. At Waterloo he was an abject failure, this tarnished his legacy. So please. Tell me where I was WRONG about a damn thing I said keyboard warrior.
Tsar Alexander: "I have an army."
Napoleon: "I have a Michel Ney."
Ney was the one man Thanos feared
Dont forget the other 23 other marshals
I was surprised Ney live pass his 30’s as a hussar because they don’t usually live pass it.
Oh I get it’s your fault he got Executed
@@romanStillmatic no , I'll take that credit
How's Moscow this time of year, ol' Boney?
Good reference to that famous Antoine de Lasalle quote 🤝
Ahhh, Lasalle
If one manages to conquer the hearts of people of the country that are in open nationwide rebellion against your occupation......well, that's a dammed good job Suchet!
your general belisarius did it well
@@generaljeanmoreau6853 Yeah, I know. He is a great general. Great friend too.
I swear the words and music for Marshal Ney inspired me.
Yeah, what was the music at 19:10?
@@awsomeness100000 Viking by Joseph Heath.
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide - Napoleon Bonaparte
IMO, Suchet is such a Underrated Commander, that even though that his fellow marshalls looted Spain, he choose to instead Leave the Civilians alone, and in turn respect him, such a marshall that I take good interest in
If all Marshals were like Suchet. The British would have been expelled after burning the first crop field.
A small anecdote: two infantry regiments of the Portuguese legion were in Ney's corp at Vitebsk, Smolensk, Borodino, Krasny during the breakout and retreat of Ney's rear guard; Portuguese remains were found in mass graves meant for battle casualties around Krasny. A testament to the brutal fighting, and Ney's obstinance. The Portuguese, for their part, earned their legions of honour and, more importantly, Ney's praise, while having earned Oudinot's and Napoleon's praise and awards in the German campaign and battle of Wagram. Davout was also a fan, hosting dinners for Austrian nobility soon after Wagram and presenting some Portuguese officers as the "brave Portuguese of legends"; something that seemed to entertain the Austrian noble women...don't ask me why.
Me:How could this be any better
Epic History:Manga Marshals
Me:Il take your entire stock.
Murat looks exactly like how "handsome historical french officers" are drawn in mangas lol.
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebs
Can you imagine if they turned this story with these characters into a manga, and if they where able to get the guy that did vagabond to do it oh my goodness it would easily be a masterpiece.
@@rdf4315 Could be lit. Like they did with "kingdom" particularly season 3 of kingdom.
@@deciphertwentythree7726 oh love kingdom that my third favorite manga of all time, but I don't know much about the anime is it a true adaptation of the manga or does it take the berserk route ?
Michel Ney made me feel proud of being French, and I'm not even French.
I knew Lannes would be one of the top 3! Guess I shall have to wait. Another spectacular video, Epic History!
Lannes and Davout for sure
@@cheriefsadeksadek2108 Berthier, Davout, Lannes is the only top 3 that could be expected. 3 geniuses, especially Davout and Lannes who both deserve Top 1
Ney and Jomini were a formidable duo, the impetuosity of the former being kept in check by the analytical thinking of the latter.
Jomini’s feud with Berthier made him defect to the Tsar the day before his long awaited promotion to general of division was confirmed in 1813.
Jomini’s presence at Quatre-Bras could have prevented Ney’s blunders…
I can't believe this content is free
I want that picture of Ney shouldering a musket on my wall now
allposters.com has a great version. Search "Ney supporting the rear guard"; I just ordered mine!
I've got it
@@markcrouch9047 Where did you buy yours from?
@@yrsjhydjmdhyt my mrs got it for xmas for me lol you can find it online
@@markcrouch9047 Your mrs is a keeper! :) I found it online as well; just curious if there was a better site.
Legend says Neys balls are preserved and analysed to this day in hope to find the source of his courage.
Ney truly bravest of the brave
I know right terrifying bravery at his Fight In Kasny in russia they were only 6000 against 60000 he saved thousands of stragglers too
It is interesting seeing the mentor/mentee relationships in the Marshalate. Soult's mentor was Lefebvre, Ney's mentor was Bernadotte. All four became marshals. Desaix would have been made a Marshal had he survived Marengo, his mentee was a young Nicholas Davout.
These relationships survived the Empire. Following Ney's execution, Bernadotte made Ney's son Aide-de-Camp to Crown Prince Oscar.
Ney' s another famous mentor was Kleber, who was the first to see Ney capabilities in term of modern warfare.
They say the French Revolution paved the way for the Napoleonic Wars. Little did they know it would pave the way for EpicHistory TV
Napoleon: “Okay guys, here’s the plan. Murat, right flank, hard & fast. Ney, along the high road & wait for my command. & Soult? Smash.”
Man, you are gonna make me suffer for the last part? I wass missing this for a long time. And the storytelling superb it moved me to tears in Ney's part!
The biography's description of Ney is truely exceptional, very well done . Despite his blunders at a strategical level, he was the saw of the army. Thanks to put in perspective the situation for him and his relatives during the first restauration.
He was the embodiment of an antics titan.
Since we all like these epic quotes:
Napoleon about General Dominique Vandamme.
"If I had two of you, the only solution would be to have one hang the other"
and
"If I had to march on Hell, I would give that man command of the vanguard."
Tragedy in how he was treated in the end ! Someone should make a movie on Ney ! A truely remarkable man !
A victim of the circumstances. When more pragmatics commanders tend to rule space he will rule time because of his spirit.
Comprenne qui pourra.
Amen!
Today is a glorious day we have Part 5 of Napoleon’s Marshals!
I agree (100%)
I fought a hundred battles for France... and not one against her..
I'm curious of what Wellington thought of Suchet. He once said he couldn't sleep easy with Massena around, and he told Soult he finally "caught" him at a state dinner.
Oh and for some reason, regarding Ney's "last man out of Russia" story, I always imagine him firing one last pistol shot across the pontoon bridge and shouting a final curse at the Russians before crossing.
I admire your imagination. I was thinking they blow up the bridge and he was walking as it exploded behind him.
@@xyrisejoss7144 Hah, now I'm imagining Guile's theme blasting in the background as he does so...
And while we're at it, somehow I see him returning to Napoleon after the first breakout and simply collapsing on the ground, while Davout (a personal friend of his) screams, "Get this man a bed! Any will do after what he's been through!"
Suchet knew that it didn’t take much kindness to be better liked than the British. Unfortunately, the other Marshals in Spain didn’t understand this
My opinion of Ney has greatly increased after this video. His actions in Russia were of the highest caliber. A man of courage and principle. I find it hard to blame him entirely for the 100 days Campaign; there were thousands of other factors that led to Napoleon's defeat.
A man that yells fire to his own firing squad sets in stone his tittle of "Bravest of the Brave"
At last, my napoleonic thirst has been quenched
A series on Julius Caesar and Ancient Rome after Napoleon would be good.
The man who played Ney in the Waterloo movie is actually a descendant of his
Really?
@@emmanuelfernandez04 he’s not. Dan O'Herlihy is Irish
@@yrsjhydjmdhyt oh, ok, thank you
@@yrsjhydjmdhyt there was a marshal Kellerman, people can have ancestors from different kingdoms
@@yrsjhydjmdhyt he is, Ney was French but from the Rhine River area where they spoke German. He man is related but it’s been 150 years between Napoleon and filming
My god, such an outstanding work! Ney's legacy is so well told than it make me thrill. What a legend, He really represents this French spirit from French knights to poilus: brave, great warrior but sometimes undisciplined and not pragmatic. thanks for this new great episode!
Always knew that Lannes for his calculated aggression & Davout for the iron discipline would have been among top 3.
But expected Massena for his exploits (except fiasco at Portugal) or Suchet for his brilliant administrative skills, despite knowing that Berthier was great at his organizing job.
Overall, the spectacular job done by Epic History TV is always commendable.
I respect you for your presentation, minute details and also the ranking (I believe that you'll have great explanations for the TOP 3).
I can only say that... Masterpiece.
This video is EXACTLY the content that I've been looking for, all these years on TH-cam.
Amen!
In my head, number one goes to Marshal Davout.
However...
In my heart, number one goes to Marshal Ney.
Marshall Ney is one of my favorites along with Davout, Lannes and Masena. He fought like a man and died like one too.
Before watching this video, all I knew about Ney was his blunders at Waterloo, and wrote him off as nobody noteworthy.
After this video, I realised what an incredible figure he was.
"I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her."
First of all, thanks for translating these videos into Turkish regardless of what happens, I wish you success in your work.
Man, when you are such a benevolent occupier that the former subjects of your occupancy hold a mass for you after your death YEARS after you were kicked out, you know you did something right.
Very true!
They formed square, AND. KEPT. MOVING!
Terrifying bravery
If the Russians had canister shot at their square, moving or not, than...no more breakthrough.
@@mulapare2593 And they did but they failed to do anything..m
@@Hope-om1kc Watch the video about the 1825 Revolution by Epic History Tv, also a Russian film made about this particular event, where the artillery's cannister shot blew those squares apart. Hint to Hope: the reason behind naming the Red Square, sure you figured it out why it's Red and not Blue😁🎀
@@mulapare2593 ur lost. This further shows the incompetence of Russian organization and backwards integration of artillery, cavalry and infantry.
18:40 onwards is why we love Epic History TV.
I got chills at this part!
@@schafer18 likewise
Truly honoring the "Epic" part of the channel name.
The part for Ney is the best. So inspiring! What a soldier, what a man!
❤
Epic History TV has once again covered parts of history in detailed, creative and distinctive manner.
I have nothing but gratitude for you and your crew. You are helping us and other EHTV fans to embrace the
interest and care for history.
Again, great job and continue like that!
The part about Ney was so epic and portrays so well Ney's character, I've never understood why there are no films or series about the Marshals, the Krasny's episode would be so epic and dramatic to watch with greats actors and a good soundtrack... :/
Couldn’t wait for this one. These guys are an amazing series of case studies. Ney and Soult alone were just the ultimate adventurers. They DID NOT disappoint given their little sliver of opportunity.
Oh come on, this is not fair. I just finished eating and everything and even set a timer to go study at 18:00 (paris time). And in that exact moment, Epic History makes a new video.
Ney is with no doubt the most inspiring general ever.
Ney, according to Clausewitz, did what his orders and his awareness at the time required of him at Quatre Bras.
My god ney's death was pretty emotional
It’s even more emotional when you discover the legend that he faked that death with blank bullets and fake blood, escaped, and lived out his days as a schoolteacher in America
Bonaparte Loyalists: Five Marshals getting Canceled.
It was both wrong and tragic. (It is NOT what he deserved from the people he protected)
Welp looks like I won't be winning a free baton lol
Join the club :)
It was excellent for me until he said: 4. Marshal Soult
:'v
33:19 there's something funny on this part..
Baresford face and soults serious looks are funny looking.
The VPN that will keep you safer than a Mameluke bodyguard has to be the best epic history ad copy yet
11:08 Not to diminish Suchet’s well-deserved evaluation by Napoleon, but the full quote is: “That is difficult to say, but it seems to me it may have been Suchet; once it was Massena, but eventually one had to consider him as virtually dead; Suchet, Clausel, and Gerard were the best French generals in my opinion.” It’s interesting Napoleon did not mention Davout! On the positive side, it is very telling that both Clausel and Gerard would eventually make it to Marshal, respectively in 1831 and 1830.