"They could have become marshals..." Topic

But they didn't.

I was just re-reading Chandler's book on the Napoleon's Marshals, and I found myself wondering about the other deserving generals who could have received the marshal's baton, only if… And a long list of "if" this is. On top of my mind:

-- Leclerc, had he survived the mission to Santo Domingo;
-- Kleber, had he survived Egypt (I can see him as a political threat to Napoleon, but, with hindsight, a marshalate could have secured his loyalty to the Emperor);
-- Desaix. had he survived Marengo.

Had Napoleon won at Waterloo, D'Erlon would have probably received his baton much sooner than 1843. Apparently, Napoleon spoke highly of Gerard and Clauzel, made marshals in 1830 and 1831, who were not the first names on top of my list. I also find intriguing that Molitor, Mouton, Reilly and Sebastiani were acknowledged years after the end of the First Empire.

Other choices are more speculative. Saint-Hilaire? (I think this was mentioned by Lejeune.) Joubert,, had not fallen victim of mental illness? Lasalle? Whose fame is equally due to his cavalry charges and to Sam Mustafa? :-) Duroc? Friant? Vandamme? What other names pop to your minds?

DestoFante

Prince Eugene de Beauharnais!
Easily (IMHO) one of the most underated Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars.

Arthur Wellseley? Didn't he and Bonaparte go to the same school?
It would be worth a try…

St. Hilaire was promised after the opening of the 1809 campaign by Napoleon, "Well you have earned your Marshal's Baton, and you shall have it!"; Unfortunately, along with Lannes, he was killed at Aspern Essling.

Desaix almost certainly would have bee one of the original Marshals had he survived Marengo.

Eugene, although definitely deserving, would not have been made a Marshal as he was already a Viceroy, and the title is really one of Nobility rather than a rank.

Kleber, I highly doubt. He made no friend of Napoleion with his actions in Egypt, despite being entitled to feeling resentment at being left behind there.

Lauriston, Reille, D'Erlon and Mouton all likely – and indeed, all of them ultimately entered the Marshalate in the post Napoleonic era. Vandamme would be a candidate, but his personality was so prickly that he might never have made the cut.

Peter

this question just keeps on turning up.

Friant and Morand

Had he survived Napoleon's excursion to Russia, Gudin.

"Eugene, although definitely deserving, would not have been made a Marshal as he was already a Viceroy, and the title is really one of Nobility rather than a rank".

Are you sure about this?
Murat was King of Napels; (thought that came AFTER he was made a Marshal).
Also, MARSHAL, wasn't actually a military rank as such, (more an aristocratic title), so the fact he was a Viceroy shouldn't preclude the "title" of Marshal, (I suspect),..

Surely all of Bonaparte's generals were so good that they all should have been Marshalls? At least, that's the impression that I get reading about how wonderful Bonaparte and his generals were…..

Trailape beat me to it. Eugene was very hard done by. St Hilaire was the big loss. I think he might have done okay.

Chouan, can I get a link to the thread where all the generals are described as 'so good'?

Another vote for Friant and Morand.

Old Bear, read any thread about Napoleon's army.

Well said Chouan!

To keep the Bonepartists here happy, a modest suugestion:

For 1815 I'd have suggested Bailly de Monthion; he would have made a much better cheif of staff, whilst not an equal of Berthier he had been trained by the Duc de Wagram. That would have freed up Soult for field command and he could have taken the left wing instead of Ney.

Now I do find it telling that the late John Elting said:

"Massena, Davout and Suchet were the masters, capable of independent missions. So, to a lesser degree were St. Cyr, Soult, and – for a while – McDonald. Lannes, had he lived, might have ranked with their best. The rest were human projectiles who required the Emperor's aim and impulse."

Swords around the Throne (p. 154-5)

So being generous, 7 out of 26 were capable of independent command.

Choaun,

Really? Any thread? I haven't seen one where one of the so-called Bonapartists has blindly made assertions of the like you suggest. In short, you are greatly exaggerating. Again, if you are able to furnish evidence to the contrary rather than wildly swinging your arms in a 'look around you' style, I'd be impressed. Bet you can't though.

Morand and Friant were wonerful division commanders, but nobody got a baton prior to commanding an army corps. For some reason, Morand and Friant never got there. It may have been Davout's unwillingness to part with them, but still . . .