Louis-Nicolas Davout

Louis-Nicolas Davout (1770–1823) was a French general and Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon. He defeated a larger Prussian army at the Battle of Auerstedt in 1806.

Battle of Auerstedt: An 1806 battle in which French forces under Davout defeated a larger Prussian army. Davout’s victory here established his reputation as an independent battlefield commander.
Napoleon: French military and political leader who ruled as emperor from 1804 to 1814 and again in 1815. Davout served Napoleon through the Empire’s major campaigns and remained a leading marshal.
Marshal of the Empire: A high military dignity created by Napoleon in 1804 for leading generals of the French Empire. Davout received this rank in 1804, placing him among Napoleon’s senior commanders.
Napoleonic Wars: A series of conflicts from 1803 to 1815 involving Napoleonic France and shifting European coalitions. Davout’s career unfolded across these wars, from Auerstedt to the defense of Hamburg.
Battle of Eckmühl: A 1809 battle in Bavaria in which Napoleon’s forces defeated the Austrian army. Davout’s command in this campaign helped secure a major French victory over Austria.
Michel Ney: French marshal known for bold battlefield leadership during the Napoleonic Wars. Ney’s celebrated reputation contrasts with Davout’s image as a disciplined, methodical commander.
Grande Armée: The French imperial army assembled by Napoleon for campaigns across Europe. Davout’s corps operated as part of this army’s flexible command structure.
Prussian military reforms: A set of army and state reforms begun in Prussia after its defeat by Napoleon in 1806–1807. The defeat Davout helped inflict at Auerstedt formed part of the crisis that prompted reform.
Battle of Wagram: A 1809 battle in which Napoleon’s army defeated Austria near Vienna. Davout’s corps helped turn the campaign’s earlier success into victory over Austria.
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte: French marshal who became Crown Prince of Sweden and later King Charles XIV John. Bernadotte’s career diverged sharply from Davout’s continued service to Napoleon.

Linked from 4 pages