I hope you enjoy the latest episode of our Napoleon's Marshals series! It's turning into another big one. Although we're still low down in the rankings, this video covers some of the biggest and most controversial names of the Napoleonic Wars, so there was plenty to cover. Don't forget to follow us on Insta, FB & Twitter for extra epic history content.
Well done for the video, Epic history Tv. But I strongly protest Bernadotte's position. A man who was interviewed by the Swedish monarch to be best suited for the position, should receive higher ranking than this. Anyway Bernadotte learned Machiavelli's teachings, and evolved himself.
I love how napoleon got these little quotes about every marshall, like yelp reviews lmao “3.5/5, good soldier, terrible marshall” “5/5, the bravest of the brave” “0/5, became swedish”
Grouchy. 2/5. Makes good horse meat but doesn't deliver to Waterloo Oudinot. 4/5. Durable. Tough. Hard wearing Murat. 4/5. Attractive with Italian flare
“ I don’t know why, but the little bastard scares me”. Marshal Augereau on first meeting General Bonaparte during the Italian campaigns. Bonaparte told him “General, you are just one head taller than me, but if you are rude to me, I will immediately eliminate this difference."😂😂
@@howardwayne3974 Dick the Butcher in Henry VI Part 2. Mind you, he wrote this line before the advent of the telephone and clod callers, so I suggest that lawyers should be killed second.
According to the artillery officers inspecting the home made weapon, the assassin could have killed up to 200 people if he had known more about designing weapons and artillery. The weapon is called 'the infernal machine' and had 25 rifle barrels, firing over 400 bullets. Look it up. It was as though a line of musketeers had fired, suddenly it was raining bullets. Pretty bizarre stuff.
The thing with Marmont was that nobody ever really trusted him again. The Duke d'Angoulême even put the following incredibly pointed question to him: "Will you betray us, as you betrayed him?"
...and these guys are the BOTTOM half of the list. Like, you go from random soldier to King of Sweden, with your family on the throne 200+ years later... ...and that doesn't get you into the top half of the list! :0
Hm I gather the ranking was regarding their performance as Marshals. As to historical significance I can't see any of them comparing to Bernadotte. You can even argue his legacy is greater then Napoleon's himself.
@@EK-gr9gd I note above but Bernadotte's record in battle is exceptional. He is the only general to have defeated troops of at least Corps strength, of every major power: Austria, Prussia, Russia, England and Russia. He defeated Archduke Charles, Blucher, Bennigsen, Oudinot and Ney. And of course Napoleon at Leipzig.
Losing your 14th and last child in the retreat from Russia, then leading the old guard (some of whom had their own sons in the army) from the front when they saw action most in France. Francois Joseph Lefebvre was made from different stuff.
@@alino5469 I don't see your point. They're fighting for a meaningless cause. Working hard for a pointless cause is a waste of effort and life. Also they didn't fight next to the emperor. they commanded men and were sent to wherever they were sent.
RUclips isn´t short of good history channels. They just are outnumbered by the others and take more time for their fewer but better videos. But of course it is a niche interest containing lots of niche topics and special interests which in turn may be somewhat harder to come by.
I wasn't expecting to find this series as enthralling as your other videos, but your excellent voicework, art, scripts, music AND LITERALLY EVERYTHING is so perfect it's just as fantastic as your other videos.
During the July Revolution in 1830, after Marmont failed to suppress the uprising, Charles X ordered him under arrest, saying, "Will you betray us, as you betrayed him?" Marmont went with the king into exile and forfeited his marshalate. Derived from his title, the Duke of Ragusa, the verb _raguser_ in French came to mean "to betray". While he was an old man living in Venice, little children would shout after him in the street: "There goes the man who betrayed Napoleon!" He died there in 1852, the last surviving Marshal of Napoleon.
It's a bit more complicated than that, I think. Marmont was one of the few people who were with Napoleon from the start of his career all the way until the first abdication. Napoleon considered him a friend (and only gave him the baton because of that) and Marmont went willingly to every campaign and battle he was sent to. Marmont saw how much his friend changed from the young artillery general in Italy leading a dispirited army to glory, to a deluded Emperor of France leading his dying empire to slaughter, battle after battle. At some point Marmont must have seen the futility of continuing to fight the Coalition when France's armies were out of ammunition, horses, and down to raw recruits and kids- all to fight for Napoleon's throne. What exactly do you do when the friend you followed everywhere from glory to hell becomes a monster?
@@MarvinT0606 To be honest, Marmont was Napoleon's oldest friend, both of whom met in 1789 older than Lannes, Duroc, Desaix, Junot, Bessieres, and Bethier, Marmont was his oldest friend. Marmont was always friendly and kind to Napoleon and followed him even when He fell from grace he followed him but over the years Napoleon's personality changed to be a more severe and hard person with his old friend for me sincerely Marmont was Napoleon's most real friend while he met the others in action or in battle Unlike Lannes Duroc and Bessieres, Marmont's friendship with Napoleon becomes colder especially on Napoleon's part despite the fact that Marmont won the Dalmatian campaign and gives the best of himself Napoleon after Wagram interrogates and criticizes him harshly for two hours for being slow without taking into account that Marmont had a much smaller army than the one he faced and even so he was able to defeat his opponents squeezed by experience, he returns to his personal store and is surprised to be named Marshal, however Napoleon shows a great coldness to his friend when he said "between us, you still haven't done enough to fully justify my choice" even though marmont had done a lot to be appointed marshal there marmont realizes battle after battle that napoleon has changed a lot From being the young man who knew as a friend to a man who treated him more like a subordinate, Marmont saw that Napoleon was no longer his friend but rather his assistant who He guided the orders he gave him and despite that he continued to serve him as loyally and skillfully as he could but when he saw the remains of the Russian army, the traumatic sight of how that army was annihilated in Russia and a few returned made Marmont think that Napoleon was sacrificing lives in great quantity to maintain his power and in the end when he saw what was once the Napoleonic army to an army made up of young men sent to their death, he morally destroyed Marmont and saw that already the war would not be more that a bloodbath and unnecessary death and trying to avoid the inevitable frankly marmont is in a way a traitor but being in his position and seeing the situation and a lost cause that you would have done honestly this is what napoleon might have written if he knew what marmont thought of him "Honestly. Marmont was my oldest friend, older than Lannes, Duroc, Desaix, Bessieres, and Bethier, he was the only person who was with me since the beginning of my career even when I fell from grace he followed me willingly and I help, and instead over the years I treated him in a cold way and as a subordinate that as the friend that he was for me. Sadly I realize that I lost the friend who was with me from the beginning and followed me " Napoleon I
Yes he was, and a fun fact: Lefebre wife was a political friend and buddy of Napoleon, and her nickname Sans-Gene actually was because her wil to do what it will be nesecary, but, that nickname was given after the Napoleonic era, as during the Napoleonic era that was the nickname of a Female General of Napoleon guard, Marie-Therese Figueur.
Speaking of his wife who was a regimental washerwoman, apparently when Lefebvre was made into a duke, she told all the soldier grunts who were practically sons to her "look at me, I'm a duchess now" sarcastically. Blue collar folks both of them.
@@neieduardodepaula4556 Funny you would say that, when 99% of 57 year olds (and under that age, including you) nowadays would not survive such a MILITARY march.
@@GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser Agree. I'm a fit 50 year old with all the health benefits of the modern age and i doubt i could do that under those conditions. Freezing, starving, an enemy after my blood over frozen ground in a blizzard. Lefebvre was tough.
Marshal Ney is generally considered the favourite of many of us Brits with an interest in the period, due to his bravery and recklessness being something akin to what we tend to admire in our own tragic yet heroic figures. And he is certainly my own favourite. Soult is a close second. But this Lefebvre chap is making a very strong case.
Well, Ney oposed the British many times maybe that is why, the same with Soult, but Lefebre don't howhever, here is a fact who is ignored in the video, Lefebre wife was a political friend and buddy of Napoleon, and her nickname Sans-Gene actually was because her wil to do what it will be nesecary, but, that nickname was given after the Napoleonic era, as during the Napoleonic era that was the nickname of a Female General of Napoleon guard, Marie-Therese Figueur.
@@AtheAetheling it's interesting though, they say Wellington got along well with Massena after the wars but not so much with Soult. Massena famously pointed to his grey hair when he met Wellington and jokingly said "you turned every hair on my body grey"
Say what you want about Bernadotte, but the guy has one of the most incredible life stories in history. From a family in the lower Third Estate to King of Sweden, founder of a dynasty that has endured to this day. What a life, truly.
Bernadotte, out of Napoleon's 26 Marshals, had the sweetest deal by becoming Crown Prince and then King of Sweden in 1818, establishing a lasting legacy to this day. When the sixth coalition was formed in 1813 and Sweden joined, the Allies must have been shitting themselves because, for once, someone who knew Napoleon inside and out.
@@joshuagrover795 Bernadotte was actually the one who put the 6th Coalition together. He offered the olive branch to Russia after Napoleon invaded Russia. Bernadotte than brought Britain and Russia together who had been at war with each other.
I have to disagree. What kind of man declares war on his own country unprovoked and then kills his genome countrymen on the battlefield. He was a power hungry backstabber.
How did you comment one day ago when this video says it was released 35 minutes ago lol? I know those times aren't always accurate but I've never seen it be off by an entire day.
Yeah, one of my dream to become a filmmaker and an epic of his life. The tale is wonderous, and unlike the French Emperor ended in success. 1st part: Royal Marine in Corsica and Revolutionary France, Antagonist: boredom and a mob, Allies: his troops and boss. 2nd Part: Revolutionary General in Germany and Italy, Allies: Bonapartes, Ney. Enemy: Prince Charles and French Looters. 3rd: Poitician of the Republic. Allies: Joseph Bonaparts and loyal republicans. Enemies: Austrian Mob, Napoleon Spies, and the shadow of Talleyrand and Fouche . 4th: Marshal of the Empire, Enemies: Berthier, Davout, Blucher. 5th: Winner of the heart of Saxons and Swedes. Enemies: Charles and Napoleon. 6th: Liberator of Germany and Conqueror of Norway. Enemies: Prussian Generals, Austrian Politicians, English Ambassadors, Denmark Army, Norwegian freedom fighters and the greatest general in the era.
The Napoleonic era deserves its own 8-9 season top production show. It seems too entertaining to be reality, almost too good to be true from a literary standpoint.
Another very good video. France had an exceptional generation of brillant soldiers and officers. I would love videos on the wars of the revolution, the reforms of Carnot (the divisional system), the reforms of the artillery with the creation of the École Polytechnique, the creation of the Imperial Special Military School (Saint Cyr) for the training of the future officers, the way of leading the war, the conscription, and of course the different battles.... Basically in 20 years, France has just invented the organisation of the modern army.
True, completely true I saw a person talking in a reply of a comment, saying napoleon and marshals were very bad but then he says if the corps is system is good why wont we use it.
"You were supposed to destroy the Allies, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to Europe, order to France! You were my marshal, Bernadotte. And I loved you!" Napoleon in a letter to Bernadotte, 1813
Napoleon forgot to remember Bernadotte's promise to his adopted country, Sweden, that he would defend Swedish interests vigorously and through perhaps cynical Bernadotte was true to his word to the end.
My god its finally here Been waiting on this one Can't wait to get off work, get home, lay down on the couch and chill to this outstanding docu vid. Keep up the great work for it is most appreciated
Until his last days in Venice Marmont was constantly bullied in the streets for his betrayal..even the little children exclaimed: "There goes the man who betrayed his Emperor"
Thank you thank you thank you! I’m a huge military history person and watching these has made me relive my younger child years when I would spend hours at my local library reading as many Napoleon books I could get my hands on. What a great series! Keep up the great work. Truly a time machine.
Bernadotte was definitely shrewd throughout his career and an underrated Marshal (raising faster in the ranks than Napoleon) among his military achievements, and despite his lack of action at the previous battle of Jena-Auerstedt in October 1806 his I Corps routed the Prussian reserve at Halle eleven days later and played a major role in the siege of Lübeck in 1806. On the Allies' side, Bernadotte significant role was the drafting and implementation of the Trachenberg Plan that contributed to Napoleon eventual defeat
I'm glad you haven't listed Oudinot yet. He's too often neglected by history. I remember reading that, while every soldier knew Davout was the Iron Marshal, all respected Oudinot even more as the Cheese Marshal, as he was full of holes. The man was shot, stabbed or sabered 34 times, for the love of everything unholy.
I love Oudinot, even if he wasn't the same man after 1812. He loved getting in fights and dueling. No one ever talked back to him because he put so many men into the ground with his sword.
At 17:00 you mention the uprising in Tirol/Tyrol lead by Andreas Hofer. Which I especially enjoy because I am his great great great grandson. Andreas Hofer is still seen as a freedom fighter and a hero in Tirol to this very day. Amazing video as always! Thank you!
It can be said that Marshal Bernadotte has the last laugh...as the Swedish Royal Family still exists to this day. Seriously though, thank you guys for this Epic video!!! Watching your series has always been one of my favorite things to do to relax. Excited for Part 3!! (And hoping you guys create a series of Napoleon's early victories!)
I always felt that comment about Mortier being "feeble" was quite harsh - he certainly wasn't a Davout (who was?) and lacked authority during his later political career but in an army with so many ego's he was valiant, modest, cooperative and always utterly loyal/ dependable with notable successes to his name. Its rather apt that his last words before being shot down were "My place is here, beside the king and among the Marshals my brothers in arms"
To be honest I'd love to know the context of that "feeble". It could have various meanings. Knowing Napoleon and how much he preferred his "all-out-attack-generals", Mortier might have just been a bit more cautious and less decision-happy in discussions about tactics and battle plans, giving him a feeble-minded reputation with Napoleon? Just guessing but I think the "feeble" really needs some explanation like that.
@@catriona_drummond In fairness you raise a very good point there, it could be aimed at about anything - mental ability, ambition etc etc. I've seen it before and interpreted it as a general summary, which of course could be wrong.
This is true. All the marshals had a role like players in a sports team. Even of Ney Napoleon said "there's a spot in every army for someone like him but only one spot."
By all accounts the Big Mortar was regarded as the friendliest and most down to earth of all the Marshals. He had a total lack of jealousy and was always happy to cooperate (a rare trait in the marshalate) and was a master at leading infantry attacks, especially in 1813 - 14 when he commanded the Young Guard.
I wonder if there ever was a high military command with members as diverse in social origins, age, political opinions and style of commanding in History.
@@TheFiresloth Hoche resumed his political carear during Napoleon, but Moreau, was more jealous of Napoleon than Marmont or Bernadotte, and he was a traitor to the revolution, instead i would ad Dugomier,
I feel like there should be a series dedicated to Bernadotte and how he did as both Marshal of France and King of Sweden. It'd add something rather interesting to Epic History, focusing on a man with a rather colourful history unlike any other.
I very dissapointed that bernadotte is not one of the ten, he was one of the best generals of the revolucionary wars and napoleonic wars, he made the hell to chsrles in The samble and mouse, and defeat him in italy, bernadotte was in the end the downfall of napoleon in leipzig
Don’t be too hard on Marmont for surrendering. The war was irreversibly lost by 1814; he saved Paris from bombardment and many French from pointless deaths. In the closing months of WW2, a Walther Wenck disobeyed orders to counterattack the Russians and drive them from Berlin. His 12th Army fought eastwards to recover civilians and other troops encircled by the enemy, and marched them west to surrender to the Western Allies. "Comrades, you've got to go in once more," Wenck said. "It's not about Berlin any more, it's not about the Reich any more." He mandated that 12th Army’s task was to simply save people from the fighting and the Russians. Marmont should at least be praised for negotiating Paris’ surrender.
Honestly, I think people who mock those who surrender are just armchair generals who have no idea what war is. Sometimes its honestly the best thing to do. Sometimes retreating is the best thing to do.
He pulled a Philipe Petain rather than a Wenck, and if he was so worried about lives, Why he was so bloody while repressing the 1830 revolution in the name of the bourbons?
After Surrendering I guarantee you every one of his army and Wench himself wished they counterattacked the Russians. They fought for more than just their own lives, their own country or their own continent. They fought for the preservation of Europe itself against the savage barbarity of the bolshevik hordes and even till this day we're suffering as a result of that defeat in WW2.
Honestly I admire those who surrender to save lives and fight another day.But marmont case is different...there is no word to describe his action except betrayal.he exclusively negotiated to dethrone bonaparte family while it was possible for napoleon to abdicate for his son.
Great video! Lefebvre and Bernadotte's stories were pretty incredible. I'm excited for the second half of the video with the really big names like Ney, Soult, and Davout.
20 years ago in school... i hand waved napoleon and french revolution, jean val jean ect ect away because i was young and narrow minded and because me no likey the french so much.. but my god EpicHistory.... i've watched re-watched your 1-6 parts on napoleons rise and the 1-6 part napoleon in russia like 3 times *EACH* its fascinating .. thank you
I've always liked studying French since middle school, and the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era have inspired me a lot. I've even joined the military in part due to that.
I feel like Bernadotte was the biggest winner. He rose quickly through the ranks, flourished in different posts, had a reputation for discipline and honour, was always on the winning side of the war, got to found an enduring dynasty AND lived to the ripe old age of 81 when he died of natural causes. Major Ws in my book
Bernadotte was definitely shrewd in his career. I won't call him a traitor of Napoleon. Heck, Bernadotte, before the First Empire rose faster in the ranks than Napoleon. The Sweds certainly must have seen qualities in Bernadotte, and Napoleon didn't stop him from becoming Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810, so their must have been slightly mutual respect between the two generals But out of the 28 Marshals, his legacy was the most impressive and endoring of forging a dynasty that exists to this day.
I've been waiting for this video since the second part 1 was released. Thank you so much for all the amazing content! I've been doing nothing but working from home and watching my favorite educational RUclips channels during Covid. I've watched every single video on your channel at least once and am working on a second time.
Here is my top 10 and why : 1 : Davout, not much to say about him, never lost a battle and he defeated the main prussian army with his 3th corps without support. 2 : Suchet, underrated marshal, the only one who won his baton in Spain, he was succesfull where most of the others marshals were not. 3 : Lannes, brave, good commander, he was one of the reasons why Friedland was a decisive victory and not just a victory. Like Davout at Auerstaedt, he was able to defeat a Russian army of 45.000 with his 5th corps. 4 : Murat, best cavalry general of europe, he was decisive at Marengo, Eylau and Borodino. 5 : Masséna, pretty good during the revolution (especially during the 2nd battle of Zurich) but not that much during the empire, he was defeated in Spain and even Napoleon said to him : "So, Prince of Essling, you are no longer Masséna." 6 : Ney, the bravest of the brave, he made some mistakes (the cavalry charge at Waterloo and the attack of the 6th corps at Jena for example) but was decisive in his rearguard actions in Russia and Spain. He saved Napoleon and Massena's armies in these campaigns. 7 : Poniatowski, was able to win a strategic victory against the Austrians in 1809. He was leading the Polish army in the Russian campaign and in Germany where he was sadly killed at Leipzig. 8 : Soult, good corps commander, not a great army commander. He was decisive with his 4th corps at Austerlitz. He was able to defeat some Spanish and Portuguese armies in Spain or Portugal but lost to the British. Also a bad chief of staff. 9 : Oudinot, really good with his grenadiers divisions during the early years of the empire. He saved the French army at the Berezina and his attacks at Wagram contributed to the victory. He lost some battles in Germany in 1813 and, with Ney, failled to take Berlin. 10 : Victor (a hard choice between him or Macdonald), also underrated, he repulsed the Russians at the Berezina and contributed to the victory at Dresden. Despite his slow progress at Montereau, he contributed to the victories at Mormant and Brienne.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 It was with the swedish/allied armies. My post was about French marshals with French troops and to be fair, Bernadotte wasn't that good as a French marshal, Auerstaed is the best example.
@@Kevin-jr7qm Well, I don't want to hijiack your thread. Sorry. That said, he was still quite formidable. J-A way overstated, Bernadotte actually followed his orders, and Davout running into the main Prussian Army was Napoleon's mistake. The Wiki page has a good write up on what occurred that day. Most every Marshal on your list made mistakes as big, some bigger. But don't overlook battles like Halle, Lubeck, Mohrengun. Good list!
I'd go and say Suchet was Napoleon's Duke of Wellington. Cautious, far-sighted, and understands the underlying factors present in a country up in arms against foreign occupiers, but decisive when going on the offensive. Among the marshals I'd rank him as the best independent commander who could run his own theater of operations (which he did so well, even as French forces gradually evacuated Spain).
I must say, my views regarding Bernadotte, Lefebvre and Mortier have been entirely wrong! They were all men of admirable character and good examples to their men!
Bernadotte and Napoleon are two men cut from the same cloth, that's why they could never work well together or see eye-to-eye. Both men had the drive and ambition for power. Bernadotte, like Napoleon, was no man's subordinate- and it chafed him during his service to the latter. I think Napoleon let him go to Sweden on purpose because he'd rather have Bernadotte become an enemy from without than an enemy from within- which would have destroyed his regime from the inside much faster than any Coalition army could.
@@MarvinT0606 The last part is a bit wrong. Despite the facts that Bernadotte is known as an unwilling subordinate, his power seemed to be waned by then. Fouche thought of him as a replacement for Napoleon after Wagram but Bernadotte did not took the opportunity. Throughout service under Napoleon, he always was given command of foreign troops and original corp is shuffled so much, their loyalty would not be as strong as when Napoleon was making his coup. His only real power, if any, was that the Marshalate is full of his friends. Sweden is backwater state in those days. Napoleon is master of Europe. He did not that Bernadotte actually competent enough to challenge him. Napoleon looked down on all his marshals or everyone for that matter. It is more of a rash decision, when he shout "Go and let our destinies be fulfilled,
Excellent video as always! Amazing detail! Such a wonderfully well done piece on some important and glorious soldiers. Let's see how much hate Bernadotte (and Marmont) gets this time.
I was court binging on the Napoleon series at work this past Thursday....The entire office decided to stop work 2 hours early and we all ended up watching. Your content is absolutely brilliant!!!
Ah! Finally Bernadotte 🇸🇪. I suspected he would not be to high up on the list. As said in the video he was not a great marshal, but what a carrier he had from common soldier to king!!! Remember reading about him in school. When he was first approached by the Swedes to become king, he did not believe it. He thought it might be a loyalty test from Napoleon!!!
Offered the throne by a young lieutenant with no authority to do so. Everyone thought it was absurd until they thought about it, and then it made perfect sense.
Our great great king really kept his word on swedish interests, all battles he commanded he made sure the swedish portions were never on places where they could take heavy losses instead using swedish artillery for the most and letting the other troops from the other nations under his command to do most of the dying.
Bernadotte gets a lot of grief from Prussian fanboys. Reading Leggiere one would think Bernadotte was the anti-christ. People bash him for doing the very thing all the other nations were doing: protecting their interests.
@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 I don't know why people slander Bernadotte so much about changing sides for example in 1813 or not supporting Napoleon when he become Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810 because Napoleon actually gave Bernadotte his blessing with Sweden and Bern had made it crystal clear to Napoleon before leaving that he was going to defend his adopted nation's interests above anything else. Throughout his reign Napoleon's own brothers in Holland, (Louis) and Jérôme, (Westphalia) had also followed their own policies and ways that often undermined/differed from Napoleon's policies such as Louis half-heartly imposing the Continental System. So not being Napoleon's puppet or following his policies was nothing that usually.
Lefebrve is probably the most impressive martial I think we have seen so far His quote about the musket reminds me of how George Washington said he preferred bullets flying over his head in battle to silence
And didn’t get into petty squabbles with his fellow marshals, generals or Napoleon I, He was focused on the mission at hand and left his personal opinions at the door. That’s something especially when you have the highest rank in the military at the time
And in case you don’t know, There’s a rank which is higher than Marshal Of The Empire, It’s called Marshal General of France; Mortier’s friend Jean-de-Dieu Soult received the title in 1847; The sad part is that Mortier never got to see the ceremony, He was killed 12 years before protecting King Louis Philippe I, He was the one who authorized Soult’s promotion by the way
Marshal Mortier out of Napoleon's 26 Marshals was personally the most down to earth and likeable personality of having friendly relations with all his colleagues and willing to work toward a bigger goal. His record wasn't glamorous like Marshal Davout or Ney, but fairly good.
They said they were only accepting the service while they were Marshals. Bernadotte's career from 1804-1810 was not his best for several reasons (Berthier sabotaging him) including the rivalry with Napoleon. Of course, when one takes the totality of the careers of all the marshals, before and after Napoleon, Bernadotte is easily the most accomplished and with the greatest legacy.
Got give credit to Napoleon in pairing Lefebvre with the Old Guard. His enlisted experience was with infantry of that caliber and as a officer served many vanguards leading from the front. After 30 years of going from the bottom to the top he did not want a desk job. The Old Guard were of the best and would only be led by the best of the best. As always, in the retreat of Russia they were expected to set the example. Lefebvre set the Old Guard example in walking by foot at their front.
lol the quality of these videos are just amazing, it makes me smile. Fantastic job once again, can't wait for the rest. Excited as well to see what will come in the future after the Marshals series!
From watching the Napoleonic wars series I really thought Bernadotte and Marmont would be higher, and didn’t know about the conflicts and rivalries between them, very interesting
Caesar in Gaul or the Civil War, the Civil War will probably be more interesting and I think it shows more of his strategy genius, Napoleon was a student of Caesar after all.
Hannibal lost the war because the empire he was fighting for, Carthage, were a bunch of softies who werent aggressive enough and had no interest in winning a war. No reason Rome shouldve defeated them
I'd be delighted to see that as well. It would be very different. With most of caesar's battles, he himself is the only source we have regarding the tactics and whatnot. What makes the Napoleonic Wars so cool is these giant, epic battles, and the fact that we have so much detailed information from numerous sources. But Caesar was a badass.
Marmont had enormous potential in the arts of defence and manoeuvre. He was naturally defensive as he was never enthusiastic about giving battle unless he'd chosen the venue. He was also VERY intelligent as demonstrated when he governed Dalmatia, where he is still respected. His problem was that, by the time of Leipzig (where he was excellent) and the defence of France, he was exhausted, which cost him dearly. He was already prone to sloppiness when he was at his peak (Salamanca), so by 1814 he was unfit to command. He wasn't one of Napoleon's worse marshals, he was less good. 14 is more than fair given the 13 who outrank him. I just put this here to show another side of Marmont in the comments.
Yay! New video of napoleon's marshals. And truly fascinating. And now i cant wait for part 3. 👍👍☺☺ charles nove doing it well and also thanks to toby ☺☺
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I hope you enjoy the latest episode of our Napoleon's Marshals series! It's turning into another big one. Although we're still low down in the rankings, this video covers some of the biggest and most controversial names of the Napoleonic Wars, so there was plenty to cover. Don't forget to follow us on Insta, FB & Twitter for extra epic history content.
Epic History TV Hello
@@mezlekiatebebe8914 Hi
Well done for the video, Epic history Tv.
But I strongly protest Bernadotte's position.
A man who was interviewed by the Swedish monarch to be best suited for the position, should receive higher ranking than this.
Anyway Bernadotte learned Machiavelli's teachings, and evolved himself.
848 the view and 180th like
Epic History Tv, that was amazing you talked about the French Revolutionary Wars and the French Expedition to Egypt.
I love how napoleon got these little quotes about every marshall, like yelp reviews lmao
“3.5/5, good soldier, terrible marshall”
“5/5, the bravest of the brave”
“0/5, became swedish”
"Instructions unclear: I got my marshall stuck on the Swedish throne"
Except for Marshal Perignon. ):
I suppose it makes sense, seeing as he's at the bottom.
Hahaha
🤣🤣🤣👏👏 so true
The "became swedish 0/5" got me in laughter
Grouchy. 2/5. Makes good horse meat but doesn't deliver to Waterloo
Oudinot. 4/5. Durable. Tough. Hard wearing
Murat. 4/5. Attractive with Italian flare
This upload made my day!
Same!
On god day got better
Yes me too and also the tf2 scream fortress update
Same, except 19 hours later
“ I don’t know why, but the little bastard scares me”. Marshal Augereau on first meeting General Bonaparte during the Italian campaigns. Bonaparte told him “General, you are just one head taller than me, but if you are rude to me, I will immediately eliminate this difference."😂😂
That was marshal Brune
@@megasalexandros714 No, it was Massena
@@megasalexandros714 source?
@@spammer245 source?
@@haveagreatday6822 mine was guide to the napoleonic wars, it was in spanish by the way
“Yes! Let’s throw the lawyers into the river!”
Best quote ever! 🤣
I think Shakespeare said it best in one of his plays " first we'll murder all the lawyers " .
@@howardwayne3974 Dick the Butcher in Henry VI Part 2. Mind you, he wrote this line before the advent of the telephone and clod callers, so I suggest that lawyers should be killed second.
Howard Wayne No the line goes “The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers”
@@lomax343 thank you for clearing that up for me ! I can never keep it straight .
@@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730 thank you very much .
"I had a thousand bullets fired at me before I got all this"
I love that line.So very true
And a thousand others died before he got that as well
searedpanda no
searedpanda Yep, thousands among whom he was standing. How is that supposed to be shameful ?
From closer range!
"The king received a minor wound, but Marshal Morteir and 17 others were killed."
That's got to be the deadliest failed assassin in history.
It's certainly a hell of a homemade gun!
While it's just Wikipedia, it is featured on this list of terrorist attacks between 1800-1899 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents
According to the artillery officers inspecting the home made weapon, the assassin could have killed up to 200 people if he had known more about designing weapons and artillery. The weapon is called 'the infernal machine' and had 25 rifle barrels, firing over 400 bullets. Look it up. It was as though a line of musketeers had fired, suddenly it was raining bullets. Pretty bizarre stuff.
Sadly no Pablo Escobar blew up a commercial jet liner trying to assassinate the Columbian President
The thing with Marmont was that nobody ever really trusted him again. The Duke d'Angoulême even put the following incredibly pointed question to him:
"Will you betray us, as you betrayed him?"
...and these guys are the BOTTOM half of the list.
Like, you go from random soldier to King of Sweden, with your family on the throne 200+ years later...
...and that doesn't get you into the top half of the list!
:0
Hm I gather the ranking was regarding their performance as Marshals. As to historical significance I can't see any of them comparing to Bernadotte. You can even argue his legacy is greater then Napoleon's himself.
AND Norway. Don't forget Norway. Our former Sergeant Major sat on the throne of two Kingdoms. A King twice over by his own hand.
Old Nosey had beaten them all. Who dared to confront him.
@@EK-gr9gd He did have a huge beak.
And he never lost a battle when he was in command.
@@EK-gr9gd I note above but Bernadotte's record in battle is exceptional. He is the only general to have defeated troops of at least Corps strength, of every major power: Austria, Prussia, Russia, England and Russia.
He defeated Archduke Charles, Blucher, Bennigsen, Oudinot and Ney. And of course Napoleon at Leipzig.
Losing your 14th and last child in the retreat from Russia, then leading the old guard (some of whom had their own sons in the army) from the front when they saw action most in France.
Francois Joseph Lefebvre was made from different stuff.
@Ejk1924 Fighting pointless battles is not honorable. Mindless war is all they knew
@Ejk1924 being forced to fight doesn't really mean men are going to fight like badasses. Probably the opposite because they have little will to.
*built different* lol
@@skyhappy For all Napoleon's Marshalls fighting along the Emperor was a great honour and duty and they never saw it like an order.
@@alino5469 I don't see your point. They're fighting for a meaningless cause. Working hard for a pointless cause is a waste of effort and life.
Also they didn't fight next to the emperor. they commanded men and were sent to wherever they were sent.
This Channel is an oasis in the desert of RUclips content for history lovers.
@Rusty Hussler Nobody is as good a Narrator as Charles Nove.
RUclips isn´t short of good history channels. They just are outnumbered by the others and take more time for their fewer but better videos. But of course it is a niche interest containing lots of niche topics and special interests which in turn may be somewhat harder to come by.
Really? You must not be looking very hard, there is a wealth of history content if you but look.
It truly is, and I love it.
I wasn't expecting to find this series as enthralling as your other videos, but your excellent voicework, art, scripts, music AND LITERALLY EVERYTHING is so perfect it's just as fantastic as your other videos.
Thank you!
Epic History TV no, thank you. Seriously I am so grateful to be able to watch such a high quality production for free. you guys are legends
I agree. You and your team have done great work here.
I also love the niches these guys cover.
During the July Revolution in 1830, after Marmont failed to suppress the uprising, Charles X ordered him under arrest, saying, "Will you betray us, as you betrayed him?" Marmont went with the king into exile and forfeited his marshalate. Derived from his title, the Duke of Ragusa, the verb _raguser_ in French came to mean "to betray". While he was an old man living in Venice, little children would shout after him in the street: "There goes the man who betrayed Napoleon!" He died there in 1852, the last surviving Marshal of Napoleon.
You left out he was a swine.
The Duke of Betrayal
It's a bit more complicated than that, I think. Marmont was one of the few people who were with Napoleon from the start of his career all the way until the first abdication. Napoleon considered him a friend (and only gave him the baton because of that) and Marmont went willingly to every campaign and battle he was sent to. Marmont saw how much his friend changed from the young artillery general in Italy leading a dispirited army to glory, to a deluded Emperor of France leading his dying empire to slaughter, battle after battle. At some point Marmont must have seen the futility of continuing to fight the Coalition when France's armies were out of ammunition, horses, and down to raw recruits and kids- all to fight for Napoleon's throne. What exactly do you do when the friend you followed everywhere from glory to hell becomes a monster?
@@MarvinT0606 Fair point Marvin.
@@MarvinT0606 To be honest, Marmont was Napoleon's oldest friend, both of whom met in 1789 older than Lannes, Duroc, Desaix, Junot, Bessieres, and Bethier, Marmont was his oldest friend. Marmont was always friendly and kind to Napoleon and followed him even when He fell from grace he followed him but over the years Napoleon's personality changed to be a more severe and hard person with his old friend for me sincerely Marmont was Napoleon's most real friend while he met the others in action or in battle
Unlike Lannes Duroc and Bessieres, Marmont's friendship with Napoleon becomes colder especially on Napoleon's part despite the fact that Marmont won the Dalmatian campaign and gives the best of himself Napoleon after Wagram interrogates and criticizes him harshly for two hours for being slow without taking into account that Marmont had a much smaller army than the one he faced and even so he was able to defeat his opponents squeezed by experience, he returns to his personal store and is surprised to be named Marshal, however Napoleon shows a great coldness to his friend when he said "between us, you still haven't done enough to fully justify my choice" even though marmont had done a lot to be appointed marshal there marmont realizes battle after battle that napoleon has changed a lot From being the young man who knew as a friend to a man who treated him more like a subordinate, Marmont saw that Napoleon was no longer his friend but rather his assistant who He guided the orders he gave him and despite that he continued to serve him as loyally and skillfully as he could but when he saw the remains of the Russian army, the traumatic sight of how that army was annihilated in Russia and a few returned made Marmont think that Napoleon was sacrificing lives in great quantity to maintain his power and in the end when he saw what was once the Napoleonic army to an army made up of young men sent to their death, he morally destroyed Marmont and saw that already the war would not be more that a bloodbath and unnecessary death and trying to avoid the inevitable frankly marmont is in a way a traitor but being in his position and seeing the situation and a lost cause that you would have done honestly
this is what napoleon might have written if he knew what marmont thought of him
"Honestly. Marmont was my oldest friend, older than Lannes, Duroc, Desaix, Bessieres, and Bethier, he was the only person who was with me since the beginning of my career even when I fell from grace he followed me willingly and I help, and instead over the years I treated him in a cold way and as a subordinate that as the friend that he was for me. Sadly I realize that I lost the friend who was with me from the beginning and followed me "
Napoleon I
According to some sources, Lefebvre once said to an aristocrat : "you're merely an heir. Us, we will be ancestors !"
And then all of his 14 children died before him.
I think that was Soult
@@sanguiniusi8187 some might have had grandchildren before they died
This Lefebvre chap sounds like a decent gentleman
Yeah and also one of the most underrated Marshals imo
Yes he was, and a fun fact:
Lefebre wife was a political friend and buddy of Napoleon, and her nickname Sans-Gene actually was because her wil to do what it will be nesecary, but, that nickname was given after the Napoleonic era, as during the Napoleonic era that was the nickname of a Female General of Napoleon guard, Marie-Therese Figueur.
Sheer tragedy that hit him... 14 Children...
Speaking of his wife who was a regimental washerwoman, apparently when Lefebvre was made into a duke, she told all the soldier grunts who were practically sons to her "look at me, I'm a duchess now" sarcastically. Blue collar folks both of them.
Agree
Francois Joseph Lefebvre
Seem like a cool dude u will find in pubs, but damn he lost 14 kids before him.
Not just sons. He had 14 children in total. He survived all of them.
@@gaiusjuliuspleaser that's truly tough.
@@gaiusjuliuspleaser plus he was always on the front line. That is kind of insane
@@gaiusjuliuspleaser If he had 14 children in total, so this 14 children are his SONS, right?
@@neieduardodepaula4556 Last survivng 'child' of (out of) 14.
But child might also mean baby/offspring of any age.
Do NOT mess with Lefebvre Jesus Christ he marched on foot from Moscow at 57 years of age, the man was tough as nails all his career.
57 years of age is not 87 years of age
@@neieduardodepaula4556 Funny you would say that, when 99% of 57 year olds (and under that age, including you) nowadays would not survive such a MILITARY march.
@@GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser Agree. I'm a fit 50 year old with all the health benefits of the modern age and i doubt i could do that under those conditions. Freezing, starving, an enemy after my blood over frozen ground in a blizzard. Lefebvre was tough.
@@GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser As a 21 year old, im not even sure if i can march for 10 km without dying by the roadside.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Thurel
Marshal Ney is generally considered the favourite of many of us Brits with an interest in the period, due to his bravery and recklessness being something akin to what we tend to admire in our own tragic yet heroic figures. And he is certainly my own favourite. Soult is a close second.
But this Lefebvre chap is making a very strong case.
Well, Ney oposed the British many times maybe that is why, the same with Soult, but Lefebre don't howhever, here is a fact who is ignored in the video, Lefebre wife was a political friend and buddy of Napoleon, and her nickname Sans-Gene actually was because her wil to do what it will be nesecary, but, that nickname was given after the Napoleonic era, as during the Napoleonic era that was the nickname of a Female General of Napoleon guard, Marie-Therese Figueur.
@@omarbradley6807 Very true about Ney and Soult, they fought us the most so they're the most famous to us. But we still have a fondness for them!
@@AtheAetheling it's interesting though, they say Wellington got along well with Massena after the wars but not so much with Soult. Massena famously pointed to his grey hair when he met Wellington and jokingly said "you turned every hair on my body grey"
@@toochangz Hah! Wow I didn't know that! Thank you!
As french i prefer Davout
Say what you want about Bernadotte, but the guy has one of the most incredible life stories in history. From a family in the lower Third Estate to King of Sweden, founder of a dynasty that has endured to this day. What a life, truly.
@Napoléon Bonaparte Still third state. And his father died when he was very young
Bernadotte, out of Napoleon's 26 Marshals, had the sweetest deal by becoming Crown Prince and then King of Sweden in 1818, establishing a lasting legacy to this day. When the sixth coalition was formed in 1813 and Sweden joined, the Allies must have been shitting themselves because, for once, someone who knew Napoleon inside and out.
Only if you equate being third estate with being a member of the useless underclass. They're 80% of the population.
Plenty of energetic talent in it.
@@joshuagrover795 Bernadotte was actually the one who put the 6th Coalition together. He offered the olive branch to Russia after Napoleon invaded Russia. Bernadotte than brought Britain and Russia together who had been at war with each other.
I have to disagree. What kind of man declares war on his own country unprovoked and then kills his genome countrymen on the battlefield. He was a power hungry backstabber.
Superb video as always, I can't have enough of the Napoleonic era
Me too
Wanna join my Napoleonic Roblox group lmao
How did you comment one day ago when this video says it was released 35 minutes ago lol? I know those times aren't always accurate but I've never seen it be off by an entire day.
Chaos might have been because of different Time zones?
@@ChaosMongrel patreons
Damn, Bernadotte seems like someone you could make a great Amazon/HBO tv show about. 1st season France, 2nd season Sweden xD
2 season is probably not enough. 3 seasons at least. Season 2 probably would be with the season finale at Leipzig as the climax.
Yeah, one of my dream to become a filmmaker and an epic of his life. The tale is wonderous, and unlike the French Emperor ended in success. 1st part: Royal Marine in Corsica and Revolutionary France, Antagonist: boredom and a mob, Allies: his troops and boss. 2nd Part: Revolutionary General in Germany and Italy, Allies: Bonapartes, Ney. Enemy: Prince Charles and French Looters. 3rd: Poitician of the Republic. Allies: Joseph Bonaparts and loyal republicans. Enemies: Austrian Mob, Napoleon Spies, and the shadow of Talleyrand and Fouche . 4th: Marshal of the Empire, Enemies: Berthier, Davout, Blucher. 5th: Winner of the heart of Saxons and Swedes. Enemies: Charles and Napoleon. 6th: Liberator of Germany and Conqueror of Norway. Enemies: Prussian Generals, Austrian Politicians, English Ambassadors, Denmark Army, Norwegian freedom fighters and the greatest general in the era.
The Napoleonic era deserves its own 8-9 season top production show. It seems too entertaining to be reality, almost too good to be true from a literary standpoint.
Another very good video. France had an exceptional generation of brillant soldiers and officers. I would love videos on the wars of the revolution, the reforms of Carnot (the divisional system), the reforms of the artillery with the creation of the École Polytechnique, the creation of the Imperial Special Military School (Saint Cyr) for the training of the future officers, the way of leading the war, the conscription, and of course the different battles....
Basically in 20 years, France has just invented the organisation of the modern army.
I see you everywhere
True, completely true
I saw a person talking in a reply of a comment, saying napoleon and marshals were very bad but then he says if the corps is system is good why wont we use it.
Achyuthan Sanal yeah where did you find me ?
Amazigh Blue Azul - Anti Mafia - Anti ANPD Well in the comments of most history related videos
.
Lefebrev: "YES, LET'S TROW DE LAWYERS TO DE RIVER"
83 likes, vive le empereur!
That was the funniest line I've read
It's now 129 likes, @@anonymousidn777. 😉
"You were supposed to destroy the Allies, not join them! You were supposed to bring balance to Europe, order to France! You were my marshal, Bernadotte. And I loved you!"
Napoleon in a letter to Bernadotte, 1813
LOL
Actually Bernadotte joining the allies brought balance to Europe, otherwise France was overpowered
I loved you? 😂 Tf
Napoleon forgot to remember Bernadotte's promise to his adopted country, Sweden, that he would defend Swedish interests vigorously and through perhaps cynical Bernadotte was true to his word to the end.
😂
When Bernadotte becomes a sort of family member to the Bonapartes.
Napoleon: oh god, i have to see this guy at Christmas.
My god its finally here
Been waiting on this one
Can't wait to get off work, get home, lay down on the couch and chill to this outstanding docu vid.
Keep up the great work for it is most appreciated
My thoughts exactly. Hooray for the humble fans of history
Agreed
Until his last days in Venice Marmont was constantly bullied in the streets for his betrayal..even the little children exclaimed: "There goes the man who betrayed his Emperor"
Damn that hurts
Really? sourche: Just Trust me bro
@@iqbalilhemk3708
check wikipedia
he was right
@@iqbalilhemk3708 Really? Your joke: It's funny bro
Pretty sad .
Thank you thank you thank you! I’m a huge military history person and watching these has made me relive my younger child years when I would spend hours at my local library reading as many Napoleon books I could get my hands on. What a great series! Keep up the great work. Truly a time machine.
From a story perspective, I find it utterly fascinating that Marmont became the tutor of Napoleon's son.
Me every new video from Epic History TV: "I can finally die a happy man".
@Rusty Hussler Not even Corona will stop me from finishing this series.
Spoiler:
Rank 1 is Davout.
Or Jean
That would be a surprise to absolutely no one. The order of Numbers 2 to 5 is a more interesting question but Lannes has to be there.
Soult
Or ney
I think 1 to 5 are:-
1. Davout
2. Lannes
3. Ney
4. Soult
5. Between Oudinot and Victor (I think)
Bernadotte was definitely shrewd throughout his career and an underrated Marshal (raising faster in the ranks than Napoleon) among his military achievements, and despite his lack of action at the previous battle of Jena-Auerstedt in October 1806 his I Corps routed the Prussian reserve at Halle eleven days later and played a major role in the siege of Lübeck in 1806. On the Allies' side, Bernadotte significant role was the drafting and implementation of the Trachenberg Plan that contributed to Napoleon eventual defeat
Finally! Great content as always Epic History Tv!
Marmont: Friendship is tragic.
You should have known better than to drop the atomic bomb like that on him right after appointing the man.
I see you everywhere!
My friend
Marmont *did nothing wrong*
Damn Bernadotte... thanks to me, you became the King of Sweden.
Napoleon I Bonaparte why do you have to be everywhere!
@@achyuthansanal The Emperor is with us forever.
Atleast someone got to keep their throne.
The quality this channel produces is extraordinary and it amazes me I can watch better than television documentaries on a website like RUclips.
I'm glad you haven't listed Oudinot yet. He's too often neglected by history. I remember reading that, while every soldier knew Davout was the Iron Marshal, all respected Oudinot even more as the Cheese Marshal, as he was full of holes. The man was shot, stabbed or sabered 34 times, for the love of everything unholy.
I love Oudinot, even if he wasn't the same man after 1812. He loved getting in fights and dueling. No one ever talked back to him because he put so many men into the ground with his sword.
All of Davout's good company (Ney, Oudinot, St. Cyr) are great in their own way.
Another epic video. Going through your old videos has basically been my hobby during this pandemic. Eagerly looking forward to part 3
Napoleon's Marshals would be grateful for your tribute and presentation of their glorious story.
Finally, I've been waiting forever for this.
Lefebrev: "Yes, Let's throw the lawyers to the river"
Lefebrev in 1814: "Yes, Let's throw the emperor to the river"
Bourbons in 1815: Yes let’s throw Lefebvre’s baton in the river
Lefebvre*
At 17:00 you mention the uprising in Tirol/Tyrol lead by Andreas Hofer. Which I especially enjoy because I am his great great great grandson. Andreas Hofer is still seen as a freedom fighter and a hero in Tirol to this very day. Amazing video as always! Thank you!
It can be said that Marshal Bernadotte has the last laugh...as the Swedish Royal Family still exists to this day.
Seriously though, thank you guys for this Epic video!!! Watching your series has always been one of my favorite things to do to relax. Excited for Part 3!!
(And hoping you guys create a series of Napoleon's early victories!)
I always felt that comment about Mortier being "feeble" was quite harsh - he certainly wasn't a Davout (who was?) and lacked authority during his later political career but in an army with so many ego's he was valiant, modest, cooperative and always utterly loyal/ dependable with notable successes to his name. Its rather apt that his last words before being shot down were "My place is here, beside the king and among the Marshals my brothers in arms"
To be honest I'd love to know the context of that "feeble". It could have various meanings. Knowing Napoleon and how much he preferred his "all-out-attack-generals", Mortier might have just been a bit more cautious and less decision-happy in discussions about tactics and battle plans, giving him a feeble-minded reputation with Napoleon? Just guessing but I think the "feeble" really needs some explanation like that.
@@catriona_drummond In fairness you raise a very good point there, it could be aimed at about anything - mental ability, ambition etc etc. I've seen it before and interpreted it as a general summary, which of course could be wrong.
Yeah, I'm somewhat surprised Mortier and Lefebvre have come in behind the likes of MacDonald and Victor.
This is true. All the marshals had a role like players in a sports team. Even of Ney Napoleon said "there's a spot in every army for someone like him but only one spot."
By all accounts the Big Mortar was regarded as the friendliest and most down to earth of all the Marshals. He had a total lack of jealousy and was always happy to cooperate (a rare trait in the marshalate) and was a master at leading infantry attacks, especially in 1813 - 14 when he commanded the Young Guard.
I wonder if there ever was a high military command with members as diverse in social origins, age, political opinions and style of commanding in History.
Truly diverse I agree. I found Lefebvre the most likeable, reliable and relatable.
@Rusty Hussler Luckily not. Luke tried to assassinate me though.
All from upper middle/ lower high class?
@@historiamowiosobie4515 There was low classes though
@@historiamowiosobie4515 Ney was the son of a barrel maker, Oudinot was the son of a farmer, and so on
General Desaix died too early. He would definitely become a Marshal had he lived.
Hoche, Moreau, Desaix, Dumas... Too many death or disgrace among the great of the revolutionnary wars.
Also General Kleber , who was napoleons second in command during the Egyptian campaign
@@TheFiresloth Hoche resumed his political carear during Napoleon, but Moreau, was more jealous of Napoleon than Marmont or Bernadotte, and he was a traitor to the revolution, instead i would ad Dugomier,
TheFiresloth you can add Kléber to your list.
@@freewal Yeah true. It's interesting to wonder what would have been his future had he not died in Egypt.
This is by far the best series you guys have done great stuff.
one of the coolest channels on youtube. the visuals and the narrator are among the best.
I feel like there should be a series dedicated to Bernadotte and how he did as both Marshal of France and King of Sweden. It'd add something rather interesting to Epic History, focusing on a man with a rather colourful history unlike any other.
I very dissapointed that bernadotte is not one of the ten, he was one of the best generals of the revolucionary wars and napoleonic wars, he made the hell to chsrles in The samble and mouse, and defeat him in italy, bernadotte was in the end the downfall of napoleon in leipzig
Another fun fact about Bernadotte was his nickname Sergeant Belle-Jambe "Hot Legs".
People who met him remarked at what a fine figure he cut. Tall, lean and with a head of pitch-black hair. 5-11 is rather tall for back then.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 still a swine compared to the 6’5 based Giga-Chad, Marshal Davout.
@@basedkaiser5352 Wrong. Davout was 6-7.
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 goddamn what an absolute unit he was
@@1911Zoey Davout taught St. Cyr how to love a woman and scold a child.
He uses his foreskin as a tarp.
I've not been this depressed in months and I just need this o get my mind off of things so much rn, you're a blessing.
Hope you’re doing better
This channel is amazing. The music, the narrator, the animation is just so perfect.
Clicked on this faster than my shadow, didnt see it yet but i'm sure its an amazing video.
was just gonna say that, gonna be a great half hour
I’ve been waiting! Epic content can’t wait till the other Marshals come out
Don’t be too hard on Marmont for surrendering. The war was irreversibly lost by 1814; he saved Paris from bombardment and many French from pointless deaths.
In the closing months of WW2, a Walther Wenck disobeyed orders to counterattack the Russians and drive them from Berlin.
His 12th Army fought eastwards to recover civilians and other troops encircled by the enemy, and marched them west to surrender to the Western Allies.
"Comrades, you've got to go in once more," Wenck said. "It's not about Berlin any more, it's not about the Reich any more." He mandated that 12th Army’s task was to simply save people from the fighting and the Russians.
Marmont should at least be praised for negotiating Paris’ surrender.
Honestly, I think people who mock those who surrender are just armchair generals who have no idea what war is. Sometimes its honestly the best thing to do. Sometimes retreating is the best thing to do.
He pulled a Philipe Petain rather than a Wenck, and if he was so worried about lives, Why he was so bloody while repressing the 1830 revolution in the name of the bourbons?
@@AtheAetheling I don't believe who they mock the surrendering but when it came to Marmont, it is tration
After Surrendering I guarantee you every one of his army and Wench himself wished they counterattacked the Russians. They fought for more than just their own lives, their own country or their own continent. They fought for the preservation of Europe itself against the savage barbarity of the bolshevik hordes and even till this day we're suffering as a result of that defeat in WW2.
Honestly I admire those who surrender to save lives and fight another day.But marmont case is different...there is no word to describe his action except betrayal.he exclusively negotiated to dethrone bonaparte family while it was possible for napoleon to abdicate for his son.
Great video! Lefebvre and Bernadotte's stories were pretty incredible. I'm excited for the second half of the video with the really big names like Ney, Soult, and Davout.
20 years ago in school... i hand waved napoleon and french revolution, jean val jean ect ect away because i was young and narrow minded and because me no likey the french so much..
but my god EpicHistory.... i've watched re-watched your 1-6 parts on napoleons rise and the 1-6 part napoleon in russia like 3 times *EACH*
its fascinating .. thank you
I've always liked studying French since middle school, and the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era have inspired me a lot. I've even joined the military in part due to that.
Epic History TV, finest channel on RUclips - my word!
I feel like Bernadotte was the biggest winner. He rose quickly through the ranks, flourished in different posts, had a reputation for discipline and honour, was always on the winning side of the war, got to found an enduring dynasty AND lived to the ripe old age of 81 when he died of natural causes. Major Ws in my book
Bernadotte was definitely shrewd in his career. I won't call him a traitor of Napoleon. Heck, Bernadotte, before the First Empire rose faster in the ranks than Napoleon. The Sweds certainly must have seen qualities in Bernadotte, and Napoleon didn't stop him from becoming Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810, so their must have been slightly mutual respect between the two generals But out of the 28 Marshals, his legacy was the most impressive and endoring of forging a dynasty that exists to this day.
I've been waiting for this video since the second part 1 was released. Thank you so much for all the amazing content! I've been doing nothing but working from home and watching my favorite educational RUclips channels during Covid. I've watched every single video on your channel at least once and am working on a second time.
"... sent to Spain." *sigh* It was a good run.
Except for suchet
Amazing as always EHTV!
Here is my top 10 and why :
1 : Davout, not much to say about him, never lost a battle and he defeated the main prussian army with his 3th corps without support.
2 : Suchet, underrated marshal, the only one who won his baton in Spain, he was succesfull where most of the others marshals were not.
3 : Lannes, brave, good commander, he was one of the reasons why Friedland was a decisive victory and not just a victory. Like Davout at Auerstaedt, he was able to defeat a Russian army of 45.000 with his 5th corps.
4 : Murat, best cavalry general of europe, he was decisive at Marengo, Eylau and Borodino.
5 : Masséna, pretty good during the revolution (especially during the 2nd battle of Zurich) but not that much during the empire, he was defeated in Spain and even Napoleon said to him : "So, Prince of Essling, you are no longer Masséna."
6 : Ney, the bravest of the brave, he made some mistakes (the cavalry charge at Waterloo and the attack of the 6th corps at Jena for example) but was decisive in his rearguard actions in Russia and Spain. He saved Napoleon and Massena's armies in these campaigns.
7 : Poniatowski, was able to win a strategic victory against the Austrians in 1809. He was leading the Polish army in the Russian campaign and in Germany where he was sadly killed at Leipzig.
8 : Soult, good corps commander, not a great army commander. He was decisive with his 4th corps at Austerlitz. He was able to defeat some Spanish and Portuguese armies in Spain or Portugal but lost to the British. Also a bad chief of staff.
9 : Oudinot, really good with his grenadiers divisions during the early years of the empire. He saved the French army at the Berezina and his attacks at Wagram contributed to the victory. He lost some battles in Germany in 1813 and, with Ney, failled to take Berlin.
10 : Victor (a hard choice between him or Macdonald), also underrated, he repulsed the Russians at the Berezina and contributed to the victory at Dresden. Despite his slow progress at Montereau, he contributed to the victories at Mormant and Brienne.
But Bernadotte defeated both Oudinot and Ney. And Archduke Charles. And Blücher. Doesn't that make him a superior general to both?
@@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 It was with the swedish/allied armies. My post was about French marshals with French troops and to be fair, Bernadotte wasn't that good as a French marshal, Auerstaed is the best example.
@@Kevin-jr7qm Well, I don't want to hijiack your thread. Sorry.
That said, he was still quite formidable. J-A way overstated, Bernadotte actually followed his orders, and Davout running into the main Prussian Army was Napoleon's mistake. The Wiki page has a good write up on what occurred that day. Most every Marshal on your list made mistakes as big, some bigger. But don't overlook battles like Halle, Lubeck, Mohrengun.
Good list!
@@Kevin-jr7qm Also, Bernadotte defeated Archduke Charles and Blücher as a French general or marshal.
I'd go and say Suchet was Napoleon's Duke of Wellington. Cautious, far-sighted, and understands the underlying factors present in a country up in arms against foreign occupiers, but decisive when going on the offensive. Among the marshals I'd rank him as the best independent commander who could run his own theater of operations (which he did so well, even as French forces gradually evacuated Spain).
Love this Marshal's series. Really good production, with phenomenal content and narration. Can't wait for the next one!
I must say, my views regarding Bernadotte, Lefebvre and Mortier have been entirely wrong! They were all men of admirable character and good examples to their men!
A flexible mind is a great mind!
That's a great quote.
While Bernadotte might seem like a traitor to some, his sense of honor and fairness is clear, and admirable.
Bernadotte and Napoleon are two men cut from the same cloth, that's why they could never work well together or see eye-to-eye. Both men had the drive and ambition for power. Bernadotte, like Napoleon, was no man's subordinate- and it chafed him during his service to the latter. I think Napoleon let him go to Sweden on purpose because he'd rather have Bernadotte become an enemy from without than an enemy from within- which would have destroyed his regime from the inside much faster than any Coalition army could.
@@MarvinT0606 The last part is a bit wrong. Despite the facts that Bernadotte is known as an unwilling subordinate, his power seemed to be waned by then. Fouche thought of him as a replacement for Napoleon after Wagram but Bernadotte did not took the opportunity. Throughout service under Napoleon, he always was given command of foreign troops and original corp is shuffled so much, their loyalty would not be as strong as when Napoleon was making his coup. His only real power, if any, was that the Marshalate is full of his friends. Sweden is backwater state in those days. Napoleon is master of Europe. He did not that Bernadotte actually competent enough to challenge him. Napoleon looked down on all his marshals or everyone for that matter. It is more of a rash decision, when he shout "Go and let our destinies be fulfilled,
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this channel upload a new video. The presentation, narration, & production are all top notch.
Excellent video as always! Amazing detail! Such a wonderfully well done piece on some important and glorious soldiers.
Let's see how much hate Bernadotte (and Marmont) gets this time.
Always a pleasure to see you in comment sections
I was court binging on the Napoleon series at work this past Thursday....The entire office decided to stop work 2 hours early and we all ended up watching. Your content is absolutely brilliant!!!
Ah! Finally Bernadotte 🇸🇪. I suspected he would not be to high up on the list. As said in the video he was not a great marshal, but what a carrier he had from common soldier to king!!!
Remember reading about him in school. When he was first approached by the Swedes to become king, he did not believe it. He thought it might be a loyalty test from Napoleon!!!
Offered the throne by a young lieutenant with no authority to do so. Everyone thought it was absurd until they thought about it, and then it made perfect sense.
Great production and perfect presentation through out the 'Marshal series' .
Top notch material, narration and visualization - kudos guys!
Our great great king really kept his word on swedish interests, all battles he commanded he made sure the swedish portions were never on places where they could take heavy losses instead using swedish artillery for the most and letting the other troops from the other nations under his command to do most of the dying.
Bernadotte gets a lot of grief from Prussian fanboys. Reading Leggiere one would think Bernadotte was the anti-christ. People bash him for doing the very thing all the other nations were doing: protecting their interests.
@crownprincesebastianjohano7069 I don't know why people slander Bernadotte so much about changing sides for example in 1813 or not supporting Napoleon when he become Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810 because Napoleon actually gave Bernadotte his blessing with Sweden and Bern had made it crystal clear to Napoleon before leaving that he was going to defend his adopted nation's interests above anything else.
Throughout his reign Napoleon's own brothers in Holland, (Louis) and Jérôme, (Westphalia) had also followed their own policies and ways that often undermined/differed from Napoleon's policies such as Louis half-heartly imposing the Continental System. So not being Napoleon's puppet or following his policies was nothing that usually.
Been waiting on this video for a long time.
Lefebrve is probably the most impressive martial I think we have seen so far
His quote about the musket reminds me of how George Washington said he preferred bullets flying over his head in battle to silence
Just wait for oudinot, the guy is litteraly made of something else
@@CresusInvestissementCheese 🧀 😂😂
The quality of your videos is top notch. They are very much appreciated.
this series on Napoleon's marshals is simply great!!!
Thanks for making these! They always brighten my day :D
30 years later when he was an old man living in Venice, little children in the street would point, “There goes the man who betrayed Napoleon.”
Epic history masterpieces videos: endless down, endless to go. Thank you!
when people accused Augereau of insubordination or misconducts, Napoleon would always remind them that he saved them in Castiglione:)
So proud to be supporting this content man, cant wait for part 3
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
― Winston S. Churchill
Well , People who aren't kind to him is writing his history now.
He was full of great aphorisms like that.
Napolean's comment that Mortier was "his most feeble" general is kind of harsh, he did well enough in the battles he participated in.
And didn’t get into petty squabbles with his fellow marshals, generals or Napoleon I, He was focused on the mission at hand and left his personal opinions at the door. That’s something especially when you have the highest rank in the military at the time
And in case you don’t know, There’s a rank which is higher than Marshal Of The Empire, It’s called Marshal General of France; Mortier’s friend Jean-de-Dieu Soult received the title in 1847; The sad part is that Mortier never got to see the ceremony, He was killed 12 years before protecting King Louis Philippe I, He was the one who authorized Soult’s promotion by the way
Marshal Mortier out of Napoleon's 26 Marshals was personally the most down to earth and likeable personality of having friendly relations with all his colleagues and willing to work toward a bigger goal. His record wasn't glamorous like Marshal Davout or Ney, but fairly good.
Bernadotte only 18 ? a top 10 in my opinion. the most underrated Marshall for sure.
I can only wonder why that is
They said they were only accepting the service while they were Marshals. Bernadotte's career from 1804-1810 was not his best for several reasons (Berthier sabotaging him) including the rivalry with Napoleon.
Of course, when one takes the totality of the careers of all the marshals, before and after Napoleon, Bernadotte is easily the most accomplished and with the greatest legacy.
Every video is thick with care, accuracy and polish. Blows anything professional out of the water. Fantastic as always
Got give credit to Napoleon in pairing Lefebvre with the Old Guard. His enlisted experience was with infantry of that caliber and as a officer served many vanguards leading from the front. After 30 years of going from the bottom to the top he did not want a desk job. The Old Guard were of the best and would only be led by the best of the best. As always, in the retreat of Russia they were expected to set the example. Lefebvre set the Old Guard example in walking by foot at their front.
lol the quality of these videos are just amazing, it makes me smile. Fantastic job once again, can't wait for the rest.
Excited as well to see what will come in the future after the Marshals series!
From watching the Napoleonic wars series I really thought Bernadotte and Marmont would be higher, and didn’t know about the conflicts and rivalries between them, very interesting
Always worth the wait. A history channel with high quality content! Hope to see more uploads!!!
I will respectfully ask for a series about Caesar like it was the Napoleonic Wars.
was way way shorter would take few hours honestly
Caesar in Gaul or the Civil War, the Civil War will probably be more interesting and I think it shows more of his strategy genius, Napoleon was a student of Caesar after all.
Hannibal lost the war because the empire he was fighting for, Carthage, were a bunch of softies who werent aggressive enough and had no interest in winning a war. No reason Rome shouldve defeated them
I'd be delighted to see that as well. It would be very different. With most of caesar's battles, he himself is the only source we have regarding the tactics and whatnot. What makes the Napoleonic Wars so cool is these giant, epic battles, and the fact that we have so much detailed information from numerous sources. But Caesar was a badass.
checkout historia civilis's channel
Well it's about time. Been waiting for so long for this amazing video.
Marmont had enormous potential in the arts of defence and manoeuvre. He was naturally defensive as he was never enthusiastic about giving battle unless he'd chosen the venue. He was also VERY intelligent as demonstrated when he governed Dalmatia, where he is still respected. His problem was that, by the time of Leipzig (where he was excellent) and the defence of France, he was exhausted, which cost him dearly. He was already prone to sloppiness when he was at his peak (Salamanca), so by 1814 he was unfit to command. He wasn't one of Napoleon's worse marshals, he was less good. 14 is more than fair given the 13 who outrank him. I just put this here to show another side of Marmont in the comments.
Oh yeah, there is a part 3 and 4, now THAT is some good content !
Thank you very much, I always appreciate a lot your documentaries !
The moment when you're early to a Epic History video
"God has delivered me"
I have been waiting for another ep since the first one
Another awesome ep
Awesome work!!
Marshal Lefebvre lost all 14 of his child? Damn!
all 14 of his *children*
Superb vid, just superb. All hail EHTV!!!
Yay! New video of napoleon's marshals.
And truly fascinating.
And now i cant wait for part 3. 👍👍☺☺ charles nove doing it well and also thanks to toby ☺☺
Today is my birthday...couldn’t ask for a better gift! Love these videos
“Epic” really deserves on your title, might br overused by others but you guys deserved it!!!
Amazing video as always! Making history fun and exciting.