Who Was the Best Napoleon’s Marshals?

16 min readJun 6, 2023

Napoleon had many talented marshals, and there were many controversies about who was his best and worst. Some historians believe that Michel Ney, Louis Davout, and Jean Lannes were the finest, while others believe that André Masséna or Joachim Murat was the best. Some historians point to Étienne Macdonald, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, and Jean-Baptiste Jourdan as the worst marshals. When it comes to Napoleon’s marshals, many people have different ideas. In this article, I will provide additional information about Napoleon’s marshals so you can draw your own conclusions. We’d appreciate it if you could leave a comment below!

1. Louis Nicolas Davout

Louis Nicolas Davout was one of Napoleon’s finest marshals, serving him skillfully and faithfully. By quickly marching 110 kilometers in 48 hours, he arrived in time to bolster Napoleon’s right flank at the Battle of Austerlitz. In 1806 he led the 3rd Army with 28,000 French troops against 63,000 Prussians. Davout fought in the Battle of Eylau and was appointed governor of Warsaw following the Treaty of Tilsit. Davout destroyed Charles’ main force during Napoleon’s five-day campaign in the War with the Fifth Coalition. At the Battle of Wagram, he defeated the Austrian left wing and was chosen Governor of the Hanseatic nations to execute the Continental system.

When Napoleon organized an expedition to invade Russia with a force of over 600,000 men, Davout and his legion joined the campaign with five divisions totaling 72,000 troops. Davout was also the man who, with Field Marshal Murat, attacked the Russian left flank at the Battle of Borodino in 1812. He prevented Bargration and the Russian 2nd Army from joining Barclay’s 1st Army in the Battle of Saltanovka.

Davoult took on the rear line when Napoleon ordered a withdrawal from Russian territory. His elite corps was tactically defeated at the Battle of Vyazma, and Marshal Ney took charge of the rear. Despite having just 33,000 troops, Davoult organized the defense of Hamburg for a half-year period against a coalition force of more than 100,000 men during the fight with the Sixth Coalition. Davoult then served as Minister of War to reorganize the French army of approximately 280,000 troops when Napoleon returned in the Hundred Days Period.

Because of his reputation as a frigid field commander as well as a capable and effective administrator, Davoult was perhaps the best of Napoleon’s marshals. His weaknesses were his directness and being very strict. Nobody knows what he did in Bautzen, Lutzen, Dennewitz, Leipzig, or Laon. Military historians still question why Napoleon positioned Field Marshal Davoult in such a crucial but immobile position in Hamburg, where his tactics would be constrained. A field marshal with strong defensive abilities, such as Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, might be a superior candidate.

2. Jean Lannes

Marshal Jean Lannes was one of the bravest of Napoleon’s marshals. In four of Napoleon’s most important campaigns, he led the vanguard. His superb performance at the Battle of Montebello demonstrated his exceptional tactical skill. In 1806 and 1807, he destroyed a Prussian force at Saalfeld and opened the front at Jena and Friedland, two of Napoleon’s most glorious triumphs.

Lannes also scored another stunning victory at Tudela in 1808, and on the final day of Napoleon’s five-day battle, he captured Ratisbon. His shrewd tactical ability was once again on display during the fight of Aspern-Essling, when he managed to counterattack against an adversary twice the size of his legion in the village of Essling. Despite his ability as a great general, his career was cut short when a cannonball wounded his leg in the Battle of Aspern-Essling, and he only lived for two days. Napoleon cried openly because he knew Lannes was a brilliant French general and even his best friend.

Marshal Jean Lannes is one of only a handful of marshals who has never lost a battle. Many consider this a misfortune because it cut short a good general’s career, while others consider it a blessing because he avoided the horrors of the Spanish campaigns, the defeat of the French army in 1810–14, Russia in 1812, Germany in 1813, and France in 1814, which ruined the careers of many great field marshals.

3. Louis-Alexandre Berthier

Louis-Alexandre Berthier was Napoleon’s Chief of Staff from 1795 to 1814. Although he was not an independent general, his skill as chief of staff was important in Napoleon’s success. Without him, we might not see Napoleon as we do now. Operation Ulm was a great success thanks to the excellent plans, tactics, and strategies he created. Most of Napoleon’s campaigns, whether successful or unsuccessful, may be traced to him. As a result, many historians regarded him as the most important of Napoleon’s marshals. History might have changed radically if he had worked with Napoleon again in 1815.

4. Jean-de-Dieu Soult

Jean-de-Dieu Soult was one of Napoleon’s marshals who was shown the best in combat independently. His ability to read his foes’ intentions was astounding. He was the first to detect that the Prussians were planning to retreat at Jemapes, although his leaders still hesitated. His deeds after the Battle of Zurich under Massena were outstanding. His 4th Army Corps, which was the largest and most crucial at the Battle of Austerlitz, conquered the Pratzen Plateau. At Jena, he commanded the French army’s right flank and helped rescue Ney’s legion, his destined competitor. Later, he appeared in “The Pursuit of the Three Marshals” with Bernadotte and Murat.

At Eylau, while Napoleon was thinking of retreating after two days of fighting, he advised the Emperor that the Russians would withdraw. This was noticed by him and Davout. He failed in his attempt to push the British out to sea at Corunna. In Porto, he was defeated by the Duke of Wellington.

His military career was about to end on Spanish soil, but he scored a spectacular victory over the Spanish forces at Ocana despite the fact that the enemy outnumbered them (51,000 Spaniards compared to 27,000 French soldiers). He then regained Madrid but failed to attack a demoralized British force; in this case, some belligerent commanders like Davout or Lannes would do. Other than Suchet, Soults was likely to be one of the few field marshals who left the Peninsula Campaign with their reputations intact. Even a highly skilled marshal like Massena could not make the same claim.

Yes, Jean-de-Dieu Soult had a bad time in the Hundred Days Period, but he proved himself a worthy opponent to Wellington in their earlier battles in Spain and southwest France. He maintained his vast army against the Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish Army on numerous occasions. In 1815, as chief of staff, he convinced Napoleon that Wellington was a good general and should not be taken for granted, but Napoleon ignored it. Jean-de-Dieu Soult was one of my favorite marshals, along with Davout and Massena. His military acumen was second to none, but his egotistical behavior overshadowed it, worsening his relationship with junior field marshals and generals.

5. André Masséna

André Masséna was one of brilliant Napoleon’s marshals in independent combat. Napoleon dubbed him the “the Dear Child of Victory” and also the second-best French commander after Napoleon during the Directory. During the Italian Campaign of 1795, he was Napoleon’s best divisional commander. His exceptional record as Swiss army commander resulted in his most glorious victory over the Russians and Austrians in Zurich, where he exploited the Coalition’s blunder of departing Zurich too soon and separating their numerically superior force. Napoleon defeated them at the Battle of Marengo in two months.

He beat Archduke Charles in northern Italy in 1805 with 41,000 men against Charles’ more than 90,000 men, invaded Naples in 1806, and took possession of Warsaw in 1807. In 1809, he commanded the French to hold out for two days at Aspern, and when ordered to evacuate, he did so in rather good order under the sweep of Austrian artillery. Despite being injured just a few days before, Masséna led the French army’s left flank to operate a redeployment on the second day of the combat at Wagram. It seems that the Victory of Zurich would have enabled him to retire from his illustrious military career, but it did not. In 1810, Napoleon dispatched him to Iberia to seize Lisbon. Massena was unwell and strongly resisted being sent there, but he could not change Napoleon’s orders.

So in Portugal, André Masséna was indifferent, and the corps commanders were dissatisfied with his behavior. At Fuentes de Oro, he nearly defeated Wellington, but because Bessieres failed to coordinate his support, his attack failed. After that, he was recalled and disgraced, never to hold the position of high-ranking commander again. In 1812, after Marshal Marmont was defeated and wounded at Salamanca, he was assigned to replace him but suffered an accident on the way. André Masséna was an extremely capable marshal who was heavily misused by Emperor Napoleon. Masséna is one of the few marshals whose glorious military life was not based on Napoleon’s outstanding talent but his own. The Duke of Wellington admits André Masséna was the best opponent he has faced in Spain, with Jean-de-Dieu Soult in second place.

6. Louis-Gabriel Suchet

Louis-Gabriel Suchet was one of the best of Napoleon’s marshals. Napoleon did not use Suchet as much as Massena. While Massena held Genoa in 1800, Suchet commanded an army that held the Austrians during the worst crisis period, but he forced the Austrians out of southern France and captured 15,000 troops. He was not listed on the marshals’ list but was assigned to lead the division under Soult and Lannes.

He was notable for the command of his division in Jena and Pultusk, but he was absent from Friedland. He was then sent to Spain, where he defeated the Spanish army and seized a large Spanish city. His strict approach proved effective by not allowing the Spanish army to reorganize after the defeats.

After capturing Tarragona in 1811, Napoleon finally realized his shortcomings. Suchet built his career successfully while his fellow field marshals and generals were marred by setbacks. When he left Spain in 1814, he remained undefeated and was as successful as Soult in damaging elite Coalition divisions with his conscripts. He then served Napoleon again in 1815 and was tasked with dislodging the vast Austrian army out of France, which he did expertly with the few resources he had. He was one of the few field marshals to thrive in independent command. Unfortunately, he was almost absent from the decisive battles.

The six marshals described above were the best of Napoleon’s 26 marshals. Those are six good generals who were promoted to marshals. So I’d like to add an honorable mention to the list of marshals I think deserve to be appreciated for their exploits.

7. Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr

Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr was arguably one of Napoleon’s marshals in terms of defense. His famous victory at Biberach demonstrated his ability to command independence. He, like Suchet, only stayed out and was assigned only small orders. He was ordered to aid Massena in the Third Coalition War in Italy, and he participated in the invasion of Naples in 1806 and the wars in Prussia and Poland in 1807. He was sent to Catalonia. Here, he regularly astonished the Spanish army with his astute tactics and won a crucial victory in the Battle of Valls, but he was superseded by Field Marshal Augereau after failing to seize Girona.

When Napoleon invaded Russia, Saint-Cyr was given command of a corps and scored a victory over the Russians at Polotsk on August 18, 1812, gaining him the rank of Field Marshal. He commanded a French army nearly twice as strong at the second Battle of Polotsk, which was defeated but inflicted 12,000 Russian casualties while the French suffered 8,000. Then, for just a day, he and his 20,000 soldiers fought against nearly 100,000 Confederate troops in Dresden, allowing Napoleon to win his last great triumph and inflict 38,000 fatalities. He was then stationed in Dresden, where he surrendered in November 1813. A superb commander with his personal beliefs and viewpoints was swept aside and turned out to be one of Napoleon’s finest.

8. Auguste de Marmont

Napoleon’s protege was not someone you should underestimate. Although Auguste de Marmont is today considered a traitor, his commanding talents cannot be overlooked. During the Alps crossing, he was Napoleon’s artillery commander. In the war with the Third Coalition, he was the commander of the 2nd Corps and gained victories in the Ulm campaign. He took over for Massena in 1811 and faced Wellington in 1812. He overwhelmed Wellington’s positions in six days, exhibiting tactical skill on par with Wellington’s; however, on the seventh day, he made a tactical error. He allowed his left wing to become overactive, and when he realized this fault, he hastily sent an order to cancel his earlier orders, but it was too late. He was an early victim in the battle of Salamanca.

He served successfully as a corps commander in Germany and Northern France, except once in Laon. Marmont is one of the few field marshals as outstanding in military science as St. Cyr. With the Allied monarchs in Paris, he marched toward the Coalition and surrendered. An able commander who finds himself in the scope of misfortune in the most important chapters of his life.

9. Michel Ney

Michel Ney was Napoleon’s best rearguard commander, and Field Marshal Lannes was his best vanguard commander. As division commander on the Rhine border, Ney worked effectively with his close friends, Marshal Davout and Saint-Cyr. In 1805, Ney commanded the 6th Army Corps and led it to a spectacular victory in the Ulm campaign. The army led by Michel Ney smashed the Russian left flank at the Battle of Friedland.

Michel Ney served as rearguard commander during the retreat in Portugal in 1811 and in Russia in 1812, where his name was etched into historical legend. The strong and strict handling of the rearguard troops saved Grande Armee. However, his forte was to command the rear rather than stand alone, so when he attacked Bernadotte near Berlin, he suffered a crushing defeat against his former commander. During the Battle of Waterloo, he made mistake after mistake that made the battle, which was already difficult, even more so.

Michel Ney, the bravest of the brave was shot in front of a French firing squad. After being shot hundreds of times by coalition troops into the void, it was his countrymen who would end his colorful life. However, his blunders were only a small part of his long and distinguished career.

10. Jacques MacDonald

Jacques MacDonald was one of the few marshals who could speak his mind to Napoleon. Unlike most field marshals, who only obeyed Napoleon’s orders, Macdonald did not. He successfully led his divisions and armies during the revolution but was removed from the initial list of field marshals, like Suchet and Saint-Cyr. In 1809, he served as Prince Eugene’s advisor and, in Wagram, successfully carried out his gigantic three-sided open-backed infantry square and was the only field marshal to win his baton on the battlefield.

In Russia in 1812, he led the Grande Armée’s northern flank as it marched to its death. He was beaten at Katzbach in 1813 and commanded the French left flank on the opening day of the Battle of Leipzig in 1814. On multiple occasions, he served as Napoleon’s deputy, contributing to the Battle of Hanau and defending France. Despite numerous defeats over his military career, his military competence is undeniable.

Marshals Murat, Victor, Jean-Baptiste, Oudinot, and Bernadotte were good generals, but there were too many shortcomings for them to rank as high as the 10 above.

Worst Marshals in No Particular Order. (I’ll Exclude the Honorary Marshals)

Charles-Pierre Augereau

His performance throughout the 1795 campaign was superb, but his bad manners were impeccable. In all of his campaigns, his love of money blinded him. He contributed to Jena’s tremendous triumph, but after his corps was damaged in Eylau, his fighting spirit vanished. His performance during France’s defense in 1814 was lackluster at best.

Emmanuel de Grouchy

Despite being recognized as the cause of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Grouchy had several successes before this tragic event. From 1805 through 1814, he was one of Napoleon’s top cavalry commanders. His command of cavalry was demonstrated in the engagements with Eylau, Friedland, and Wagram. His decision to follow his written orders on June 17 and 18 sealed his fate and gave hard-line Napoleon fans something to blame an overall French blunder on him.

Jean-Baptiste Jourdan

His triumph at Fleurus made him well-known throughout the country. During the Peninsular War, however, his administrative abilities were exposed. In 1809, his setbacks aided Wellington’s victory in the Talavera campaign. His military career was finished by his calamitous defeat at Vitoria. Although a revered patriot and one of the few marshals who put their country ahead of their own, his skills as Joseph Bonaparte’s chief of staff and as a military commander proved insufficient in the face of the obstacles.

Guillaume Marie Anne Brune

His participation in the Battle of the 13 Vendemiaires in Paris helped secure him relatively important military orders. He successfully served Napoleon in Italy in 1795 as a division commander but was blinded by his greed, much to the disgust of his fellow commanders. He commanded the French army to invade Switzerland and win important battles at Castricum and Pozzolo, forcing the British and Austrian armies to withdraw from French soil. However, he fell out of favor after drafting a treaty that angered Napoleon. Like the three above, Brune is a capable general, but mediocre or lacking in command.

In my opinion, among Napoleon’s marshals, who was the best was undoubtedly Marshal Davout. His third legion in the Grande Armée was the best-trained and most reliable of all armies. His legion played an important role in holding back the Austrians and Russians at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. Davout went on to defeat the main Prussian army at Auerstadt in 1806; he was outnumbered and attracted the attention of Napoleon, who won easily at Jena. Davout saved his legion from total annihilation during the 1812 Campaign. In 1813, Napoleon was tasked with defending Hamburg from the Allies. He continued to resist strongly after Napoleon’s first abdication and really needed a letter from King Louis XVIII telling him the war was over.

His next best are easily Lannes, Suchet, Murat, Soult, Masséna, and Ney.

Soult was in charge of the attack on Pratzen Peak during the Battle of Austerlitz, which broke the heart of the Coalition. He then performed admirably in the Peninsula Campaign, displaying both strategic and tactical brilliance. He would have almost caught the Duke of Wellington if his communication lines hadn’t been cut off by the Spanish guerrillas. However, he was not good at consulting work, nor was he overly focused on specifics.

Suchet was another good commander in the Peninsular War. He was highly skilled and disciplined. Napoleon said that if he had two of Suchet, he would keep Spain. Suchet was certainly one of the more capable marshals in the Grande Armée.

Masséna was a very talented general who rose to prominence during the French Revolution. He was bold and skillful, defeating the Russians and Austrians in the Second Battle of Zurich while eliminating any possibility of invading France. He gradually fell out of favor with Napoleon because of the bloody conflicts in Portugal and Spain. He was unable to sweep the British out of the Peninsula due to a number of factors, such as a poorly equipped army and false promises from the Emperor.

Murat and Ney were very brave generals, although it was often said that they would fight better if they sacrifice a little courage in exchange for higher intelligence.

There were other Marshals, like Saint-Cyr, Marmont (yes, Marmont!), Bessières, who played a key role in the victory at the Battle of Wagram, and Jourdan, who was considered a more honorary Field Marshal because of his battles. His famous victory in the Revolutionary War.

Napoleon’s worst marshal was Bernadotte. Both he and Napoleon hated each other from the very beginning, so I don’t understand why the Emperor promoted him to such a high rank. Bernadotte plays an important role in the Battle of Austerlitz, helping to trap enemies. During the 1806 Campaign, he did not participate in the battles of Jena and Auerstadt, although his troops were close enough to help. During the Battle of Wagram, he commanded a Saxon legion and abandoned a key position on the left flank that cost Napoleon many casualties to retake. Napoleon sarcastically insulted him and fired him immediately. Bernadotte had become King of Sweden and joined the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon. His descendants still sit on the Swedish throne.

There were also several marshals with honorary titles for their service during the early Revolution — Kellerman, Lefebvre, Serurier, and Perignon. For example, it is difficult to compare these men to Ney, Augerau, Bessieres, or Oudinot.

Of the 26 Napoleon’s marshals, some live to enjoy old age and retire. Three people died in battle: Poniatowski, Bessieres, and Lannes. Five violent deaths occurred: Mortier, Brune, Murat, Ney, and Berthier. Interestingly, no one dies from muskets or rifles except when receiving the end of a firing squad. One succeeded by establishing his own royal line — Bernadotte — in Sweden.

Few, if any, marshals match Napoleon in terms of talent and genius, with the possible exception of Massena, whose successes in Switzerland and Italy were more than offset by his failed efforts in Iberia.