Napoleon's Marshals: Berthier

[[N]Von Clausewitz]

Louis-Alexandre Berthier was born at Versailles on the 20th of November 1753. His father was an engineer map maker for the army.

He was one of the rare Marshals of Napoleon who did not get his fame in the fields of battle, even though he was very courageous, but to his qualities as a chief of staff.

From 1780 to 1783 he was one of the 6000 volunteers who fought in the american independance war in the army of Rochambeau.

He was made Brigadier general and was appointed as the chief of staff of the army of the Alpes and Italy on March 5, 1795.
On the 13th of June he is made Division general and meets Napoleon who would take under his wing this knowledgeable and experienced commander.

For the next 18 years Berthier will accompany Napoleon on his expeditions.
Berthier will become the minister of war from November 1799 to April 1800 and then from October 1800 to August 1807.
He is made Marshal of the Empire on May 19th 1804, then became sovereign prince of Neuchatel and Valangin on march 30th, 1806.

Despite his courage, Berthier was not a good commander on the battlefield. When Napoleon made him commander of the army of Germany at the beginning of the campaign of Austria in 1809 his errors were so many that he almost compromised the success of the campaign. Napoleon would tell him at one point: " You did exactly the opposite of what should have been done". Humiliated, he would redeem himself at the battle of Wagram, when he was victorious over the Austrians . He fought courageously, his horse was killed beneath him. He would recieve the title of "Prince of Wagram" on August 18th 1809.

Berthier as Major General of the Grande Armee will manage the retreat of the french army from Russia in 1812. Napoleon would tell him on December 3rd 1812:
" i know well, myself, that you are good for nothing; but no one else does, and your name still has some effect on the army".

Berthier stayed faithful to Napoleon longer than most, but discouraged and demotivated after he is hit with a lance on January 29th 1814 while defending Napoleon at Brienne, he will take part in the conspiracy of Marshals that pushed Napoleon to abdiquate on April 3rd at Fontainebleau.

Negotiating under the table with the temporary governement , He abandons the Emperor on April 13th promissing to be back shortly. But Napoleon was not fooled, and he said:
"Do you see this man who is leaving, the man that i showered with assets, well he goes to sell himself. And no matter what he said now, he will not come back".

When the Emperor comes back to power during the 100 days, Bertheir does not meet him as he is ashamed of having abandoned him earlier, instead he joins his wife's family in Bamberg in Bavaria.

On june 1st 1815 he died after falling from the window of his castle. Suicide? Accident? Homicide?

In his memoires Napoleon will write the following:
" He (Berthier) was not suited to be commander in chief, but had all the qualities of a good chief of staff. His talents and merites were special and technical.... He was very precious to me, no one else could have replaced him..."
Thinking back with nostalgia about Waterloo he says:" If i had Berthier with me, i would not have had this tragedy..."
But the Emperor is much more severe in his judgment for Berthier's actions at Fontainebleau:
"I was betrayed by Berthier, a real swan offspring that i had turned into an eagle".

Tanslated by me from " Dictionnaire des Maréchaux de Napoléon" by Jean-claude Banc.