Ney, Michel, duke d'Elchingen

Ney, Michel, duke d'Elchingen

(born Jan. 10, 1769, Sarrelouis, France—died Dec. 7, 1815, Paris) French army officer, the best-known of Napoleon's marshals. He distinguished himself in the French Revolutionary Wars and rose to general in 1799. A supporter of Napoleon, he was created marshal of France in 1804 and duke d'Elchingen in 1808 after victories in the Napoleonic Wars. He led French forces in the Battle of Friedland (1807) and at the Battle of Borodino (1812). In the French retreat from Moscow, he courageously commanded the exposed rear guard and earned Napoleon's praise as “the bravest of the brave.” After Napoleon's abdication, Ney favoured Louis XVIII but rallied to Napoleon's support in the Hundred Days and commanded troops at the unsuccessful Battle of Waterloo. After the Bourbon Restoration, he was court-martialed and shot by firing squad.