Michel Ney (25 March 1769-26 November 1815) was a Marshal of the Empire of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. Ney was one of Napoleon I's most trusted commanders, and he commanded French armies during the campaigns in Poland, Spain, and Russia. He decided to side with Napoleon during the Hundred Days of 1815, leading to his execution by firing squad on 26 November 1815 after the Bourbon Restoration.
Biography[]
Common-born and coarse-tongued, Michel Ney enlisted in the hussars (cavalry) in 1787. He was unlikely to have reached even the rank of NCO (non-commissioned officer) under the old regime, but in the French Revolutionary Wars promotion was rapid. A commander who led from the front, he distinguished himself as a corps commander in the Ulm campaign of 1805 - blocking the escape of the Austrian army at Elchingen - and against Prussia and Russia, which culminated in a victory at Friedland.
After a difficult spell in Spain and Portugal, he took part in the invasion of Russia in 1812. Commanding the rearguard in the retreat from Moscow, he fought in the desperate crossing of the Berezina River and was allegedly the last French soldier to leave Russian soil. The emperor hailed him as "the bravest of the brave".
Wavering Support[]
Ney's allegiance to Napoleon was far from unwavering. He led the pressure on the emperor to abdicate and volunteered to arrest him after his escape from Elba, only to rejoin his old master on impulse. During the Hundred Days Ney's performance was marred by poor judgement. His failed attack at Quatre-Bras lost vital French forces, and he made reckless cavalry charges at Waterloo. Arrested and charged with treason, Ney was executed by firing squad in Paris.
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