Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Who were the three Division commanders in the French army known as the three immortals?

Maréchal Tony R.Malone, Comte d'Auvergne et Duc de Vauchamps: Division d'Infanterie de la Moyenne Garde; CDR III Corps Armee Du Nord
"The Guard may die, But it never surrenders".

Friant, Morand & Gudin ?

Colonel Al Amos

Excellent Al, I guess that one was to easy. I was re reading about Davout at Auerstadt, and they mentioned them and the fact that they were known as the three immortals. While I think Davout was second only to Napoleon in that time frame, he was a lucky man to have had three of the best Division commanders in the Army.

Maréchal Tony R.Malone, Comte d'Auvergne et Duc de Vauchamps: Division d'Infanterie de la Moyenne Garde; CDR III Corps Armee Du Nord
"The Guard may die, But it never surrenders".

Tony

But were they best because of Davout?

In other words, whichever 3 Davout had, would he have assigned and developed them to this level of competence?

I suspect the question might be yes

Regards

Mark

Another that is inmortal, but he doesn´t meet in the French Army is Fidel Castro [:(]

http://www.venezuela-emb.org.au/images/flag.jpg

I agree Mark, but I also believe that to be a good commander you have to have some natural ability. Like I said, I think Davout was second only to Napoleon in that era.

Maréchal Tony R.Malone, Comte d'Auvergne et Duc de Vauchamps: Division d'Infanterie de la Moyenne Garde; CDR III Corps Armee Du Nord
"The Guard may die, But it never surrenders".

I have always wondered, about Morand and Friant. Why is it they never progressed past command of a division? As long as they were around, and as successful as they appear to have been, one would have thought them deserving of a baton. Not to downplay being given command of The Old Guard, but while it is prestigious, it hardly seems a worthwhile use of their abilities to put them in command of units that are predominantly reserves.

Ensign William Davis
23rd (Royal Welsh) Fusiliers
6th Brigade
Anglo-Allied Army

Good points William. It makes you wonder how they never advanced further, yet men like Victor and Marmont recieved a Baton. While Napoleon is the greatest, he made some bad mistakes. Murat leading the advance into Russia, Murat being left in command on the Elbe, Ney and Odoint being sent against Berlin, and Davout left out of the 1813, 1814, and 1815 campaigns. Just a few. But lets not forget, with out the Prussians, Ole Hook nose would have lost at Waterloo [}:)]

Maréchal Tony R.Malone, Comte d'Auvergne et Duc de Vauchamps: Division d'Infanterie de la Moyenne Garde; CDR III Corps Armee Du Nord
"The Guard may die, But it never surrenders".

Is true. Did you known why Davout left out of the 1813, 1814, and 1815 campaigns?

http://www.venezuela-emb.org.au/images/flag.jpg

The 1813 and 1814 campaigns he was holding onnto Hamburg, he even went past Napoleons first abdication. In the 1815 Campaign he was left behind as Minister of War and to keep order in France while Napoleon was on campaign. He was the only one of the Marshals never to have swore alliegence to the Burbons, he was Napoleon's most trusted commander and his best. (Excuse the spellings, never my strong suit)[;)]

Maréchal Tony R.Malone, Comte d'Auvergne et Duc de Vauchamps: Division d'Infanterie de la Moyenne Garde; CDR III Corps Armee Du Nord
"The Guard may die, But it never surrenders".