Jean Lannes

Jean Lannes was born on 10 April 1769 at Lectoure, in Gascony, into a family of dyers. His father, Jean, died when he was thirteen. He learned the family trade, then enlisted in 1792 in the 2nd battalion of Gers volunteers. The Revolution made him a soldier. He fought in the Pyrenees, then in Italy. In 1796, he joined the army commanded by Bonaparte. At Dego, Lodi, the bridge of Arcola — where he rushed at the head of the grenadiers under fire — Lannes distinguished himself. Napoleon noticed him. A friendship grew between the Corsican general and the Gascon: one calculated, the other charged. « Lannes is audacity incarnate », the Emperor would say.

In Egypt, Lannes fought at Aboukir, the Pyramids. He was wounded at Acre. In 1799, he followed Bonaparte on the return to France. On 18 Brumaire, he was at Saint-Cloud, beside the future First Consul. In 1800, at Montebello, in Lombardy, he defeated the Austrians before the Battle of Marengo — Napoleon would give him the title of Duke of Montebello in memory of this feat. In 1804, Lannes was one of the first eighteen marshals. He was thirty-five. His frankness, his lack of courtiership, his physical courage made him a unique intimate. Napoleon tolerated his rebuffs: « Lannes is the only one who speaks to me as a friend. »

At Austerlitz in 1805, Lannes commanded the left wing and held the Santon heights. At Jena in 1806, his 5th Corps broke the Prussian centre. At Eylau in February 1807, in snow and blood, he held his position despite appalling losses. At Friedland in June, he contributed to the decisive victory. In Spain in 1808, he defeated the Spaniards at Tudela, but the guerrilla and atrocities sickened him. He requested recall. Napoleon granted it: Lannes was too precious to be wasted in an inglorious war.

In May 1809, during the Austrian campaign, Napoleon decided to cross the Danube to face Archduke Charles. The bridges were thrown; Masséna and Lannes crossed to the north bank. On 21 and 22 May, the Battle of Essling raged. The Austrians counter-attacked in force. The bridges were damaged by floods and cannonballs; reinforcements did not arrive. Lannes commanded the centre. Around noon, a cannonball shattered his knee. He was carried to the rear. The surgeons amputated his leg. Infection set in.

Lannes languished for several days. Napoleon came to his bedside. The marshal was said to have murmured: « You are losing your best friend. » The Emperor wept — a rare sight. On 31 May 1809, Jean Lannes died at Ebersdorf, aged forty. His funeral was a state occasion. He was buried in the Panthéon. Napoleon wrote to Josephine: « I have lost the general I loved most, the one I considered my best friend. » The loss of Lannes deprived the Empire of an irreplaceable soldier — and Napoleon of a confidant who dared to contradict him. Few marshals had that privilege.

Lannes was no courtier. At the coronation in 1804, he was said to have grumbled: « All this for a priest! » — an allusion to Pius VII's role. Napoleon tolerated remarks he would not have accepted from another. The confidence — « Lannes is the only one who speaks to me as a friend » — speaks volumes. When the Emperor contemplated divorcing Josephine, Lannes was one of the few to advise caution. In Spain, after witnessing the troops' depredations, he requested recall: « I will not command an army of bandits. » Napoleon acquiesced. He knew the Gascon spoke the truth.

This frankness went hand in hand with absolute loyalty. At Arcola, Lannes had risked his life leading the grenadiers onto the bridge; at Montebello, he had held alone against superior forces. Napoleon rewarded him by keeping him always close: Lannes commanded the elite troops, those committed at decisive moments. His death at Essling deprived the Empire of an incorruptible counsellor. The marshals who followed — perhaps more brilliant on parade — no longer dared contradict the Emperor. Lannes had known how to combine the soldier's bravery with the citizen's independence: a blend that had become rare under a regime that demanded obedience and flattery.