Talk:Louis-Nicolas Davout

Davout at Krasnoe
An unregistered contributor wrote the following: "At Krasnoe on 17 November Davout was held to have deserted Ney and smudged his reputation as a leader in battle.". I did not find any serious reference of this on the Internet and in fact found many elements which contradict this assertion. For instance:

"The Russian army had outflanked the French and barred passage at Krasnoi. Napoleon called upon Davout and the Young Guard to hold a line that drove off Kutuzov's 50,000 troops. Marshall Ney's corps, reduced to 9,000 men, formed the rear-guard. In the desperate attempt to fend off the Russians, his troops were decimated to only 800 men. In one month of fighting, the Russians had captured 90,000 men and 500 cannons." (http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~jrubarth/gslis/lis385t.16/Napoleon/Krasnoi.html)

Rdavout 12:11, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

A rapacious marshal?
I removed a reference to Davout's "rapacity", given that this aspect of Davout's reputation comes from his brutal attack on Moscow, and is only held up by Tolstoy. It is widely known that Davout enforced the death penalty against individual acts of pillaging and that his army was therefore the less rapacious of all the Grande Armée.

Rdavout 12:11, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

Added a personal life section
I've added a section on Davout's personal life and relationships with other people, based on Gallaher's biography. 153.19.101.200 20:30, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Undefeated in Battle
Is the stement that Davout finished his military career undefeated in battle really correct? His 1st Corps were bitten by Russians under Miloradovich in Vyazma, one of most important battles of the Russian Campaign. 201.82.79.8 (talk) 13:52, 27 December 2007 (UTC)

--Davout was also defeated at Issy, during the defence of Paris, by Blucher, as is stated on the Issy and Battle of Waterloo pages. I think the 'undefeated' reference really should be removed. (Summitscribbler, 14:52, 29th February 2008


 * That's true it's a bizarre statement as he lost at Vyazma but he didn't lose at Issy, Vandamme was in command there.90.9.26.235 (talk) 15:27, 28 June 2010 (UTC)

The initial napoleon's plan was that the 1st corps of Davout should wait Ney's 3rd corps (in smolensk at this time) in the est of Viazma. and then reached Napoleon's position at krasnoi to attack Galitzine and Tormassov corps. when davout knew that Eugene was defeated at Viazma. he decided to stop waiting NEY and reach naopleon as soon as possible. because at this moment great army would have been in great danger. and Miloradovitch job was to stop him because russian was not stupid. The 1st corps of davout was at the rear guard at est of Viazma, Miloradovich did only a massive artillery barrage on the 1st corps and try desparalty to isolate it and destroy it. but he did not succeed. Viazma is considred as a victory almost a draw on Eugène de Beauharnais. Miloradovich try a second time to isolate and destroy at Ieskovo. the napoleon trick made that the russian don't attack davout. after Koutouzov has decided that Miloradovitch has to change of position and reach Galitzine and Tormassov corps to have a strong defensive position at Ouvarovo.

So 1 Davout don't take part in Viazma battle. he suffer only 2 artillery barrage near Viazma and later in Ieskovo and kosak guerrila until he reach napoleon to Krasnoï. 2 Miloradovich never succeed to isolate and destroy him with a huge over number (and honnestly i don't think that davout was scared to fight Miloradovich even over numberd. he did worst. and the priority was th great army)  ... 5000 kosak of Matveï Platov, 4000 infantery of Ivan Paskevitch 26th division and his 14000 men of the 2nd and the 4th division... Davout succeed to reach Krasnoï and cover until the end the napoleon retreat and i don't need to tell you that the davout beresina rear guard battle are still learn in war academy. russian have always try to associate davout with Viazma because except his marshall baton and personnal effect take on a logistic convoy. russian have not take any Davout first corps flag, colors or canon.

And blucher defeat davout come on let's be serious his only victory have been done by missunderstanding. the austrian turn back when they knew that davout organized the french army under the loire they turned back...

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.10.149.149 (talk) 13:27, 15 June 2016 (UTC)

In fiction?
Appears in the 2nd volume of War and Peace... said to be cruel mabye something could be put in? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.147.91.168 (talk) 14:13, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

"Davout was also noted for his loyalty to his long-time second wife"
This can only be taken as a joke. Davout was a notrious womanizer. According to Carl Ludwig Costnoble's diary, in February 1814 in Hamburg, Davout fervently courted the opera singer Auguste Aschenbrenner.--Suessmayr (talk) 09:19, 3 January 2019 (UTC)