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- Berthier, Louis-Alexandre, Prince of Neuchâtel and Wagram
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Prince of Neuchâtel and Valangin, born in Versailles on November 20, 1753 and died in Bamberg on June 1, 1815, was a general of Napoleon I, Marshal of France.
Origin
His father Jean-Baptiste Berthier (born in 1721 in Tonnerre, died in 1804 in Paris), was an army engineer-geographer, lieutenant-colonel and had been knighted by Louis XV for services rendered. His mother was Marie-Françoise Lhuillier de la Serre, maid to Monsieur (future King Louis XVIII) (born around 1731, died March 29, 1783 in Versailles). In 1809 he married Elisabeth in Bavaria (1784-1849), daughter of Duke William in Bavaria (the great-grandfather of Elisabeth of Wittelsbach). His brother César Berthier was also a general.
During the Monarchy
Intended for the military state, he received a careful education. Louis Alexandre was admitted to the Royal School of Engineering in Mézières in 1764. On January 1, 1766, he was appointed engineer-geographer at the age of thirteen and fought in the American War of Independence under the orders of Lafayette, earning his rank of colonel in 1778. The timeline below shows his career in the military.
The French Revolution
At the start of the French Revolution, as Major General of the National Guard at Versailles, he facilitated the emigration of various personalities including the Count of Artois, the Polignacs and the king's two aunts. During the devastation of the Bellevue Palace by the demonstrators, he harshly restored order, which earned him the opposition of the patriots and the dismissal of the army.
He was employed by Rochambeau, then by Lafayette then as chief of staff by Luckner. When royalty was abolished, he was deposed.
In May 1793, Berthier was recalled and appointed chief of staff of the ci-devant Duc de Biron in Vendée only to be dismissed three weeks later.
On March 2, 1796, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army of Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte.[1]
In 1797, with Monge, he submitted the Treaty of Campo-Formio to the Directory. When Bonaparte left for the Rastadt Congress, he was given command of the army, which he tried to refuse. He occupied Rome (February 10, 1798) and took possession of the Castel Sant'Angelo, overthrew the papal government and proclaimed the Roman Republic.
Bonaparte took him to Egypt where he rendered very valuable services always as chief of staff[3] and returned to France with the chief to prepare the coup d'etat of 18 brumaire.
From the Consulate, Bonaparte appointed him Minister of War.
The Empire
Under the Empire, he was part of the promotion of marshals of 1804 and great huntsman, was showered with favors including the principality of Neuchâtel (1806), he became vice-constable of the Empire in 1807 and finally prince of Wagram (1809 ).
Napoleon married him to Marie Elisabeth in Bavaria, daughter of Prince William of Bavaria, brother-in-law and cousin of the King of Württemberg, (March 9, 1808) with whom he had three children. His descendants are prestigious because allied to various European royal or ducal families:Murat, Lambertini, Durfort Civrac, Beauvau-Craon, La Rochefoucauld, La Tour d'Auvergne, Broglie, Lannes (Duke of Montebello, Prince of Sievers), Caumont La Force , Noailles, Hachette (editions), Polignac ...
Berthier served in all of Napoleon's campaigns as major general of the army.
During the campaigns of Marengo, Austerlitz and Jena, Berthier fulfills with the greatest zeal the important functions of Chief of Staff.
In 1809, he contributed powerfully to the victory of Wagram.
He represents Napoleon, in Vienna, at the wedding with Marie-Louise.
During the Russian campaign, he tries to convince Napoleon not to continue towards Moscow. He even resigned and was disgraced. In the battle of Brienne, on February 24, 1814, he received a spear blow to the head.
The Restoration
On April 11, 1814, he adhered to the decree of the senate which excluded Napoleon from the throne. At the First Restoration, Louis XVIII welcomed him in memory of his past attitude to Versailles; he was captain of one of the companies of bodyguards and peer of France on June 4, 1814.
On his return from the Island of Elba, he follows the king to Ghent
He takes refuge in his castle in Bamberg in Bavaria near his father-in-law where he dies, on June 1, 1815 shortly after his arrival, before Waterloo, falling from the window of the third floor during a fit of hot fever; according to others by suicide or murdered by masked men who remained unknown. He died before the battle of Waterloo where the absence of this excellent chief of staff was sorely felt.
The organizer
As an organizer, we owe him:the training of the consuls' guard (December 1799); the institution of arms of honor (1799); the creation of the Legion of Honor (May 20, 1802); the meeting in Metz of the artillery and engineering application schools (1802); the special military school of Fontainebleau (January 1803); a law which grants territorial properties to veterans, in the 20th and 27th military divisions (April 1803); the creation of eighteen Marshals of the Empire (May 19, 1804), etc.
In short, he had the qualities of chief of staff but was incapable of leading the army on his own, as demonstrated by the catastrophic start to the campaign of 1809 before Napoleon arrived. Pampered by Napoleon, he used his power against other marshals like André Masséna or General Jomini who preferred to go to the Russians in 1813.
A son:Napoleon Alexandre Berthier. Berthier was better suited to carry out the orders of another than to command in chief.
He gave accounts of the Campaign in Egypt, 1800, of the Battle of Marengo, 1804, and left Memoirs, published in 1826.
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- Berthier, Louis-Alexandre, Prince of Neuchâtel and Wagram
Timeline
Commemorative plaque in memory of Berthier affixed to the Ministry of the Navy, rue de l'Indépendance Américaine in Versailles
Commemorative plaque in memory of Berthier affixed to the Ministry of Navy, rue de l 'American Independence at Versailles
* 1753 (November 20):Birth at Versailles of Louis-Alexandre Berthier.
* 1764:Louis-Alexandre is received at the first attempt at the Royal School of Engineering in Mézières.
* 1766 (January 1):On leaving the School, he was appointed engineer-geographer on January 1, 1766.
* 1772 (March):He was a lieutenant in the Flanders Legion.
* 1776 (August):Lieutenant in the dragoons of Lorraine.
* 1777 (June):He is promoted to captain.
* 1780 (September) to June 1783:He took part in the American War of Independence, on Rochambeau's staff.
* 1788:He was made a knight of Saint-Louis.
* 1789:He was appointed lieutenant-colonel in July 1789.
* 1789:He was appointed major-general of the National Guard of Versailles.
* 1791:He helps Madame Adélaïde and Madame Victo ire, aunts of Louis XVI, to flee.
* 1792 (May):He is a field marshal employed in the Northern Army.
* 1792 (August):When the monarchy fell, he was deposed.
* 1795 (March):He was Brigadier General and Chief of Staff of the Army of the Alps and d'Italie.
* 1795 (June):He is appointed general of division.
* 1796 (March):He meets Bonaparte who appoints him chief of staff of the Army of Italy.
* 1796:He distinguished himself at the Battle of the Bridge of Lodi.
* 1799 (November) to 1807 (August):Berthier held the post of Minister of War with a short break from April to October 1800.
* 1800 (June 14) He was wounded at Marengo
* 1804 (May):He is made Marshal of the Empire.
* 1804 (July) Grand huntsman.
* 1805 (February):Gr and-eagle and leader of the 1st cohort of the Legion of Honor.
* 1805 (August):He is made major general of the Grande Armée.
* 1806 (March):He becomes Prince of Neuchâtel and Valangin (Switzerland).
* 1807 (August):Vice-constable.
* 1808 (March) :He marries Marie-Elisabeth of Bavaria-Birkenfeld, thirty years younger than him.
* 1809 (July 6):At Wagram, his horse is killed under him.
* 1809 (August):He is made Prince of Wagram. At that time he had more than a million francs a year. He received the Château de Chambord and its outbuildings as an endowment, and owned the Château de Grosbois and in Paris, the Hôtel de la Colonnade, at the corner of rue des Capucines.
* 1810 (February ):Napoleon chose him to go to Vienna as ambassador extraordinary in order to propose to Archduchess Marie-Louise, daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria.
* 1810 (5 March):He makes his official entry into Vienna.
* 1810 (March 7):He solemnly asks for the hand of Marie-Louise for the Emperor.
* 1810 (March 9):The Archduchess renounces her rights to the Austrian crown.
* 1810 (March 11):the marriage is celebrated in Vienna.
* 1810 (March 13):Berthier and Marie-Louise, leave Vienne for France in the midst of great festivities.
* 1810 (March 27):The Empress arrives in Compiègne accompanied of the Emperor r came to meet him.
* 1812 (February) to 1813 (March):Major-General of the Grand Army in Russia.
* Major-General of the Grande Armée under Napoleon in Germany and then in France.
* 1814 (January):He receives a lance blow to the head at Brienne.
* At the fall of the Empire, he joined the Bourbons. He welcomes Louis XVIII to Compiègne and rides in front of his carriage during his solemn entry into Paris.
* 1814 (June):Peer of France.
* 1814 ( September):He is made Commander of Saint-Louis.
* 1815 (March):When the Emperor returns, he accompanies the King to Ghent and is then removed from the list of marshals .
* He then joined his family living in the castle of Bamberg, in Bavaria. To prevent him from rallying to the Emperor, the allies held him prisoner.
* 1815 (June 1):He died falling from a window on the third floor of Bamberg Castle .
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- Berthier coat of arms