Jean Lann
FranceBiography of Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello and Marshal of France, was born on April 10, 1769, in Lectoure, Gascony. He was the fifth son of a peasant and initially worked as a dyer. However, his life took a different turn when he joined the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Jers Department on June 4, 1792. Just 16 days later, he was promoted to sub-lieutenant.
Lannes quickly rose through the ranks and became the commander of a brigade in December 1793. He participated in battles during the East Pyrenees campaign, including the battles of Villeneuve and Montesquiou. In 1794, he joined the Society of Mountain Revolutionaries in the town of Lectoure. From 1796 to 1797, Lannes fought in Italy and distinguished himself in battles such as Loano, Millesimo, Dego, Lodi, Arcole, Bassano, Pavia, and Rivoli.
In June 1798, Lannes commanded a brigade in the Eastern Army, which was sent to Egypt by the government under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte. He proved himself in battles at Saint-Jean-d'Acre and Abukir. On May 10, 1799, he was promoted to divisional general. Lannes played an active role in the coup of 18 Brumaire and, along with Marmon, took control of all routes to the Tuileries Palace. On April 16, 1800, he was appointed as the commander of the Consular Guard.
Lannes led the vanguard of the Reserve Army of Bonaparte, consisting of the divisions of Watrin and Mainoni, as well as the cavalry brigade of Rivaud. On May 16, 1800, he captured the town of Aosta after a fierce battle, and on May 17, he defeated a 1,500-strong Austrian detachment in Châtillon. Despite being a republican, Lannes continued to address Napoleon as "thou" or "you" informally. When Napoleon pointed out the inappropriateness of such behavior, Lannes declared, "Bonaparte disregards friendship. He betrays it. A former friend seeks to become a master."
Lannes faced accusations of misusing state funds after borrowing 400,000 francs from the Guard's capital to finance the construction of a new mansion, following Napoleon's advice. Although the debt was eventually paid off by Oudet, Lannes lost his position as the commander of the Guard and was appointed as ambassador to Portugal on November 14, 1802. After this, Lannes ceased to address Napoleon informally, and their relationship remained cold for the rest of his life.
Promoted to Marshal of France in 1804, Lannes proved to be an ineffective diplomat. From August 23, 1805, he commanded the 5th Corps of the Grand Army. During the Battle of Ulm, Lannes, leading the combined Grenadier division, showed initiative and achieved significant success at Wertingen while assisting Joachim Murat. He distinguished himself at the battles of Austerlitz and Schöngrabern.
During the Battle of Jena in 1806, Lannes' corps bore the brunt of the first stage of the battle. He personally led a bayonet charge by the 100th Infantry Regiment. On December 26, 1806, he engaged the Russian forces in Pulawy on the right bank of the Narew River. Besides his two own divisions, he also commanded a division from Marshal Davout's corps, totaling about 25,000 men against Bennigsen's 35,000. The battle ended in a stalemate.
From May 5, 1807, Lannes commanded the Reserve Corps. In the Battle of Friedland on June 14, 1807, Lannes, supported by General Grushe's cavalry, faced a strong Russian army. Through his decisive yet risky actions, Lannes managed to hold back his superior enemy forces until the arrival of the main French army (from 3 to 22 hours). On September 13, 1807, he was honored with the rank of honorary lieutenant colonel of the Swiss.
In October 1808, Lannes was sent to Spain. On September 25, 1808, he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. On November 23, 1808, he defeated General Castaños' 40,000-strong army at Tudela, and then led a two-month-long siege of Zaragoza. The fortress surrendered on February 21, 1809. From January 8, 1809, Lannes commanded the 3rd and 5th Corps of the Army of Spain. In April 1809, he took command of the 2nd Corps of the Army of Germany.
On April 23, 1809, Lannes stormed the stubbornly defended fortress of Ratisbon, held by Archduke Charles' rearguard. He personally led the assault forces. In the Battle of Aspern-Essling on May 22, 1809, he initially overpowered the Austrian forces but was later cut off from the main army and began a slow retreat. In the evening of May 22, Napoleon handed him command of the army near Essling. Lannes was mortally wounded by a cannonball that shattered his leg. The chief surgeon, Larrey, amputated his leg, and for several days, Lannes showed signs of recovery. However, gangrene set in, and he passed away.
