7 – Andre Massena (1758 – 1817) [Napoleon Bonaparte]
Massena was one of Napoleon’s eighteen Marshals of the Empire and had the nickname ‘the Dear Child of Victory.’ He differed from most of Napoleon’s other generals insofar as he did not train at the best military academies that France and Europe had to offer. Instead, his was a natural gift for command, and he rose from humble origins. Indeed, he was once called ‘the greatest name of my military Empire’ by Napoleon.
Massena was born in Nice in 1758 and was the son of a shopkeeper. He was sent to live with relatives in 1764 when his father died, and his mother remarried. At the age of 13, Massena worked as a cabin boy on a merchant ship and spent four years at sea before returning to Nice to enlist in the French Army. In 14 years, he rose from the rank of Private to the role of Warrant Officer, the highest attainable rank for someone of non-noble birth.
He showed his leadership skills during the French Revolutionary Wars which broke out in 1792 and the following year; he was promoted to the rank of general of brigade following by the title ‘general of division’ in December 1793. Massena was involved in virtually every important campaign on the Italian Riviera for several years, and when Napoleon became the leader of the army in 1796, he quickly recognized Massena’s talent. Massena repaid this faith by playing a major role in the victory at Rivoli in 1797.
One of his most impressive victories came at the Second Battle of Zurich in 1799. In the aftermath, he forced the legendary General Suvorov to retreat across the Panix Pass. When he refused to buckle under an Austrian siege of Genoa in 1800, Massena’s reputation was at its peak. His stubborn refusal to yield forced the Austrians to use enormous resources in the siege and paved the way for Napoleon’s victory at Marengo. Massena was rewarded with command of the French forces in Italy, but he was quickly removed from his position; apparently for excessive looting.
Napoleon forgave Massena and promoted him to the position of Marshal of France in 1804. He was shot in the eye in a hunting accident in 1808, but the following year, he once against distinguished himself in the Danube campaign and received the title Prince d’Essling. In 1810, as the commander during the invasion of Portugal, Massena was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Bucaco. He retreated and suffered further defeats at Sabugal and Fuentes de Onoro and was removed from command. Massena never served again; a harsh ending to a brilliant career. He died in Paris in 1817.