These Little Known People from History Changed the Way We Live Every Day

40. Michel Ney was called the bravest of the brave

Napoleon referred to Marshal Michel Ney as “the bravest of the brave’ but during the Hundred Days Campaign in 1815 which culminated in Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, much of the failure of the French campaign was due to Ney. He failed to defeat Wellington’s still consolidating army at the Battle of Quatre Bras and allowed the British to withdraw unhindered, enabling them to maintain contact with their Prussian allies. At Waterloo itself he led an attack which severely weakened the French cavalry and did little damage to the British Army. Ney is well known to Napoleonic war buffs, but forgotten to history elsewhere, largely because of his failures. He was executed for treason in December 1815.

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