Masséna

André, duke of Rivoli, prince of Essling, Marshal (1804).
(Nice, 1758 - Paris, 1817)

A career of ups and downs for this former adjutant of the royal armies, a general since 1793. He won some battles but was famous for the way he despoiled the enemy.
Massena, son of a tradesman, became an orphan as a very young and was raised haphazardly.. At the age of thirteen he sailed as a cabin-boy. Four years later he joined the Royal Italian Regiment, in which he served for fourteen years. After being an adjutant for many years he had reached the highest rank for plebeians. He left the army, settled down in Antibes, married.

Signing up for the national guard, in rapid order he was named brigadier general on August 22, 1793, then general of a division in December of the same year.

When Bonaparte was named commanding general of the army in Italy Massena received the command of the advance guard. Present at Montenotte, Dego, Lodi, he was the first to enter Milan. At Rivoli his actions were decisive. He had become an important man and at one time was spoken of as a possible Director. The Directorate had him replace Berthier as commander of the troops occupying the States of the Church. Massena harshly repressed the insurrection of the troops who were discontent because not paid. The officers let him know they would not recognize him as their chief; Massena had to leave his position after three days.

He turned to Napoleon, wrote to him "What will become of me? I rely on your generosity, I look for your support." Bonaparte did nothing. The Directorate recalled him in 1799; hostilities had been resumed with Austria. Commanding first the army in Switzerland and later those on the Danube and on the Rhine after the dismissal of Bernadotte and Jourdan, he took up a position and waited for the enemy to make a mistake. In September of 1799 he defeated the Austrians and Russians at Zurich.
After the eighteenth of brumaire Bonaparte sent Massena into Italy. The Austrians cut his army in two and in April of 1800 Massena had to take refuge in Genoa. After a three month siege he surrendered on June 4, 1800. His resistance allowed him to take his troops out of the city with the honors of war. Massena was disgraced again, perhaps for not having approved the coup d'etat of the 18th of brumaire.

He retired to Rueil. Becoming a deputy in July of 1803, he voted against the consulate for life. Never the less, he received a marshal's baton in 1804. The following year Napoleon again put him in command of the army in Italy, He took Verona and kept Archduke Charles' troops occupied while Napoleon marched on Vienna.

After the Treaty of Presburg was signed in 1805 Massena received the command of the army the objective of which was to install Joseph on the throne of Naples.
Following that he joined the emperor in Poland after the Battle of Eylau (February 8, 1807), where he commanded the right wing of the combined army up to the signing of the Peace of Tilsit. Massena returned to Rueil with the title of duke of Rivoli. He lost an eye in a hunting accident.

In March of 1809 he organized a corps of 40,000 men and joined the combined army for the Austrian campaign. After the Battles of Landshut and Eckmuehl (21 April) he succeeded in taking Ebersdorf (3 May), thus opening the way to Vienna. When Lannes was killed at Essling on May 22 Massena, at the head of the Frenchmen remaining on the left bank of the river, had to protect the bridge over which the French army had to retreat onto Lobau Island. At Wagram on July 5 and 6 he withstood the bulk of the Austrian attack. At the end of that campaign Massena was made prince of Essling.

In 1810 he received the command of the army in Portugal. After having invaded that country and after having taken Ciudad Rodrigo on July 10 and Almeida, Massena hurled himself on Wellington and his fortifications of Torres Vedras on July 27. Once again he held on, awaiting reinforcements which never came. He was forced to withdraw in 1811. Once again he was disgraced by Napoleon, perhaps this time for his depredations. He never again saw a battle.

Military governor of Marseilles, he continued to hold that position during the Restoration. During the Hundred Days he returned to Napoleon. Commandant of the national guard in Paris after Waterloo, he was quickly relieved of that duty by Louis XVIII. He died two years later, at the age of fifty seven.