Death of Jean Lannes

 Jean Lannes (April 10, 1769–MMay 31, 1809, after being mortally wounded in the Battle of Aspern-Essling, Duke of Montebello (Duc de Montebello), was a field marshal of Napoleon. Lannes, famous as A brave and talented commander, he is considered one of Napoleon's closest marshals. When Lannes died, the emperor said: "I discovered Lannes when he was an insignificant man; I lost Lannes when he was already a great man" ("Je l'avais pris pygmée, je l" 'ai perdu géant").

Jean Lannes Biographie

Jean Lannes was born in 1769 in Lectoure, Gers, southern France (the same Occitanie region as Field Marshal Joachim Murat). Lannes, the sixth of eight siblings, dropped out of school to seek a profession as a dyer. He joined the National Guard at Lectoure in 1792. Lannes learned the fundamentals of the soldier's trade at this unit.

Napoleon with Jean Lannes

Like many of his comrades, Lannes soon transferred to the 2nd Gers volunteer battalion stationed at Auch for more complete training. He was promoted to second lieutenant on June 20, 1792. In mid-May 1793, the young lieutenant won his first combat at Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, near the Pyrenees' Coustouge Pass. As soon as the Gers men arrived, they were knocked out of the bastion by the Spanish soldiers. Jean Lannes, who was participating in combat for the first time, inspired the spirit of all his comrades and succeeded in reorganizing the dispersed French soldiers to plan a counterattack.

The Spaniards were beaten after being caught off guard by this counterattack. Lannes continued to demonstrate bravery and combat ability in the wars that followed, and he was elevated to lieutenant on September 25, 1793, then to general a month later, on October 31, 1793. Lannes was also a member of Freemasonry at the time.

Napoleon's Trusted General

Napoleon Bonaparte first spotted Jean Lannes on April 15, 1796, at the Battle of Dego, when Lannes was noted for his gallantry in bayonet combats to defend the city. Soon after, Bonaparte assigned Lannes as brigade commander, and he led an elite regiment of soldiers who crossed the Po River and fought at the Battle of Lodi Bridge on May 10, 1796.

Here, Lannes led his unit across the bridge against the fierce resistance of the Austrian artillery. At the Battle of Bassano on September 7, he once again demonstrated rare bravery in battle. On September 15, Lannes was wounded a second time at Governorlo. On November 14, at the Battle of Arcole Bridge, despite being wounded, Lannes continued to command the French units, which were being fiercely attacked by the Austrians, to organize a counterattack and save Bonaparte from capture by the Austrians In just one skirmish at Arcole, Lannes was wounded three times.

Jean Lannes continued to engage in the campaign at Rivoli and later at Imola on January 14, 1797, despite the fact that he was not yet cured. Lannes was entrusted with a diplomatic mission in Portugal by Bonaparte in 1801, but due to scholastic constraints (Lannes dropped out relatively early), the trusted general was unable to accomplish the duty assigned to him by the First Consul, and Bonaparte never utilized Lannes on diplomatic missions. He was relieved of command in 1802 due to his involvement in a financial scandal. Lannes, along with Michel Ney, Joachim Murat, and others, was quickly rehabilitated and raised to field marshal in the first major consecration in 1804.

The Napoleonic Wars

After Bonaparte's ascent to the throne in 1805, Field Marshal Lannes was assigned to lead Napoleon's V Corps (La Grande Armée), Lannes' corps that participated in Napoleon's army's great triumphs at Ulm, Austerlitz, Iena, Pultusk, and Friedland. Lannes commanded La Grande Armée's left flank during the Battle of Austerlitz. The field marshal demonstrated his leadership abilities in the Battle of Iéna and later at the Battle of Friedland during the wars of 1806–1807. Lannes was appointed commander of the French forces in Spain in 1808, and on November 22, he achieved an important victory at Tudela. Lannes was bestowed the title Duke of Montebello after successfully seizing Saragossa on February 21, 1809. 

While prevailing over the Austrians in the Battle of Aspern-Essling on May 22, 1809, Lannes received an order to halt the attack due to a disruption in French supplies. Lannes paused on a rock on his way to examine the situation of the units under his command when a cannonball fell just where the field marshal had just passed. Lannes was severely injured and was taken to Lobeau Island in the middle of the Danube for treatment.

The marshal's right leg was amputated by Surgeon Larrey of the Guards, but this did not prevent gangrene, and Jean Lannes died a week later, on May 31, 1809. Napoleon was with him in his final hours and spent a long time talking with the marshal. Lannes' remains were brought to the Pantheon in a solemn ceremony after his death. The marshal's body was later interred in Montmartre Cemetery.

The Emperor's Friend Marshal Jean Lannes

Lannes demonstrated commanding qualities in a variety of positions, from the strike force (in Saragosse or Montebello), the vanguard (Friedland and Aspern-Essling), or the movement force (Ulm, Iéna). Lannes, along with Davout, became one of Napoleon's most talented and trusted field marshals after a string of victories. Lannes was a popular general among his officers and soldiers because of his bravery, commanding skills, and sympathy for soldiers.

Lannes could not abide by the emperor's laws and frivolous titles, and although he was made Duke of Montebello and Prince of Sievers, he frequently refused to use these titles and preferred family life over a prince's regal life. Lannes, on the other hand, remained entirely devoted to his emperor, and Napoleon likewise placed his trust in the marshal, whom soldiers referred to as "Roland of the army" (a legendary medieval hero). Lannes was the sole marshal who spoke to Napoleon informally until his death.