Louis-Nicolas Davout

Louis-Nicolas d'Avout ( French: [lwi nikɔla davu]; 10 May 1770 – 1 June 1823), better known as Davout, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. His talent for war, along with his reputation as a stern disciplinarian, earned him the nickname "The Iron Marshal" (Le Maréchal de fer). He is ranked as one of Napoleon's finest commanders, and also stands among the most outstanding military commanders of the modern era.

Born into a minor noble family in Burgundy, Davout was educated at the École Militaire and joined a royal cavalry regiment in 1788. On the outbreak of the French Revolution, Davout embraced the revolutionary cause and first distinguished himself at the Battle of Neerwinden. Rapidly rising through the ranks, he took part in the 1796 Rhine campaign and Napoleon's Egyptian expedition, and by 1800 he had reached the rank of divisional general.