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He lost an eye during a hunting accident. In March 1809, he organized a corps of 40,000 men and joined the Grande Armée for the Austrian campaign. After the battles of Landshut and Eckmühl (April 21), he managed to take Ebersdorff (May 3), thus opening up the road to Vienna.
- Beginnings
- Army of Italy
- Switzerland and Italy
- Marshal of The Empire
- Portugal and Spain
- Disgrace
Born in Nice to a shopkeeper, André Masséna experienced a rough childhood. His father died when he was six, and at age thirteen he ran away to escape to sea as a cabin boy. He spent the next four years sailing on the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean before returning to Nice. Once back in Piedmont, he enlisted in the Royal Italian Regiment in th...
Masséna returned to the Army of Italy in January of 1794 where he took command of the right wing. As the French army went on the offensive, he took part in the expedition to Oneglia and Saorgio by seizing Ormeo and Garessio and then fighting at Saorgio. That May he occupied the pass of Tende, but the offensive was halted during the summer. In Septe...
Masséna was recalled to service in August of 1798 when he was named commander of a division of the Army of Mainz. Four months later he was named commander of the Army of Switzerland but put under the overall strategic command of General Jourdan. Masséna launched an offensive in March of 1799 by invading Grisons and seizing Coire, but he was unable ...
In 1804 Masséna was created a Marshal of the Empire and in 1805 he received the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor. For the campaigns of 1805 Masséna was recalled to active service and given command of the Army of Italy. While the Grande Armée maneuvered across Germany and Austria, Masséna took the offensive and seized Verona before fighting an ind...
Marshal Masséna returned to France in late 1809 and in early 1810 he was created the Prince of Essling in recognition of his service at the Battle of Aspern-Essling. He would not receive much time for rest though, for in April he was named commander of the Army of Portugal despite his protests. Initially he refused the command until Napoleon person...
Masséna returned to Paris in disgrace, but in 1813 he was given command of the 8th military division at Toulon. In 1814 his daughter married General Reille, his former aide-de-camp. After Napoleon's abdication in 1814, Masséna accepted the Bourbon Restoration and remained at Toulon. However, when the Bourbons discovered that he was not a French cit...
Oct 28, 2019 · In 1808, he lost the sight of one eye following an accident at a hunting party. The shot was likely fired by Napoleon, who blamed it on Berthier! In 1809, Masséna was active in the German campaign and continued to distinguish himself as one of Napoleon’s most valued subordinates.
May 2, 2024 · André Masséna, duc de Rivoli, prince d’Essling (born May 6, 1758, Nice, France—died April 4, 1817, Paris) was a leading French general of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Orphaned at an early age, Masséna enlisted in the Royal Italian regiment in the French service in 1775.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Marshal André Masséna, duc de Rivolii, prince d’Essling (1758- 1817), was one of the most successful and victorious commanders of Napoleon’s army. He earned his reputation as a very effective and dedicated divisional commander in Italy. He played a primary role in Napoleon’s greatest battles, Lodi, Castiglione, Bassano, Arcola, and ...
Masséna was soon ordered to deploy his brigade in the snow-capped mile-high mountain camp of Fougasse. In this dangerous position, he learned to cope with the inclement weather, the rugged mountains, and a well supplied enemy army, while his own troops suffered from an acute lack of supplies and shelter.
André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817), was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon I, with the nickname l'Enfant chéri de la Victoire (the Dear Child of Victory).
