MacDonald: The Forgotten Marshal?
Rachael Stark returns with her monthly Marshal feature, as we look at one of the Marshals who has been pushed to the edge of popular memory: The morally principled MacDonald.
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After a pause the Napoleonicist fortunately continues, this time another marshal, the Duc de Tarente, aska - Etienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre Macdonald. I would agree that he appears to be quite pale and what kind of action is remembered - his brake through column at Wagram - or his leading role in negotiating among Ney and Caulaincourt about the abdication of Boney? I have to read up wabout 1798 / 99 where he apparently was involved in a scandel in Rome and he had a clash with Championet (another forgotten general of the French Republic) but he seemingly recovered and became général en chef of l'armée de Naples, I attach a contemporary photo showing him in full regalia of the 1798 regulations of a général en chef including the side arm which should go along with that rank. He was another one who had to suffer from his attachment to Moreau, even when this later one was accused by high treason by Boney - who was after his neck, but a lot in the army refused and paid hommage to their old chef, like standing up and applauding when he entered the court room. In 1809 he was re activated as a military adivisor of Eugène who did initially not that well in Italy. According to legend he did wear his old French Republican generals uniform instead of an Imperial one. Then he commanded the 10 corps in 1812 and had to watch that York was able to sign the famous convention of Tauroggen, quite another blow to Boney.
I think you overestimate MacDonald in this regard, what could he do, his position was weak, compare also how liberal Schwarenzberg moved on the right flank, agree there was no direct superior to him, but still he was on the long leash. Though Austria and Prussia were forced to join Boney for 1812 - they had a sort of special status. The Prussians so far fullfilled their part of the treaty down to the last letter - not only supplying soldiers but also espcially in the preparation of the campaign a lot of food and other logistical aid (to almost self distruction). Yorck was difficult to control anyway as Blücher and Geneisenau experienced in 1813 and 1814.