DAVOUT, Louis NICOLAs, Duke of and Prince of ErKAI VIM One of Napoleon's most celebrated marshals. He was born May 10, 1770. at Annoux. in Bur gundy, of a noble provincial family. After being educated at Brienne he entered the army as lieutenant of cavalry in 1788, but his revolu tionary leanings led to his dismissal in 1700. Ile soon reappeared, however, in the Army of National Defense, and during the Revolutionary wars served with distinction under Dumon•iez, Pi•hegrn, and Moreau. In 1798 he rose to be general. and accompanied his chief, Desaix, to Egypt. There he soon attracted the attention of Bonaparte by the skillful way in which he handled his troops at Abukir. On returning to France in 1600, Davont was made a general of division and commanded the cavalry in the Italian campaign of that year. Shortly afler wards he became inspector-general of cavalry and eommander of the Consular guard. Soon after the Empire was proclaimed he became a marshal of France (1804), a member of the Legion of llo»m- (13115), and commander of the Third Army Corps. In all of Napoleon's campaigns Marshal %vont distinguished himself. At Auerstlidt (1806) his generalship won the day against superior forces. After the Peace of Tilsit Payout was left as Governor of the Grand Duehy of War saw. Ibis harsh administration provoked numer ous complaints on the part of the inhabitant s ; hut be appears to have inertly carried out the in str•tions of Napoleon. who, in 1808, created him Duke of Ane•stiidt. The brilliant victory
won at Eekintild in 1809 earned for him the further title of Prince. At \Vagrant (q.v.) he practically won the battle by turning the enemy's left. Ile took a prominent part in the Rus sian campaigns of 1812, gaining a victory at Malley and being wounded at Borodino. After the retreat he was made commandant of the Thirty-second Military District, with headquar ters at Hamburg,: but after defending the city for several months against S0,000 Germans, he surrendered and made his submission to Louis XVIII. His loyalty, however, was not proof against the return of Napoleon, and during the Hundred Days he acted as Minister of War and showed remarkable genius in organizing troops and proeurnul_r. supplies. After Waterloo be was forced to surrender the command be had as sumed under the walls of Paris, and for a time was in deep disgrace and deprived of his titles and estates. Nevertheless he protested vigor ously against the proscription of 1815, and made praiseworthy efforts to save Ney's life. In 1817 his rank was restored to him, and in 1819 he took a seat in the 'House of Peers, where he fre quently protested his loyalty to the Bourbon line. lie died in Paris, dune 1, 1823. Consult: Blocqueville, Le man'chal Do rout (Paris, 1879 80) eorrespondance man'ehal Damn!, ed. Mazad• (1 vols., Paris, 1885) ; Jomini, Life of Napoleon, trans.. by Halleek (5 vols., New York, 186-1).