Louis-Nicolas Davout

Louis-Nicolas d'Avout, 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". He is ranked along with Marshals André Masséna, Louis-Gabriel Suchet, and Jean Lannes as one of Napoleon's finest commanders, and also stands among the most outstanding military commanders of the modern era. His loyalty and obedience to Napoleon were absolute. During his lifetime, Davout's name was commonly spelled Davoust—this spelling appears on the Arc de Triomphe and in much of the correspondence between Napoleon and his generals.