Marshal Michel Ney - Napoleonic Wars Biography

Marshal Michel Ney - Napoleonic Wars Biography Michel Ney - Early Life: Born in Saarlouis, France on January 10, 1769, Michel Ney was the son of master barrel cooper Pierre Ney and his wife Margarethe. Due to Saarlouis location in Lorraine, Ney was raised bilingual and was fluent in both French and German. Coming of age, he received his education at the Collà ¨ge des Augustins and became a notary in his hometown. After a brief stint as an overseer of mines, he ended his career as a civil servant and enlisted in the Colonel-General Hussar Regiment in 1787. Proving himself a gifted soldier, Ney swiftly moved through the non-commissioned ranks. Michel Ney - Wars of the French Revolution: With the beginning of the French Revolution, Neys regiment was assigned to the Army of the North. In September 1792, he was present at the French victory at Valmy and was commissioned as an officer the next month. The following year he served at the Battle of Neerwinden and was wounded at the siege of Mainz. Transferring to the Sambre-et-Meuse in June 1794, Neys talents were quickly recognized and he continued to advance in rank, reaching gà ©nà ©ral de brigade in August 1796. With this promotion came command of the French cavalry on the German front. In April 1797, Ney led the cavalry at the Battle of Neuwied. Charging a body of Austrian lancers that were attempting to seize French artillery, Neys men found themselves counterattacked by enemy cavalry. In the fighting that ensued, Ney was unhorsed and taken prisoner. He remained a prisoner of war for a month until being exchanged in May. Returning to active service, Ney participated in the capture of Mannheim later that year. Two years later he was promoted to gà ©neral de division in March 1799. Commanding the cavalry in Switzerland and along the Danube, Ney was wounded in the wrist and thigh at Winterthur. Recovering from his wounds, he joined General Jean Moreaus Army of the Rhine and took part in the victory at the Battle of Hohenlinden on December 3, 1800. In 1802, he was assigned to command French troops in Switzerland and oversaw French diplomacy in the region. On August 5 of that year, Ney returned to France to marry Aglaà © Louise Auguià ©. The couple would be married for the remainder of Neys life and would have four sons. Michel Ney - Napoleonic Wars: With the rise of Napoleon, Neys career accelerated as he was appointed one of the first eighteen Marshals of the Empire on May 19, 1804. Assuming command of the VI Corps of the La Grand Armà ©e the following year, Ney defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Elchingen that October. Pressing into the Tyrol, he captured Innsbruck a month later. During the 1806 campaign, Neys VI Corps took part in the Battle of Jena on October 14, and then moved to occupy Erfurt and capture Magdeburg. As winter set in, the fighting continued and Ney played a key role in rescuing the French army at the Battle of Eylau on February 8, 1807. Pressing on, Ney participated in the Battle of Gà ¼ttstadt and commanded the right wing of the army during Napoleons decisive triumph against the Russians at Friedland on June 14. For his exemplary service, Napoleon created him Duke of Elchingen on June 6, 1808. Shortly thereafter, Ney and his corps were dispatched to Spain. After two years on the Iberian Peninsula, he was ordered to aid in the invasion of Portugal. After capturing Ciudad Rodrigo and Coa, he was defeated at the Battle of Buà §aco. Working with Marshal Andrà © Massà ©na, Ney and the French flanked the British position and continued their advance until they were turned back at the Lines of Torres Vedras. Unable to penetrate the allied defenses, Massà ©na ordered a retreat. During the withdrawal, Ney was removed from command for insubordination. Returning to France, Ney was given command of the III Corps of the La Grand Armà ©e for the 1812 invasion of Russia. In August of that year, he was wounded in the neck leading his men at the Battle of Smolensk. As the French drove further into Russia, Ney commanded his men in the central section of the French lines at the Battle of Borodino on September 7, 1812. With the collapse of the invasion later that year, Ney was assigned to command the French rearguard as Napoleon retreated back to France. Cut off from the main body of the army, Neys men were able to fight their way through and rejoin their comrades. For this action he was dubbed the bravest of the brave by Napoleon. After taking part in the Battle of Berezina, Ney helped hold the bridge at Kovno and reputedly was the last French soldier to leave Russian soil. In reward for his service in Russia, he was given the title Prince of the Moskowa on March 25, 1813. As the War of the Sixth Coalition raged, Ney took part in the victories at Là ¼tzen and Bautzen. That fall he was present when French troops were defeated at the Battles of Dennewitz and Leipzig. With the French Empire collapsing, Ney aided in defending France through early 1814, but became the spokesman for the Marshals revolt in April and encouraged Napoleon to abdicate. With the defeat of Napoleon and restoration of Louis XVIII, Ney was promoted and made a peer for his role in the revolt. Michel Ney - The Hundred Days Death: Neys loyalty to the new regime was quickly tested in 1815, with Napoleons return to France from Elba. Swearing allegiance to the king, he began assembling forces to counter Napoleon and pledged to bring the former emperor back to Paris in an iron cage. Aware of Neys plans, Napoleon sent him a letter encouraging him to rejoin his old commander. This Ney did on March 18, when he joined Napoleon at Auxerre Three months later, Ney was made the commander of the left wing of the new Army of the North. In this role, he defeated the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Quatre Bras on June 16, 1815. Two days later, Ney played a key role at the Battle of Waterloo. His most famous order during the decisive battle was to send forward the French cavalry against the allied lines. Surging forward, they were unable to break the squares formed by the British infantry and were forced to retreat. Following the defeat at Waterloo, Ney was hunted down arrested. Taken into custody on August 3, he was tried for treason that December by the Chamber of Peers. Found guilty, he was executed by firing squad near the Luxembourg Garden on December 7, 1815. During his execution, Ney refused to wear a blindfold and insisted upon giving the order to fire himself. His final words were reportedly: Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her... Soldiers Fire!† Selected Sources Napoleonic Guide: Marshal Michel NeyNNDB: Marshal Michel NeyTrial of Marshal Ney

Tips for Writing a Winning College Application Essay

Tips for Writing a Winning College Application Essay Nearly all colleges rate application essays as either important or very important in their admissions process. A poorly executed essay can cause a stellar student to get rejected. On the flip side, exceptional application essays can help students with marginal scores get into the schools of their dreams. The tips below will help you win big with your essay. Also be sure to check out these tips for the 7 personal essay options on the Common Application, this ​​advice for improving your essays style, and the sample essays. Avoid the List on Your Application Essay Many college applicants make the mistake of trying to include all of their accomplishments and activities in their application essays. Such essays read like what they are: tedious lists. Other parts of the application provide plenty of space for you to list extracurricular activities, so save your lists for the places where they belong. The most engaging and compelling essays tell a story and have a clear focus. Through carefully chosen detail, your writing should reveal your passions and expose your personality. A thoughtful and detailed narration of a difficult time in your life tells far more about you than a list of competitions won and honors achieved. Your grades and scores show that you’re smart. Use your essay to show that you’re thoughtful and mature, that your personality has depth. Add a Touch of Humor   While its important to be thoughtful and mature, you dont want your college application essay to be too heavy. Try to lighten up the essay with a clever metaphor, a well-placed witticism, or a little self-deprecating humor. But dont overdo it. The essay that is filled with bad puns or off-color jokes will often end up in the rejection pile. Also, humor isnt a substitute for substance. Your primary task is to answer the essay prompt thoughtfully; the smile you bring to your readers lips is just a bonus (and a tear can sometimes be effective too). Many students have been rejected for failing to take the prompt seriously and writing essays that end up being more foolish than clever. Focus on Tone Not just humor, but the overall tone of your application essay is remarkably important. Its also difficult to get right. When you are asked to write about your accomplishments, those 750 words on how great you are can make you sound like a braggart. Be careful to balance your pride in your achievements with humility and generosity towards others. You also want to avoid sounding like a whiner use your essay to show off your skills, not to explain the injustices that lead to your low math score or failure to graduate #1 in your class. Reveal Your Character Along with the essay, most colleges rate character and personal qualities as extremely important in their admissions decisions. Your character shows up in three places on the application: the interview (if you have one), your involvement in extracurricular activities, and your essay. Of the three, the essay is the most immediate and illuminating to the admissions folks as they read through thousands of applications. Remember, colleges aren’t looking solely for straight As and high SAT scores. They are looking for good citizens for their campus communities. Mechanics Matter Grammatical problems, punctuation errors, and spelling mistakes can hurt your chance of being accepted. When excessive, these errors are distracting and make your application essay difficult to understand. Even a few errors, however, can be a strike against you. They show a lack of care and quality control in your written work, and your success in college partly depends upon strong writing skills. If English isnt your greatest strength, seek help. Ask a favorite teacher to go over the essay with you, or find a friend with strong editorial skills. If you cant find expert help, there are many online essay services that can provide a careful critique of your writing.