La Bataille d’ Austerlitz 1805© Marshal Enterprises

The Heroism of General Jean Rapp Remembered The Napoleonic Wars featured many brave and resolute figures on both sides of the line. On the French side, an argument can be made that the two marshals called “Bravest of the Brave,” Michel Ney and Jean Lannes were in fact what their sobriquet titled them, but another figure stands out for his ferocious bravery---one who made his mark at many places, including Austerlitz. That person is General Jean Rapp. Rapp was an Alsatian of modest birth. His parents would have preferred him to enter the Protestant clergy, but the Revolution turned everything around, and he ended up being trained as a chasseur à cheval. Rapp soon found himself as an aide-de-camp to General Louis Desaix, first in Germany and then in Egypt, where he served with substantial distinction. Following the unfortunate death of Desaix at Marengo in 1800, Napoleon took Rapp under his guidance and named him as one of his illustrious aides de camp. He quickly became a court and staff favorite, and along with Lannes, was someone who Napoleon spoke to using the pronoun “thou” rather than “you” or “Monsieur le General.” Napoleon and Rapp had an unusual relationship in which Rapp would often quarrel and disagree with the Emperor. But Rapp was loyal to the end to his emperor, and he saved Napoleon from assassination or capture on at least three different occasions. In addition to his substantial military duties throughout his action-packed career, Rapp also performed several other duties, including diplomatic; administrative; reconnaissance and training tasks---all of which he proved himself to be at the highest level of performance. In 1801, he was sent to Marseilles to organize Napoleon’s Mamelukes who had come from Egypt. With their training completed in 1803, the Mamelukes were assigned to quarter with the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard. It was this small squadron of colorfully clothed and diversely assembled cavalry from throughout the Middle East that General Rapp led to victory, along with other Guard cavalry, in their heroic charge which crushed the Russian Guard at Austerlitz. Despite an extensive set of memoirs left behind, Rapp does not mention his two year long stint whipping the Mamelukes into shape in his writings…in fact, the always humble Rapp only says the following of his leadership of the Guard Cavalry at Austerlitz…”Napoleon had ordered me to take the Mamelukes, two squadrons of chasseurs, and one of grenadiers of the guard and to go forward to reconnoitre the state of things.”…he then reports that he, along with Colonel Morland and General Dallamagne charged forward to “avenge our colours.” Rapp’s attack took the Russian guns out of action and then his small group of French Guard cavalry attacked a far larger group of Russian Guard and “the intrepidity of our troops triumphed over every obstacle.” Rapp, as might be expected, suffered a sabre wound to the head. A very short recovery for Rapp was followed by a new assignment to work with General Marmont and Marshal Massena on some key diplomatic issues still outstanding after Austerlitz.

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