From Peace to War: Ney’s Domestic Interlude

After the thunderous cannons of Friedland fell silent in 1807, Marshal Michel Ney enjoyed a rare period of domestic tranquility that would prove fleeting in Napoleon’s empire. The “Bravest of the Brave” sold his countryside property at Le Petit-Margency and acquired the more substantial Château de Coudreaux, establishing a rhythm of life alternating between this peaceful retreat and his Paris residence. Unlike many of his fellow marshals who amassed fortunes through questionable means during this period, Ney maintained his reputation for honesty – a notable exception in an era when wartime profiteering had become almost institutionalized.

This interlude lasted nearly a year until Napoleon’s summons came in 1808. The Emperor, having transformed Spain from ally to intended vassal under his brother Joseph’s rule, needed his most capable commanders. What began as a supposed joint Franco-Spanish operation to partition Portugal quickly revealed itself as full-scale occupation, sparking widespread rebellion that would test Ney’s military skill and personal principles in unprecedented ways.

The Spanish Quagmire: Early French Reverses

The French invasion met unexpected resistance from the outset. The shocking surrender of General Dupont’s 17,000 men at Bailén on July 22, 1808 became a rallying cry for Spanish resistance, while British forces landing in Portugal forced the humiliating Convention of Cintra. By late summer, Joseph Bonaparte’s rule had collapsed to a narrow strip north of the Ebro River, with Madrid abandoned to insurgents.

Napoleon, meeting Tsar Alexander at Erfurt that autumn, recognized the gravity of the situation. “I sent lambs to be devoured,” he remarked, “now I will send wolves to devour them!” Among these wolves was Ney’s VI Corps, joining a formidable force of veteran troops marching from Germany. Their progress through France resembled a victory parade, with cheering crowds welcoming the conquerors of Jena and Friedland – little suspecting the brutal conflict awaiting them beyond the Pyrenees.

The Horror of Guerrilla Warfare

Ney’s advance toward Soria in November 1808 marked his first encounter with the Spanish insurgency’s particular brutality. Unlike conventional warfare between professional armies, this conflict blurred all lines between combatant and civilian. The marshal, no stranger to battlefield carnage, found himself sickened by mutilated French corpses – castrated, dismembered, even slowly burned – tactics that eroded his initial sympathy for Spanish patriotism.

This experience fundamentally altered Ney’s approach. He ordered VI Corps to maintain concentrated formations, avoiding the dispersal that made easy targets for guerrillas. Supply lines received unprecedented protection, reflecting both practical necessity and Ney’s determination to maintain discipline amid the savagery. His strict prohibition against looting or mistreatment of civilians – violations punishable by death – stood in stark contrast to the conduct of many French units in Spain.

The Campaign of 1809: Triumphs and Frustrations

Ney’s VI Corps played pivotal roles in several key engagements during 1809. After participating in Napoleon’s brilliant maneuver that crushed Spanish regular forces, Ney received independent command in Galicia. Here, the marshal revealed unexpected administrative talents, implementing fair taxation systems and even arranging financial support for families of Spanish soldiers fighting against France – paying half their absent husbands’ salaries from local revenues.

His humane treatment extended to enemies. British Major Napier, captured at La Coruña, received not imprisonment but hospitality, with Ney permitting his return home upon learning of his mother’s distress. Even Ney’s misguided attempt to “liberate” unwilling nuns from Galician convents reflected genuine (if culturally tone-deaf) benevolence rather than anticlerical zeal.

The Breakdown of Command: Ney vs. Masséna

The marshal’s greatest challenges emerged not from Spanish or British foes, but from his own superiors. Ney’s relationship with Marshal Masséna, appointed to command the 1810 invasion of Portugal, deteriorated over fundamental differences in character and conduct. Where Ney maintained strict financial propriety, Masséna engaged in systematic graft. Where Ney tolerated but ignored Masséna’s notorious mistress (who accompanied the army in dragoon uniform), other officers like Junot’s wife openly snubbed the arrangement.

Their clash reached crisis point during the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, when Ney vehemently opposed Masséna’s conventional siege approach in favor of a bold strike against British lines. The subsequent bloody repulse at Bussaco Ridge (September 27, 1810), where Ney’s corps suffered heavily attacking fortified heights against his advice, cemented his disillusionment. “This will not happen again!” he vowed privately, “At least not under Masséna’s orders!”

The Disastrous Retreat from Portugal

By early 1811, Masséna’s starving army faced inevitable retreat from Portugal’s Torres Vedras lines. Ney’s masterful rearguard actions during the grueling withdrawal – including critical stands at Pombal and Redinha – saved the French army from complete destruction. His decision to burn supply wagons (starting with his own) maintained mobility, while his rapid withdrawal from Condeixa narrowly prevented Masséna’s capture.

The final rupture came when Masséna ordered another stand at Guarda. Ney, recognizing the futility, refused outright and prepared to march his corps to Almeida. Masséna responded by relieving Ney of command, sending him to Madrid in disgrace – though many in the army secretly agreed with Ney’s assessment. Napoleon, informed of the conflict, recalled Ney to France with a stern reprimand but stopped short of more severe punishment, recognizing the marshal’s indispensable qualities.

The Legacy of Ney’s Spanish Campaign

Ney’s Iberian experience revealed dimensions often obscured by his “Bravest of the Brave” reputation. His administrative fairness in Galicia, humane treatment of prisoners, and attempts to mitigate war’s horrors contrasted sharply with the conflict’s general brutality. The campaign also exposed his growing willingness to challenge questionable orders – a tendency that would culminate dramatically in 1814 and 1815.

Strategically, Ney recognized earlier than most the impossibility of Napoleon’s Spanish ambitions. His conflicts with Masséna reflected not mere insubordination but fundamental disagreements about warfare’s changing nature – from set-piece battles between professional armies to the complex counterinsurgency that drained French resources until 1813. The marshal who returned to France in 1811 was both hardened and disillusioned, his experiences in Spain quietly preparing him for the fateful choices that awaited during the Empire’s final crises.